junkyard

Hello all,
New to the forum. Test drove a 2008 Cayman S today and loved it. I was hopeing for some insight from some current owners. I am sure you have all seen these questions before, but figured I would give it a shot.
1) Any known mechanical issues with 2008 Cayman S?
2) What is the one thing you don't like about your Cayman S (if anything)?
3) What is the one thing you love about your Caymn S?

I appreciate your input. This will be my first Porsche, and I want to make sure I am not being too impulsive (which I have a tendancy to do)!!!

Thanks,
Junkyard

Macster

Since the car is used there could be any number of mechanical issues.

The 2008 model is a bit newish and most have not racked up many miles and had things go wrong, or if they have they have been taken care of under warranty and generally these don't get reported to the groups. The owner drops the car off at the dealer and gets the car back a bit later (day/days) fixed.

The car is just a used car so a good used car check out will catch a lot of things.

Be aware of noisy engines, smoky engines (upon many or all starts).

The one thing I don't like about my 08 Cayman S is I no longer have it. (Lost it to an accident.)

The one thing I liked about my 08 Cayman S was everything! (I miss my Cayman!)

Sincerely,

Macster.

junkyard

Thanks man. I am still trying to figure out if I should pull the trigger. I may wait a few months and pick up an 09 instead. Extra hp can't hurt. Then again, I am going to see another one tomorrow, so who knows.

racer

Go for it!

Jim Michaels

Junkyard: Porsche apparently tried to address some of the more frequently reported problems of the first generation CSs (MY 2006 through 2008) in the generation 2 CSs (2009 to present), thus the generation 2 cars should be slightly improved in more ways than just power.

My own stock '06 CS has been autocrossed and tracked since new without any problems, so the generation 1 cars can also be very reliable.

junkyard

Thanks guys. I did not pull the trigger yet. The delear is willing to sell the 2008 Cayman S (with CPO) and 17,000 miles for around $47,500. I think that is a decent price. Not great, but decent. But they are not being fair with the trade-in. So I am going to take some time and see what I can get on my car, then figure out what to do.

Jim Michaels

The trade-in book values all seem too low; you'd likely be able to get significantly more for your present car by selling it yourself, but that takes more time and hassle. Of course, the dealer could offer you a more attractive trade-in price, but then his new price on the CS wouldn't look so attractive.

You're doing well so far; patience is a virtue here. Good luck.

Bill Lehman

Over a year ago, I bought a 2007 with 2500 miles on it for 43K, also CPO. I think you should bargain a little harder. You didn't mention if you are planning to track the car. Most of the issues with the first generation car only occur with heavily tracked cars. If a gen II car is in your budget, I think the improvements may be worth it.

Macster

Not a decent price imho. For comparison: In early April of 2009 I bought a new 08 Cayman S (SY, black leather, 6-speed, A/C, Sports Chrono, heated seats, and a few other bells/whistles) for $50.6K, marked down from $62.6K.

Dealer gave a me a generous (over book) trade in allowance for my 06 GTO too.

But maybe times have changed? I know (I've seen it happen that dealers are seaking out even used Caymans and Boxsters to meet customer demand) cause Caymans/Boxsters (new and used) are in short supply cause Porsche has cut way back on production, to avoid among other things the fire sale prices it saw in 2009 to move carry over unsold stock.

Still, an 08 Cayman S with 17K miles for $47.5K?

That seems high to me, but I am not current on used Cayman market prices.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Frank Bullitt

The newer the better for the Snapper.

Cayman_Sense

You can definitely find better deals. Keep checking online and consider a car that is a little further away... you can always have their local Porsche dealership perform a PPI. Going through R/L (or P-9) forums does help if you can verify the owner and car history.

To answer your questions:
1) Gen 1 have seen a few oiling issues that tend to scare off some people. These issues can be easily address with a few mods. Not everyone experiences oil ingestion/starvation issues, but it's always better to be on the safe side. If you are going to the track the car, consider have the following installed (at a minimum) -- Motorsports AOS and X51 Oil Pan/Baffle. This seems to be addressed in the Gen 2 DFI cars... but no experience there.
2) The only thing I HATE about my Cayman S is that I can longer drive it on the street. From day one, this car has been nothing short of perfect (in its own ways).
3) Balance, Braking, Predictable Handling, Feedback. It's a happy car at the limit.

Anyway, you will find a ton of posts/articles with the yays and nays. It's ultimately up to -- all I will say is that your dealership is not giving you a great deal, most agree you can do better.

gmsracing

I bought my '08 CS new and now it has 30k on it as a daily driver with 3 track days. No problems yet except for a bad stereo amp replaced under warranty. I'd do more track days with it but I'm buying another house and that kills my fun budget! The real "issue" I found was that I wanted it to be faster. In reality, it was quicker than I thought it would be stock. But, I've made some upgrades and the changes are noticeable.

equ

I don't know the current 08 market, but I do know that April 09 was the pits for car pricing and the absolute best time to buy. I also know that the trade-in value of my 06 Cayman S nosedived in late 08, early 09 and it's still the same now, if not a bit higher (I almost went for a 997S in April 09 that's how I know).

junkyard

Thanks everyone. The prices all seem to be pretty close right now on the market for the my08's. Usually low to mid 40's, dependant on mileage.

I am not planning on tracking the car (I say that now). I appreciate all of the info, and will post if I finally pull the trigger.

junkyard

Well I pulled the trigger. I was able to negotiate the dealer by a few thousand, and could not resist. I picked up the 2008 Porsche Cayman S, Meteor Grey Metallic and the interior is black. I have been driving around some nice country roads over the past few days and love the car.

Thanks again for everyones input.