Cayman 987 Base VS S

[Type9r]

Hi everyone, I'm new to Porsche and looking at buying a Cayman for 60% road 40% Track use. I've been leaning more towards the base 2.7 Cayman but I would like the more powerful S. I've been put off the S by all the "bore scoring" horror stories. My question is, is this as big of a problem as people make out or would I be worrying over nothing? Is a 3.4 S as reliable as a 2.7 especially if used on track quite a bit.
I just don't want to buy a base and wish I'd bought an S and visa versa.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Rich,

It’s impossible to give bulletproof advice on the bore scoring issue on the Gen1 cars. No doubt the internet has played its part in raising awareness, but as always it’s only one side of the issue and few - if any - owners who‘ve never experienced bore scoring will comment on it. Having said that, it is a known problem and seems to be more prevalent on the bigger bore 3.4L engine. If you get a reliable PPI done on any prospective purchase and include a bore survey it should stand you in good stead, and if it’s a high mileage car and no scoring has occurred it should give you some confidence.

If you still have concerns, if your budget allows I’d strongly advise you to seek out an early Gen2 car where bore scoring isn’t a recognised concern and a significant number of other worthwhile engine improvements were incorporated.

I can confirm that the extra power and torque of my 3.4L 987.2 CS over the smaller engined variant is noticeable, and I’m sure the same can be said of the Gen1 cars. The best thing to do is drive both and decide what best suits your requirements.

Good luck!

Jeff

 

[AndrewT]

Rich,

I was in a similar position in 2015, albeit wanting a 987.2 for occasional hillclimbing. I bought a 2.9 987.2 (manual). It had Sports Chrono and I always drove in Sports mode but it wasn’t quite as quick on the hillclimb as I’d have liked and I always wondered “should I have bought a 3.4” so after a year or so I sold it and started looking for 3.4 987.2.

Initially I thought an “R” would be ideal but having test driven a couple I concluded that I’d be spending a lot of money for the kudos of owning a limited edition car (regardless of the slight performance advantage) so I opted for a 987.2 S with PDK, PASM, Sports Chrono Plus - it did everything I wanted, enabled me to set hillclimb times quicker that I’d done in a TVR Griffith 500 and quicker than I’d seen an “R” do on that hill. I also did a couple of tours of around 3,000 miles and found that the PASM in comfort mode gave a ride as comfortable as my wife’s 2017 Mini Cooper.

I’ve sold the “S” now, I moved house and no longer have a garage, but my decision was made mostly because of the ever increasing traffic and speed limited roads as well as seeming always to get stuck behind members of the “40 mph everywhere” brigade.

 

[Type9r]

Thanks for the replies guys, and apologies for the late response. I've been spending my time trawling the interweb for a Cayman. I've now bought a Cayman 987.2 2.9. What an awesome car. Really pleased with it.

 

[GordonT]

Photo required now, Rich!!

 

[Type9r]

All done Gordon.

 

[GordonT]

Looks very nice, Rich. I’m sure you will not be disappointed. Enjoy it!

 

[Motorhead]

Well done Rich! Bagging a Gen2 car should allay any fears associated with potential bore scoring and IMS bearing issues.

Good to hear that you’re please with your purchase and keep us posted on your Cayman journey.

Jeff