midnightdecker

Hi All! I've been lurking here for a few months doing research on Caymans, and I have decided that a 987.2 base Cayman 6-speed is what I am looking for.


I have been religiously checking all auto sales websites for months looking for the "perfect" 987.2 Cayman. I found a 2011 for sale at a dealership really close to me a few months ago, but it got snatched up just before I arrived to take it for a test drive!


After that experience, I came to realize how seemingly desirable the 987.2s are because of all the improvements Porsche made to the engine when compared to the 987.1. That, and the 987.2s don't seem to stick around very long when they are listed for sale.. IF they are listed for sale.


Anyway, I have since expanded my search for glory to all of the United States (I am in California). I recently found a 2011 Cayman listed at a great price that ticks all the boxes for me. This Cayman has only 26k miles, and 2 owners. Carfax is clean, and lists all regular maintenance performed at Porsche dealerships. Only "problem" is that the vehicle is for sale at a dealership out of state.


Not wanting this opportunity to get away, I called them up to get more info. I spoke to the salesman, and he assures me that the car is "perfect" (of course). I inquire further about maintenance records and inspections they performed when receiving the vehicle, etc. The salesman continues to insist that the car is perfect, and that his general manager even wanted to buy the car, but he is too big to fit in to it. I realize this is mostly sweet talk, but I end up getting him to send me a copy of their inspection report, and a bunch more photos of the car. Their report was basically just a smog check that passed, and checking for any misfires.


The salesman also assured me that the vehicle is covered by their "forever warranty" which covers all major issues with "non wearable" items for the life of the car. This applies even if I bring the car back to California.


The car looks so sweet, and it's basically my dream car. I have driven other 987.2 Caymans, and the experience was life changing. So, I am leaning towards buying this car sight unseen. I did end up putting a deposit on the car to show that I am a serious buyer.


Questions:

1. With 26k miles on this 2011 Cayman, should I be concerned for any "major" issues?
   
2. I am not sure of my "rights" as a potential buyer from out of state to get a PPI? I don't know of any reliable Porsche mechanics in this particular state.
   
3. I am afraid they will move on to the next interested party if I am insistent on having them take it to a local Porsche mechanic for a PPI. Should I be concerned with this? (Keep in mind, I am sure there are loads of other interested parties if this car is as rare as it seems)
   
4. That said, am I an idiot for considering buying this vehicle sight unseen?
   

Thanks in advance for your comments. Feel free to be as brutally honest as you want.


Cheers.

Vettel-ish

I am also on the hunt and I would not buy a car without the PPI. If your going to make the investment on the car this is a must. If that dealership gives you a hard time about getting an external mechanic to come check out the car..you dont want to buy that car anyways let alone buy it from that dealership.

Another option would be to ask if they would CPO the car. That way they go through it and it would have a warranty then.

My local dealership said they can buy a car from anywhere in the country, ship it to WI and then CPO it. It would cost me like 2k but that would include shipping and the warranty. I would do that all day. Then you dont have to deal with the hassle.

tomhartzell

+1 on the value of a PPI -- even for a local car unless it was well known and religiously maintained. Also, are there any options on the car that might indicate it has been tracked? If so, I would want an overrev report which might indicate whether the previous owner(s) missed some shifts. I like the idea of getting the local dealership to CPO the car if possible, but if the overrev report were bad enough they might not be able to do it. If the base Cayman is pretty much stock, the risk might be smaller IMO.

If there are some performance mods that have been added, I would walk unless the dealership you're working with would let you take it somewhere for a PPI.

colnago1331

I bought my first Porsche, a 2011 base Cayman a few months ago, and I couldn't be happier. I was lucky enough to find it locally at a Porsche dealership, and the CarFax showed regular service at the other dealership in town. But even so I insisted on a PPI at a local indy shop, and they had no problem accommodating this request. The salesman even drove it to/from the shop, which was a good 30 minutes away from the dealership. In the end, any dealership worth its salt should do that for a potential customer. If this dealership won't, then you need to find one who will.