Should I sell my 987.1 Cayman S with 80k miles for a 981 Cayman S?

This is bit of a wild question but I just wanted to know your guys thoughts on selling a 2007 Cayman S with 80k miles for a newer 981 Cayman S with roughly around 50k miles or so. I’ve been thinking about it recently just cause I want to know how the newer style would drive and feel. Do you think it would be wise or would I be making a potential mistake. Nothing is certain but again always open to thoughts and opinions. Cheers!

Why would you want electric vs hydraulic steering, a better balanced stance, the rear end and front end more stylish, not sure what the 981 owners are thinking when you see pictures of 987's at speed on the track vs 981 cars. That balance in almost every angle is better. If you did not know which one was made first, the 987 style could very well replace the more boxy 981 . As long as you have changed your oil on a regular basis, your engine is just fine. Just add a few items that would upgrade either versions, like Numeric shifter and cables, more distinctive wheels Titan 7 TS5's, Ohlins R&T, Soul long tube catless headers , Wavetrac LSD and never look back. I would wait until you could afford the new GT4 . That is the car that's worth the upgrade.

He’s got a point ^ GT4 is the car worth paying for… The only part of the 987 appearance i dislike is the sunken rear hatch vs 981 is flush.. and the pop up wing is an afterthought imo.. it would have looked better had it been smooth to the bumper (like a 964), no wing, no lip… so I bought the NR GT3 wing setup along with full Toth aero to help offset the rear. Some 987 angles are fantastic, a few angles I think look unfinished the 987 car is pretty cool… it hadn’t quite had its own identity yet tho… still very Carrera -ish coming down the road, not a bad thing. the 981 has the better motor tho…but now we’re finding out the bad part of direct injection… 981 will cost you a lot more than a 987. You can add some performance items, just know that the gains (at least imo) don’t add up as claimed… headers , exhaust intake and a tune might get you to the 981 range but that will set you back 6-8k… then there wheels, suspension, aero etc… if that’s your aim… lots of angles

Drive the 981 and see what you think. I drove a bunch of these cars from the 986 through the 981 . For me, the 981 was more of a "touring" vehicle... certainly comfortable and nice set of features, but it just didn't FEEL the same as the previous models. Many people say the same thing. For me, the 987.2 was the best option... and that's what I ended up getting and I couldn't be happier. I even got the base, because I didn't find the S felt that much faster (certainly not $10k worth to me). IMO, if you like features, the 981 is nice... but I prefer the drive on the 987, which is where I'm staying... but you can certainly see what you prefer.

I really like the open muffler vent showing the stainless steel muffler and below the Milltek exhaust. The rear tail lights are beautiful as well. Rear undercarrage showing a little dust from the Hoosier slicks.

Your having fun selling this aren’t-cha? 🤣kidding… you need a big wing so you can get hassled more at the stop light.. ya I’d agree the 987.2 is probably the car to get…

No wing for me. However, even better, I'm a road biker and 981 's do not have the Porsche Tequipment rack attachments on top. like the 987 and 911 's do. No need for a seal sucker rack that a semi's windwave going the other way can rock/suck your bike off the car.

Hahaha!!! Well you’ll save a lot of money… Bikes: raced bmx and mtn bikes… cool that you ride. I’ve had my fill

So here's a serious question - I've heard that the 718 Caymans are a bit less plush feeling and better steering feel than the 981 . Ignoring the price differences (which are not as great as one might think), would a 718 be more entertaining to drive than a 981 ? Maybe not quite as analog as a 987, but better than 981 ?

No idea and never drove one, but for me the motors kinda turn my interest… not saying there bad

Not the 981 for me. If I really wanted an upgrade, I'd go the 718 but it's a different animal altogether. The GT4 if I could afford it is of course a no brainer.

IMHO, the 987 is more sports car than the latest versions. The latter ones may look more plush and have more electronics through out. As said above, more a touring car feel. The 987's feel like a performance vehicle. I have a true 6 speed manual that adds all the more fun.

I’ve talked about this in other threads, but we’re all in a unique situation with our favorite cars not developing any longer… so everyone is trying to find the best car they can, when you may already own it… each car has its own good/bad points … I’d safely say the 987.2 S/R is probably the best performing cayman not counting the GT4 …

^ Yes! A bird in hand..... We ARE the folks with what is truly becoming rare. Think about the old man down the street, when you were a kid, and every Saturday you saw him in his garage with the door up tinkering on some old green 2-seat car that he obviously loved. He told you it is a Morgan and his dad had one and now he wants to keep that memory real. On occasion and a really nice day you see him take off in it and he's gone for a few hours. You kinda feel good about it for him. We HAVE those cars, only they are better engineered and not YET quite as rare. But that's a good thing because we can keep them in perfect condition easier and with a bit less effort. More driving! I realize this might sound like a bit over romanticized, but I ain't apologizing for that!

