In the market for a Cayman S.

[Mr. M]

Hey all,

I may not be here on GCF that often but believe me I'm still very much into cars... Recently I've been writing full-time for a car magazine and things have been pretty good so far into my first week.

Anyway the point of this thread is this: my dad's A8 is losing value like a free-fall and we're frankly quite alarmed at the kind of second hand value we're getting. Get this: people are offering us the kind of money that can only buy a MkVI GTI for a full-fledged flagship Audi A8L 4.2 quattro in flawless condition. Isn't it ridiculous?

To prevent any more losses on our side, we're determined to change to a lesser depreciating car and yet one which we'll use more often. After looking through the market high and low there is always one car and one brand that keeps coming up: Porsche and the Boxster/Cayman. It suits our purposes perfectly and that's why we've decided that if we wanted to change, it would be to change to the Porker.

And since I prefer a more focused drive, it's the Cayman we're after. Weather conditions here also don't really favour a convertible.

Question is - what are the must-have options for a used CS? I'm looking at pre-facelift models so things like LSD aren't available yet (AFAIK). I've already got a list so maybe you guys can help to add it on:

- Xenon lights (personal choice)
- Sports Chrono Package
- PASM (this comes with the above, right?)

I've also been considering between Tip and manual. The obvious choice for me is manual but because I'm sharing this car with my family, my sister would prefer a Tip. I'm worried about the resale of Tip with PDK now being available... What do you guys think? Will Tip still have an appeal? Right now I'm 50:50 between either, of course PDK is the best option but it's out of budget for 2008 and later models.

I'm also avoiding beige interiors to go for easy-to-maintain black and a silver exterior (am okay with most colours, just not black it's so difficult to maintain!).

Basically after reading all that, my key questions are (sorry for being long-winded):

- What are the must-have options for the CS?
- Tip or manual?

Thanks everybody for the feedback!!

James aka Mr. M

 

[Sayyaaf]

If manual is no problem for all car users then go for it, the Tip is lazy for the Cayman and kills half the fun. Its not brutal enough and it feels power is wasted.

 

[Pekka]

Hey James,

you can ask ten ppl about must haves of the Cayman - and you'll get ten different answers.

The Cayman is a great ride and after one year I love it more than ever. But mind, that it is only a two-seater. No chance to carry stuff, pick up some friends,... . That's the reason why I bought a used BMW touring as a second car last September. Think about a 911 when you need more space (especially when you come from a A8L). Regarding long-term maintenance of value, the 911 is also the better choice. The price tag for used 987s falls more and more... . In the other hand, affordable prices are interesting for the buyer.

In General, used Cayman (Caymen?) have no major issues. They're much more reliable than the 996/986 (cooler, jackshaft, rear main seal). But I'd never buy one without warranty.

A minor issue is the noisy tailgate. You'll hear it when you go for a test drive. Porsche can fix it. Just search for 'Trunk Clunk' at the Planet 9 - board.

Here are my do's and dont's.

Do:
- Cayman S
- 19' alloys
- Xenon / HID
- Sound package plus or Bose soundsystem
- 'Porsche Approved' warranty or MY 2008 and newer*
- Sports exhaust (can be retrofitted)
- Sport seats (they seem small but taller ppl also fit in - and they'll love it)

Maybe:
- Full leather interior if you choose black leather (but mandatory for beige)
- Tempostat / cruise control (here in Germany we never use it since we're always too fast - could be different in your country )
- PASM (too stiff for normal road conditions, you'll never use it)
- Sport chrono (don't like the 'egg timer' look of it - and we figured out that you're not faster on the track with SC)
- Sports steering wheel (I have it and I love it)
- Rear wiper (you only need it when the rear window is covered with snow)
- Heated seats (depending on the climate conditions in your country)

Dont:
- Tiptronic (u like castrated cats?)
- Base (alcantara) interior
- PCCB (expensive when you need spare parts + noisy)
- Aftermarket tuning - keep it stock or go for the real deal (GT3)

*In Germany and in the US, you can obtain a Porsche Approved warranty (up to 9 years / 200.000 km) - even if you bought the car at a Porsche dealership or not. If not, you can get a Porsche 'Individual' warranty. Oops, according to this website >> 5-Year Free Maintenance and Warranty Program - Importer Information Singapore - About Porsche - Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG << MY 2008 and newer Porsche have a advanced warranty. In Germany they only offer two years. In your case, I'd go for a MY 2008.

