2012 Cayman S vs 2014 Cayman
09-30-2017, 01:13 PM
#2
Race Director
The two cars have differences. S vs. base is one. And 2 years between them.
Of the two differences the age difference I think is the least important, although taking depreciation into account it is not insignficant. An older example costs less to buy and depreciation is the biggest expense in owning a vehicle.
The S vs base difference is the biggie.
You need to test drive both examples and decide which you prefer: S or base. Once you have that decided then seek out the best example you can find and afford and buy it.
Of the two differences the age difference I think is the least important, although taking depreciation into account it is not insignficant. An older example costs less to buy and depreciation is the biggest expense in owning a vehicle.
The S vs base difference is the biggie.
You need to test drive both examples and decide which you prefer: S or base. Once you have that decided then seek out the best example you can find and afford and buy it.
09-30-2017, 01:48 PM
#3
Had a similar quandary when I wanted to pick one up. Wanted the power and additional bells and whistles of the 987.2S but, as this was going be one to share with the wife (I also have a 991S w/PWK) I posed the question to her and.... aesthetics won. 981 is just, IMO, a better looking car, inside and out. It's been over half a year and been a GREAT decision. Very happy. We're not 'smoking' people from the stoplight but that's not really a thing for me (it's plenty fast for public roads, plus I have the 991S for that 
). Best of luck with your search, think you can't go wrong w/either! -Dom
). Best of luck with your search, think you can't go wrong w/either! -Dom
10-01-2017, 07:35 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
I think there's a couple of other issues here to consider as well. Here goes.
1. Appearance? 981 wins no questions. It's a beautiful Tone Hatter (993) design.
2. Engine? Late model 987.2 will have the DFI, non-IMS bearing issue.
3. Steering feel? This is where the 987.2 takes in in spades.
4. Interior? Hmm... debatable. The 981 is defiantly and upgrade but the 987.2 is a more simpler, more classic sport car look.
So both GREAT cars, best to drive both for a good 1/2 day each, on some twisties out in the country.
Good look on your hunt!
1. Appearance? 981 wins no questions. It's a beautiful Tone Hatter (993) design.
2. Engine? Late model 987.2 will have the DFI, non-IMS bearing issue.
3. Steering feel? This is where the 987.2 takes in in spades.
4. Interior? Hmm... debatable. The 981 is defiantly and upgrade but the 987.2 is a more simpler, more classic sport car look.
So both GREAT cars, best to drive both for a good 1/2 day each, on some twisties out in the country.
Good look on your hunt!
10-01-2017, 11:21 PM
#6
I think there's a couple of other issues here to consider as well. Here goes.
1. Appearance? 981 wins no questions. It's a beautiful Tone Hatter (993) design.
2. Engine? Late model 987.2 will have the DFI, non-IMS bearing issue.
3. Steering feel? This is where the 987.2 takes in in spades.
4. Interior? Hmm... debatable. The 981 is defiantly and upgrade but the 987.2 is a more simpler, more classic sport car look.
So both GREAT cars, best to drive both for a good 1/2 day each, on some twisties out in the country.
Good look on your hunt!
1. Appearance? 981 wins no questions. It's a beautiful Tone Hatter (993) design.
2. Engine? Late model 987.2 will have the DFI, non-IMS bearing issue.
3. Steering feel? This is where the 987.2 takes in in spades.
4. Interior? Hmm... debatable. The 981 is defiantly and upgrade but the 987.2 is a more simpler, more classic sport car look.
So both GREAT cars, best to drive both for a good 1/2 day each, on some twisties out in the country.
Good look on your hunt!
10-02-2017, 02:40 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
I just went through this in the early summer. Decided on the 981 for a number of reasons.
The 981 is an absolutely stunning car in certain colors. It is also a more modern car in many ways and the chassis is different than the 987.2. The 987 is a beautiful car, but to many it is dated and looking a little old, if that's important to you....
