I'm a few months away from starting my search for a Cayman S. I'm looking to get a 2009 to avoid the potential IMS issue. I've never owned a mid-engined car before. How accessible are these for DIY maintenance? I know BMW is moving more and more to forcing people to use dealers (can't even change your own battery now), but my dad's old 996 always seemed pretty accessible still.

 

Brake work is very accessible and easy. Oil changes and spark plug changes are done from under the car. You need to remove the engine cover to change the air filter and check P/S fluid level. The cover is under the carpet which is removed with some sort of pry bar. 5 Torx secure the cover to the chassis. Oil can be added and coolant level checked through a door in the rear luggage compartment. Most owners have never seen their engine.

 

I have no problem with panel removal, lifting the car for most things, etc., I just want to make sure it isn't a car where most jobs start with "first remove the engine from the car," or involve an extreme number of proprietary tools.

 

torx and triple square [snap on tools] sockets and drivers

 

I tend to prefer Stahlwille/Hazet/Gedore to Snap-On. What size XZN does it use? Do I need 1/4" and or 3/8" drive, or is there enough room around things to stick with 1/2" drive?

 

Most of the small fasteners are Torx and a set including 20,25, and 30 should do it all. I use 1/4" drive. There is a triple square on the luggage bar but a metric Allen wrench works there. The current brake caliper bolt is a 55 Torx.