You couldn't order an S with aluminum doors, LWBs, or get the ecu mapping which makes the 3.4 come alive comparatively. Not sure if you could get limited slip either or the short shift kit as a extra cost options at the time of order. Could you get X73 on a normal 987 like you could a 981? They both are wonderful cars and the 987 Boxster Spyder is definitely one of the best looking Porsches ever, which is why I wanted to have one even while owning a Cayman R. Back to back drives in each will show you why the Cayman R reigns supreme. If I could turn back time, I'd still have my Cayman R and 2011 Spyder. I realize now I haven't gained much if anything with my later trades to a 2016 Spyder, 2017 Targa 4S and GT4 (still have the latter 2). Faster doesn't always mean more fun or more enjoyable to own. The Cayman R is the most balanced performing and most confidence inspiring Porsche I've owned.

 

While on a recent Sunday drive, I had an epiphany about the Cayman R. It's the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid: "Can I move? I'm better when I move" car.

By that, I mean it really comes alive and confidence-inspiring when the driving becomes spirited and twisty and closer to the limit. I enjoy driving the car down the road. I REALLY enjoy the car on those spirited drives!

 

In 100 years it will be worth a lot if its still drive-able and original.

Does that make you feel better?

 

I was strictly referencing cosmetic difference only in my comment.

 

I've driven both the R and Spyder on track, although never in the same day. I found them both to be incredible, and assumed the R would always get the nod, although I stumbled across this write-up years ago: https://www.excellence-mag.com/issue...t#.XL9GwehKgUE

I think there are a bunch of potential flaws in the overall results - i.e. the second time around the guy had more experience, who knows what alignment was like, and so on, although hard to come out of this assuming the R was significantly better.

 

No reason why the R would be better than the Spyder or vice versa. For all intents and purposes the cars are nearly identical. Yes the Cayman will be more rigid but it comes at the expense of more weight and higher COG so they really should be equal. Any differences in testing could certainly point back to differences in alignment, tires and maybe the options on the car.


Very true. If you’re not exploring closer to its limits you are truly missing out on what this car offers. Around town, highway or even on/off ramps will not highlight what the Spyder/R does best. Once you do get to explore in the twisties near the limits you immediately realize Porsche truly nailed it.

 

Put me in the "yes" camp, although the Spyder will be more "collectable" IMO for the reasons already mentioned.

 

^^I wouldn't use the word significant. Marginal perphaps. Main variable between my R and Spyder was PCCB, which has a value other than just brake performance. But the main difference I could detect was power. My R made my Spyder feel just a little flat. Neither of mine had Bridgestone RE 050s like in the video.

 

A Softronic tune will take care of that issue and perhaps more....

 

For the record you could spec an S with LWB's, LSD and SSK

 

Yes.

Of course.

I tell my wife this all the time.

My toys are collector toys. They will go up in value. Trust me.

Then, with her keen CPA mind she shows me the taxes, DMV fees, maintenance, insurance, storage (mancave not cheap) etc...

Yes dear, maybe collectible but not wise investments.

 

For interest sake, the 2011/12 Spyder received the 987.2 Cayman S throttle mapping. The R got its own unique throttle mapping which purposefully resulted in a quickened throttle response. That's what you really feel between the 2. It's a more immediate punch. How that translates to actual measured performance is probably not much, but the fun factor is notched up a tad, stock v stock. I like it when Porsche goes out of their way to give you something you wouldn't have even asked for. If it weren't for their self-constraint to provide moderate incremental power upgrades for subsequent models I'm sure Porsche would have liked to have bumped the power a bit more in the Spyder and R, but knowing the 981 was coming they were only going to bump it enough to make them stand out against current S models. Even so it still took Porsche 3 years to introduce a Cayman more powerful than the R. These are really special cars and collectible or not, they are about as fun as any modern car can be. They are super balanced between chassis and power and still deliver incredible touring economy (upwards of 30 mpg). Porsche hasn't been able to deliver this much performance, while maintaining decent economy since.

 

2012 Cayman R, Manual Transmission, Light weight bucket seats

30 years after selling my 914, I am a Porsche owner again. I purchased this 19,000 mile Certified Pre-Owned beauty last month.

 

I believe the Spyder and the R will be collectible, but will never reach massively high values like we see with the aircooled 911s. I'd bet all over optioned R/Spyders will be significantly less desirable. Look at the RS America: the cars optioned that aligned with the 'performance ethos' became the most desirable.

As others have stated, the Spyder is a little more 'special' with the its unique styling. When shopping for my R, I was sorely tempted by the Spyder, but as I was looking for a car that I would use on the track quite a bit, the R was the more sensible choice.

I bought my R to drive it, including on the track...and I do and love it. I've modded it as well, reducing its collectability and frankly I do not care. The 'value' in my R is the countless amazing experiences I have at track events and the great folks I meet in the Porsche community, not in its resale value.

DJM

 

Absolutely, I bought the R for the same reason and for me it's by far the most fun car I've driven on track. Oddly enough when I bought the car and had zero expectation of the car holding value let alone appreciating in value, I could drive it carefree, but now that it is worth $10k to $15k more than I paid for it I simply don't feel the same way; so for me it may be time to sell it and buy something that I can thrash around without a second thought. Lots of great choices if I want to go that route. Fortunately I have the original seats so all I need do is take out the GT2 seats and the roll bar and it's back to it's original specs.