Have phun - and keep us updated.

 

[Mr. M]

Looks like the favour's for manual so far... I guess the major users of the car (my dad and me) are OK with manual and actually prefer it. So it's definitely my preferred choice. I understand what you guys are saying about Tip but from some owner feedback they actually feel the Tip is quite brutal as compared to the PDK! And that it gives a more 'raw' driving experience. I've yet to see how that is really possible though... It really sucks a lot of the power in the torque converter!

Hey Pekka, no worries about the practicality - we already have a VW Touran for that, so we can go as impractical as we want. I won't consider a 911 and neither my dad because a) it is out of budget and 2) I want the perfect handling balance that the mid-engined Cayman can provide. But I know what you mean about resale... 911s will hold value so well because they are regarded as the 'pure' Porsches. But the Boxster/Cayman aren't fairing so badly over here.

You have brought up a good point about warranty... Haven't really considered that. But if the Cayman is generally quite reliable isn't it okay to get it even without warranty? The warranty will eventually expire also anyway. The normal servicing costs shouldn't be too much to stomach, right? In any case, MY08 models are very expensive! Sigh.

Do:
- Cayman S - Definitely!
- 19' alloys
- Xenon / HID - Yes!
- Sound package plus or Bose soundsystem
- 'Porsche Approved' warranty or MY 2008 and newer*
- Sports exhaust (can be retrofitted) - I actually plan to change it to some aftermarket one, like Capristo!
- Sport seats (they seem small but taller ppl also fit in - and they'll love it) - are these the ones?



Maybe:
- Full leather interior if you choose black leather (but mandatory for beige)
- Tempostat / cruise control (here in Germany we never use it since we're always too fast - could be different in your country )
- PASM (too stiff for normal road conditions, you'll never use it) - if the car comes without PASM, the suspension is non-adjustable right? Figured that the absence of this might hurt resale...
- Sport chrono (don't like the 'egg timer' look of it - and we figured out that you're not faster on the track with SC) - again, considering it for resale purposes. Without Sport Chrono, is there still a Sport button?
- Sports steering wheel (I have it and I love it) - 3 spoke? Is this it?

- Rear wiper (you only need it when the rear window is covered with snow) - it rains a lot here so I thought we need it...
- Heated seats (depending on the climate conditions in your country)

Dont:
- Tiptronic (u like castrated cats?)
- Base (alcantara) interior
- PCCB (expensive when you need spare parts + noisy)
- Aftermarket tuning - keep it stock or go for the real deal (GT3)

Sorry for all the questions... Hearing comments from a CS owner himself is most welcome!

 

[Pekka]

(...) the Tip is quite brutal as compared to the PDK! And that it gives a more 'raw' driving experience.

From my point of view, TT is a No-Go. Compare MT against TT and you'll know what I mean.

Hey Pekka, no worries about the practicality - we already have a VW Touran for that, so we can go as impractical as we want.

Good to hear because the Cayman makes much more fun than a (non-GT3) 911!

(...) isn't it okay to get it even without warranty? The warranty will eventually expire also anyway. The normal servicing costs shouldn't be too much to stomach, right?

The service is affordable. Not much more expensive than Audi/BMW (some spare parts such as brakes are more expensive).

If stuff like the navigation system or the rear seal f... up it becomes very expensive. In the other hand, here in Germany one year of warranty is 1.200 EUR. It's up to you. By the way, here in Germany you'll get some kind of warranty when you buy a used car by a dealer. You can purchase the Porsche warranty whenever you want.

Before you buy the car, let a Porsche dealership check it. The should check it according to the 111-checkpoint-plan (they also check the car against these 111 checkpoints when you obtain the approved warranty). Some relevant criteria only Porsche can determine (over-revs and so on).

- Sports exhaust (can be retrofitted) - I actually plan to change it to some aftermarket one, like Capristo!

#1: No Porsche warranty with aftermarket stuff.
#2: A lot of aftermarket exhausts are roaring unpleasantly @ roundabout 3.000 RPM. Capristo is a good one - but beware of cheap exhausts and check Planet 9 for background information (or send me a PM).

- Sport seats (they seem small but taller ppl also fit in - and they'll love it) - are these the ones?