Not at all! We’re not alone here, it’s every make. There is an end to the next rendition of the latest and greatest.. that’s sad, scary for some and most of the next level cars have left the planet for pricing. I got extremely lucky when I bought my 997… I never bought that expecting it would be worth 50-60k more than I paid nor did I care.. I still think the 987.2 (wish mine was a .2) is the best version of the cayman .. and I still hate the sunken hatch… 🤣

I'm satisfied, I think. Or at least at my age if I already have my keeper-toy(s), I'm totally OK with that. But.......... That doesn't mean I will close my eyes and not be watching for a steal. Afterall, that's how I got my ND and 987.1 Both keepers! Back to the "But......", I never scratched my 911 itch. I WANT to be OK with that, but part of me (the little red horned part) whispers "really? You gonna give up and go to the grave without ever scratching that lifelong itch?" 👹🤣🤣 So again, I won't stop watching. It can be a 997.1 or 997.2 Heck, even a 996 if I can be smitten by one. Obviously this is NOT the best time for a steal, but I'm not exactly suffering while I wait this crazy Era out.

I’m a closet 996/ GT3 lover… the sound of that 3.6 is intoxicating and it still feels small like 993/964…. But ya all those cars are bonkers…. 997 CS is a great car to

You have a great platform already. With a reasonable modification budget, you can parallel much of what you would get by trading up....and pocket the difference.

Seems like lots of love for the 987 in here. I think the whole range is great, but I would wholeheartedly recommend you get a 981 . I bought a 981 Boxster S after owning a 986 . I drove some 987s. While I thought they were absolutely stellar, the 981 won my heart. Here are the reasons: Yes - it is more of a luxury feel, and yeah, I love that. Modern Porsches should feel premium, and I find all of the extra tech and features very useable. It is still a wild child. The more luxury feel does not diminish the raw performance it has. The 3.4l S is an amazing engine, and the entire package felt much more sorted than the 987's I drove. I do not find any difference in the electronic steering versus hydraulic except that is has a more "smooth" experience. I still feel very connected to the road with lots of driving feel. On the track I find it much easier to toss than I did in my 986. I come from driving Miata's for most of my life and it is not quite as raw as that, but the total package (suspension, geometry, wheels/tires) is much better. I love the look of the 981. I had the chance to check out a 918 Spyder a couple of weeks ago. It was incredible. There are similar design cues in the 981. I realize the preference of the 981 design is very subjective, so it is worthwhile to reflect on which one you like better. The reliability won me over as well. There are a ton of 981's for sale with low miles and with options you want. In many ways it is the pinnacle of the evolution of the 3.4l platform. The 718 is turbo based - not the same driving dynamic. Prices are crazy right now which means you will spend more, but you will also get much more for your 987. Consider this, there will never be another Porsche like the 981. It's either turbo 4 or future electric. The exception to this is the GT4. However, if you could afford it, then I doubt you would be asking the question in your original post. I do think it is valuable to consider everyone's opinion in the thread. After seeing all the great comments, which way are you leaning?

Depends on what you're prioritizing. Unless you're going with a newer 718 GTS 4.0 or GT4 you can't beat the NA mid-engine of a 981 . That was reason enough for me to go with a 981S vs. anything else. I liked the steering in the 981 even though it's not hydraulic, just more refined than a 987 and IMO the only trade off in terms of driving feel.

If you are looking at a 997.2 , I think that would be great. Just a very different handling car to the Caymans and for me at least, takes more driving skill and experience to go fast well. I had a 997.1S tip and its just night and day to my 987.2S PDK . If you're opting for auto, I'd recommend the PDK any day over the tip. YMMV of course.

Lovers of ice cream need not agree on flavors. What a time to be a Porsche enthusiast, more models than at any other time in my life.

I appreciate all of your insight and thoughts to my question! Though I don’t know what the future holds but I think to answer my own question I’m going to be holding on to my 07 CS. I agree that the 981 is more plush but I feel the 987 is just more raw and I love that. Being that it’s the 6 speed makes it all the better.

They all have their place… whatever makes ya happy, that’s what matters.. make your own, add bits,wheels, etc…. Or leave it as is… your ride!