I don't think the steering feel out weighs the difference in the chassis. IMHO. The handling of the 981 is as good as any car on the road. Just spend some time searching the press that was related to the 981 when it was released.
Now the 2.7... what a great, I mean AWESOME, little engine. Holy Cow -- does it ever sound great and rev freely. The engine feels just as at ease tooling around at 2500 as it does 5000 RPM. I am lucky to have the Porsche Sport Exhaust and it never gets old. Side note: replacement engines for those who track a lot and might fear a replacement, are very reasonable at the moment -- not that we've heard any real issues with the 2.7.
I have the manual gear box and it is spectacular.
I also, being a long time Porsche owner who remembers the great Bruce Anderson, seriously took to heart his sage advice, and I am paraphrasing... "Buy the newest Porsche that your budget allows."
Good luck with the decision and search -- you really can't go wrong with either car.
The 981 is an absolutely stunning car in certain colors. It is also a more modern car in many ways and the chassis is different than the 987.2. The 987 is a beautiful car, but to many it is dated and looking a little old, if that's important to you....
I don't think the steering feel out weighs the difference in the chassis. IMHO. The handling of the 981 is as good as any car on the road. Just spend some time searching the press that was related to the 981 when it was released.
Now the 2.7... what a great, I mean AWESOME, little engine. Holy Cow -- does it ever sound great and rev freely. The engine feels just as at ease tooling around at 2500 as it does 5000 RPM. I am lucky to have the Porsche Sport Exhaust and it never gets old. Side note: replacement engines for those who track a lot and might fear a replacement, are very reasonable at the moment -- not that we've heard any real issues with the 2.7.
I have the manual gear box and it is spectacular.
I also, being a long time Porsche owner who remembers the great Bruce Anderson, seriously took to heart his sage advice, and I am paraphrasing... "Buy the newest Porsche that your budget allows."
Good luck with the decision and search -- you really can't go wrong with either car.
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10-03-2017, 10:46 AM
#8
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Thank you for all of the replies. The 987.2 S is right in the price range that I want to be, but was maybe thinking go newer but the base instead of the S. Again thank you for you comment.
10-03-2017, 10:47 PM
#9
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I was in the same situation last year. Finally settled on a 2010 987.2 S and couldn't be happier. I agree the 981's look nice, especially inside. However, there are some strong arguments to be made for the 987.2 as well. As a daily driver I could see the slightly roomier (and arguably nicer) interior of the 981 being a benefit but as a weekend toy the smaller dimensions of the 987 series are perfect. Plus there are not too many cars that have a nicer rear & rear 3/4 view appearance than a 987, gotta love those hips! Plus the added power and brakes on the S are an added bonus. I will admit I am slightly biased ;-) I honestly don't think you could go wrong either way. Enjoy the search, then enjoy the drive!
10-04-2017, 12:27 AM
#10
Rennlist Member
S.
10-06-2017, 08:54 AM
#12
Instructor
I faced a somewhat similar dilemma 2 years ago, but was comparing an almost fully loaded 2012 Cayman S with 13K km with a almost stripper 2014 Cayman S with 24K km that was $10K more expensive. I drove them back and found that the differences were negligible at best. I personally preferred the exterior look of the 981, but liked the interior of the 987 much more. In the end, I went with the 987.2 as it has more options (sport seats, navi, heated seats, modified exhaust, etc.) and cost $10K less.
These are both fantastic cars and I really don't think that you can go wrong with either one. It's really a matter of personal preference.
These are both fantastic cars and I really don't think that you can go wrong with either one. It's really a matter of personal preference.
10-10-2017, 04:13 PM
#13
I agree the 981 is better looking (both exterior and interior). I own both (981 Boxster S for the wife, and a 987.2 Cayman S). The extra bells and whistles on the 981 is really nice - LCD screen in the dash cluster, smoother ride, nicer more "wrap-around" dash/console, etc. Also big advantage to a 981: potential to still be under warranty (CPO or remainder of new car warranty).