No. This is a picture of my sport seats:

- PASM (too stiff for normal road conditions, you'll never use it) - if the car comes without PASM, the suspension is non-adjustable right? Figured that the absence of this might hurt resale...
- Sport chrono (don't like the 'egg timer' look of it - and we figured out that you're not faster on the track with SC) - again, considering it for resale purposes. Without Sport Chrono, is there still a Sport button?

It might hurt the resale - but you also get the used car cheaper. No sport button without Sport Chrono, but driven in sport-mode, the car is kinda nervous. When we're driving (very fast) through the alps, the sport-mode is mostly deactivated. When you find a good (acceptable price, low mileage, all your required options) car with PASM and SC - go for it. When you see a cheap CS without SC - buy a SprintBooster (Sprint Booster For Porsche - www.SprintBoosterSales.com) ) to adjust the throttle response. Instead of PASM I'd install Bilstein PSS9. But the 'normal' chassis is fair enough. You can easily lower it with H&R springs.

- Sports steering wheel (I have it and I love it) - 3 spoke? Is this it?

Yes

Sorry for all the questions... Hearing comments from a CS owner himself is most welcome!

My pleasure

BTW, forgot to mention that a sport shifter is a nice option. You can also easily retrofit it.

 

[Mr Robert]

There is a buying guide in the current issue of Evo regarding the Cayman S.

 

[Mr. M]

There is a buying guide in the current issue of Evo regarding the Cayman S.

Thank you! I will definitely give it a read.

 

[Mr. M]

Just an update about the Cayman S.

Been doing rounds in the market and we just can't find a combo that suits our preferences. They're either overpriced, poorly optioned or wrongly coloured.

My dad and I have also debated about it and decided - the Cayman S is a car for me, not for him. He doesn't appreciate the low-slung nature of the car, where he always has to climb in and out (he has a problem with that). He also can't appreciate the car fully like I do. So, he's taking a different path - probably with either the W204 C or W212 E - and I'm going to wait for a few more years for the DI engined facelift CS to be on sale in the used market.

So this thread can be said to be 'closed' for now... To be reopened when the time comes.

Thanks everybody for the help.

 

[DaSilva]

Open again!

I have decided to buy a Cayman as soon summer of 2011 is over ^^ (James looks like we have very similar taste)
and this thread is very usefull...

My list so far:
- Porsche Cayman (S)
- White
- Beige interior
- Xenon
- Sportsseats
- Manual

I've been over at planet 9, much great info there.

I just want to own it for one year. (until the A3 sedan arrives)

Pekka do you stil have your PCS?

 

[Sayyaaf]

Hey Congrats

it would be difficult to step down to other brands though

 

[DaSilva]

Hey Congrats

it would be difficult to step down to other brands though

Thanks.
Hehe, true I hope I will be able to change to "normal" cars again. ^^

But in a couple of months I will move to the capital of Norway, Oslo and rent a apartment for a year... so I thought,
let's buy that Porscha it's now or never ^^ Right now I only need two seats.

Still I will party summer of 2011 with my A1 but it's smart to start
looking around now and get some knowledge about this "investment" before buying.

 

[donkeykong]

Congrats! Looks so good in white,I test drove a CaymanR over the weekend,and was mighty impressed the only thing that kept from buying it was the lack of options it was kind of bare,and it was a manual I preffer PDK personally. Have fun and be safe you have great car on your hands.

 

[DocM]

Da Silva I'm in the same boat, thinking of a used white Cayman S 2009+
I wouldn't go for the beige interior, trust me, they look dated quickly and are pain to maintain, and personally I dont think they match white well, you can never go wrong with black.
I would also look for blacked out wheels, can't wait till I start to get paid well !!

 

[Mr. M]

Open again!

I have decided to buy a Cayman as soon summer of 2011 is over ^^ (James looks like we have very similar taste)
and this thread is very usefull...

My list so far:
- Porsche Cayman (S)
- White
- Beige interior
- Xenon
- Sportsseats
- Manual

I've been over at planet 9, much great info there.

I just want to own it for one year. (until the A3 sedan arrives)

Pekka do you stil have your PCS?

Lucky you! We never got around to buying the Cayman S - went for an E-Class instead!

 

[Pekka]

Open again!
Pekka do you stil have your PCS?

I still have - and I track it (almost) every weekend.

I'm thinking about a possible next step (Z06, 99x tt, GT-R) from time to time but the Cayman is so much fun to drive.