I have owned a 987.2 base 6 speed and a 981gts. 981 much better in my opinion. Maybe because it has PASM which fantastic. Interior much better looking. Handles terain much better. Have an order in for a 992 Targa4S. I am hoping I love it. I bought all my porsches without test driving them! I thought this was rare but when I posted this question, I was suprised how many others did the same thing.

I only have 47,000 miles on my 2007 Cayman S and love the more rounded body compared to the newer models. Don't think that there is much difference in performance which you would notice. If the mileage was up around 100,000 miles, I would do some serious thinking because the engines are very expensive to replace. I would look for mileage closer to 30,000 miles since there are so many owners who only drive them on weekends. Either way you go, you'll be happy!

987 done my way… I wanted more of an RS approach, little more modern as if it was a GT3 /4, then… I like aero pieces on certain cars.. 964/993, no! But on a 996/997/987, yes… it updates by more than a decade.. I understand it’s not for some which is why it’s all removable with minimal restore (hatch only) Here’s a plug for Joe Toth but I think he did a great job making the aero pieces looks like it might have come that way from the oem… the wing, obviously a GT3 wing fits in perfect! every mod I’ve added minus the 2 duck tail bolts in the hatch can be removed with no harm to the oem car itself… this thing sticks really well

Another vote for the 981 - of course I am biased, but you cannot take a 981S around VIR in Sport+ mode and not tell me it is capable of just as as much raw balls-out driving fun. Same thing in the mountains, same thing at a stoplight, same thing on the interstate. It is an all around delight to ride in and drive. The way some talk, Porsche just decided to make a dull GT after the awesome 987 and before sucky Turbo 718 . Come on man - with relatively little cash you can also uptick the 981 with a few improvements to help solidify your 2 seater experience. I like the exterior and interior design better, the features better, the build quality has been stellar, the engine is superb and sounds excellent. I could not be happier I love you 987 guys! really I do and aren't we all really happy to have great cars from the get-go form Porsche , and we all enjoy that lazy not a company that makes you wait 10 years for the "final version". They are all great in one way or another, pluses and minuses - that is what is so great about reading the earlier owner love for their Teutonic Rocketships, the journey is the thing -

You 981 guys must know that what is REALLY fueling our 987 passion VS the 981 is we have a way cheaper date and it's still with a cheerleader. The real thing! So we just don't want to ante up a lot just to date the head cheerleader. Admittedly.

Wait until those 981’s start having carbon build up issues… 🤣 I had a car that had that problem from the direct injection and it was soooooo horrible picking that chit off with a tweezers… no joke

You have an absolutely beautiful 987! I would keep and love what you have now! Period. Personally, I prefer the 987 over the 981 . Closer to the true sports car experience in terms of driving excitement, connection to the road, (hydraulic vs. electronic steering IS noticeable with a better feel from the hydraulic version), and the unmatched beauty of the rounded, friendly 987 (vs. the more aggressive styling of the 981 ). The main difference I saw from the 987.1 and .2 involved the quality of materials within the cockpit. I have owned and driven a 987.1S, a 987.2S and a 981GTS and my favorite is the 987.2 for pure driving fun. The 987.2 is my daily driver for these reasons. Here are a few pictures of the 987.2 and 981 side-by-side for your consideration. The 987 series is such a gorgeous car! Hope this helps.

The 987 would look sooooo much better with that flush glass hatch line…

987: Hydraulic Steering, no start stop technology, a real emergency brake, easier battery replacement.....AND if it's a Spyder ? The lightest Porsche in decades, certainly likely to be the lightest ICE production car of the modern era period. PS My brother had a 73 911T, it was a peach. Sold it to get a home for his future ex wife, Doh'

You already know that I consider your Spyder my Halo Car. And for exactly the reasons you state. But I back-to-back my 987 with my ND often. Admittedly the Boxster gets the nod on close calls, which is saying something since the ND is a current production Era sports car. Anyways, I assure you that the ND is the King of "light and nimble". By a considerable margin, in fact. Of course the ND required significant aftermarket suspension tuning to match the prowess of even a Base 17 year old Porsche .

OK stupid question what's a ND? Thing is if tuning is on the menu the Spyder has considerable "room" I just prefer it bone stock. When it first came out, IIRC TPC turbo modified one and gave some folks with the pedigree Porsches as many headaches as it's tribute car the 550.

ND Miata

Yep. They are siblings. They both wink at me when I enter the barn and head for the keys. "Pick Me".