My wife's first 981 Boxster was a 2014, base with the 2.7, 6sp manual and Sports Chrono. Great fun, rev-happy. Not going to win stoplight races BUT once over 5,000rpm it really ran great. Felt like, while 0-60 might be a little slow, from ~30-40mph up, the car really did move well. I think the long gearing hurts the 2.7 a little.
I say "first" above because it was totaled a few months ago - got rear-ended by a guy in a landscaping truck. We replaced it with a 2015 S.... not because we specifically wanted an S, but because we couldn't find a 2.7 car IN THE COUNTRY that was CPO and had a 6-speed! Comparing the two - the S doesn't feel *substantially* quicker, but it definitely works better with the tall gearing.
IMO though, a big thing to consider would be insurance rates. When I was first shopping for my Cayman (wife's first Boxster came a year later), I was in the same boat: 987.2S or 981 base? I learned that the 981's are more or less glued together, vs the 987 being welded. Which means that, even a minor impact, the 981 is more likely to be totaled... or at the very least, very expensive to repair (requiring a Porsche Authorized Collision Center to do the work). Since my 987's primary purpose is track toy, I wanted something that had a possibility of being repaired should I have an "off track excursion" vs. an almost guaranteed "total loss". When the wife's first 981 was totaled, the car didn't *look* bad at all. It wasn't a "tap" of a hit, but overall it wasn't in bad shape. Wrinkled rear fender, bumper, taillight, trunk lid. I think they were able to drive the car around the tow lot. Was a total loss tho - damages were over $30k!
I can tell you that the difference in insurance premiums between my 987 and the wife's 981 is pretty substantial... almost double. So if you're already *stretching* a little to get into the newer 981, remember insurance will likely be more, too.
My wife's first 981 Boxster was a 2014, base with the 2.7, 6sp manual and Sports Chrono. Great fun, rev-happy. Not going to win stoplight races BUT once over 5,000rpm it really ran great. Felt like, while 0-60 might be a little slow, from ~30-40mph up, the car really did move well. I think the long gearing hurts the 2.7 a little.
I say "first" above because it was totaled a few months ago - got rear-ended by a guy in a landscaping truck. We replaced it with a 2015 S.... not because we specifically wanted an S, but because we couldn't find a 2.7 car IN THE COUNTRY that was CPO and had a 6-speed! Comparing the two - the S doesn't feel *substantially* quicker, but it definitely works better with the tall gearing.
IMO though, a big thing to consider would be insurance rates. When I was first shopping for my Cayman (wife's first Boxster came a year later), I was in the same boat: 987.2S or 981 base? I learned that the 981's are more or less glued together, vs the 987 being welded. Which means that, even a minor impact, the 981 is more likely to be totaled... or at the very least, very expensive to repair (requiring a Porsche Authorized Collision Center to do the work). Since my 987's primary purpose is track toy, I wanted something that had a possibility of being repaired should I have an "off track excursion" vs. an almost guaranteed "total loss". When the wife's first 981 was totaled, the car didn't *look* bad at all. It wasn't a "tap" of a hit, but overall it wasn't in bad shape. Wrinkled rear fender, bumper, taillight, trunk lid. I think they were able to drive the car around the tow lot. Was a total loss tho - damages were over $30k!
I can tell you that the difference in insurance premiums between my 987 and the wife's 981 is pretty substantial... almost double. So if you're already *stretching* a little to get into the newer 981, remember insurance will likely be more, too.
10-10-2017, 06:45 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
Wow -- an aspect never considered. Didn't even cross my mind at the time of shopping. Still, don't know if I'd base a decision off a possible shunt - though I can see why folks might.
10-11-2017, 10:58 PM
#15
I agree the 981 is better looking (both exterior and interior). I own both (981 Boxster S for the wife, and a 987.2 Cayman S). The extra bells and whistles on the 981 is really nice - LCD screen in the dash cluster, smoother ride, nicer more "wrap-around" dash/console, etc. Also big advantage to a 981: potential to still be under warranty (CPO or remainder of new car warranty).
My wife's first 981 Boxster was a 2014, base with the 2.7, 6sp manual and Sports Chrono. Great fun, rev-happy. Not going to win stoplight races BUT once over 5,000rpm it really ran great. Felt like, while 0-60 might be a little slow, from ~30-40mph up, the car really did move well. I think the long gearing hurts the 2.7 a little.
I say "first" above because it was totaled a few months ago - got rear-ended by a guy in a landscaping truck. We replaced it with a 2015 S.... not because we specifically wanted an S, but because we couldn't find a 2.7 car IN THE COUNTRY that was CPO and had a 6-speed! Comparing the two - the S doesn't feel *substantially* quicker, but it definitely works better with the tall gearing.
IMO though, a big thing to consider would be insurance rates. When I was first shopping for my Cayman (wife's first Boxster came a year later), I was in the same boat: 987.2S or 981 base? I learned that the 981's are more or less glued together, vs the 987 being welded. Which means that, even a minor impact, the 981 is more likely to be totaled... or at the very least, very expensive to repair (requiring a Porsche Authorized Collision Center to do the work). Since my 987's primary purpose is track toy, I wanted something that had a possibility of being repaired should I have an "off track excursion" vs. an almost guaranteed "total loss". When the wife's first 981 was totaled, the car didn't *look* bad at all. It wasn't a "tap" of a hit, but overall it wasn't in bad shape. Wrinkled rear fender, bumper, taillight, trunk lid. I think they were able to drive the car around the tow lot. Was a total loss tho - damages were over $30k!
I can tell you that the difference in insurance premiums between my 987 and the wife's 981 is pretty substantial... almost double. So if you're already *stretching* a little to get into the newer 981, remember insurance will likely be more, too.
My wife's first 981 Boxster was a 2014, base with the 2.7, 6sp manual and Sports Chrono. Great fun, rev-happy. Not going to win stoplight races BUT once over 5,000rpm it really ran great. Felt like, while 0-60 might be a little slow, from ~30-40mph up, the car really did move well. I think the long gearing hurts the 2.7 a little.
I say "first" above because it was totaled a few months ago - got rear-ended by a guy in a landscaping truck. We replaced it with a 2015 S.... not because we specifically wanted an S, but because we couldn't find a 2.7 car IN THE COUNTRY that was CPO and had a 6-speed! Comparing the two - the S doesn't feel *substantially* quicker, but it definitely works better with the tall gearing.
IMO though, a big thing to consider would be insurance rates. When I was first shopping for my Cayman (wife's first Boxster came a year later), I was in the same boat: 987.2S or 981 base? I learned that the 981's are more or less glued together, vs the 987 being welded. Which means that, even a minor impact, the 981 is more likely to be totaled... or at the very least, very expensive to repair (requiring a Porsche Authorized Collision Center to do the work). Since my 987's primary purpose is track toy, I wanted something that had a possibility of being repaired should I have an "off track excursion" vs. an almost guaranteed "total loss". When the wife's first 981 was totaled, the car didn't *look* bad at all. It wasn't a "tap" of a hit, but overall it wasn't in bad shape. Wrinkled rear fender, bumper, taillight, trunk lid. I think they were able to drive the car around the tow lot. Was a total loss tho - damages were over $30k!
I can tell you that the difference in insurance premiums between my 987 and the wife's 981 is pretty substantial... almost double. So if you're already *stretching* a little to get into the newer 981, remember insurance will likely be more, too.
I would advise only that you treat much of what you hear on ANY forum as conjecture and do your own research, driving both cars, quoting insurance, and coming up with your own assessment based on your preferences. Good luck!
P.S. - I agree that the 2.7 is great fun! Fantastic little motor!