How reliable are these Cayman S engines?

If properly maintained, will these engines reach 60k, 80k, 100k without many problems?

At 30,000 miles they are worthless. Email me for details on free disposal of your expired Caymans .

Porsche keeps Boxster and Cayman engines warehoused just in case there is a problem. I have heard that the joke among mechanics is that the Check Engine Light is really a Change Engine Light. However, I wouldn't be too concerned. If properly maintained the engines will last for quite a while.

I don't think we have many 100K+ cayman engines around here. That being said, the cayman engine is relatively basic for a Porsche . VarioCam has been around for a while in the 997, and obviously Porsche has been making boxer engines for quite some time now So, assuming you dont beat and abuse the car, change the oil regularly (not at the Porsche 20K spec) it should last a long time.

Hmmm... maybe I'm just used to my "Honda" engines in my Acura's... each lasted well over 100K miles -- factory/dealer maintained. I hope to keep my Cayman 2.7 for an equal lenght of time... So, how much does one Track Day take out of the engine. side note; I just did a track day at Thunderhill with 3800 miles on the car.. and on the way home, I got 30+ mpg instead of the 28 I've been getting.. what's up with that? Other driving is generally pretty mellow (with due respect for LEO's). I surely am thinking of oil changes at 10K (vs 20K )... Anything else?? D&D

If you properly maintain it, it will last forever.

I've read that the running joke was for early boxsters, which engine blocks had lokasil coating issues, resulting in block porosity. Although Porsche knew about the problem, they continued to use the engine blocks with sleeving (a fix) but the sleeving failed and several came back. Subsequently, the issue got fixed and the Caymans do not share this issue, neither do the 987 Boxsters.

I just sold my 2000 996 (with the same/similar 3.4 engine) with 104,900 miles on it. It was rock solid and never had any problems (I bought it new). It was my daily driver and I tracked it quite a bit too. It still had the original clutch.

I'd say pretty reliable... I saw a 80,000 mile Cayman for sale before..although the autotrader link is no longer available.

It depends how you treat and maintain your car... track it and your results will be very different I suspect.... I'm the guy you want to buy a used car from.... not quite the little old lady from Pasadena.... but I take care not to abuse them In June I sold my '63 356SC with 306,000 + miles on it for $20,000....Compression was 165 on all 4 cylinders....engine probably has another 150K in it if treated properly. I changed oil every 3500 miles, never raced it...daily driver

I have seen plenty of Porsches with well over 100K, and have heard of more than one 911 with 300K+ on the clock. Most have had a little bit of work, but not all, and they all continue to run very well. I expect the same reliability from the Cayman . I could be wrong, but I am under the impression that Porsche is known for building particularly stout motors.

Elaborate on this opinion, please. I am curious why you believe that.

See Porsche Uber Alles | The Truth About Cars I think that article explains it well.

I've been a Poesche fan for over 40 years (started with a 356 S90) and all the models have had some serious recurring problems. The 911 's blew out the heater boxes and had chain tensioner failures. All the water cooled cars had water pump problems and timing belt issues. My 928 went thru three water pumps/timing belts during my ownership. The Boxsters had major engine problems starting with porous blocks, slipped sleeves and the grand daddy of them all, the RMS (Rear Main Seal) leaks. Porsches may be the most reliable sports cars as the Uber article above states, but compared to your average Honda or Toyota, they are nowhere. Now, the following is also true: Porsche has always made good on early failures, especially the latest problems on the water cooled flat sixes. ie. 986 ,987, 996, 997. If something goes wrong during warranty, they will fix it. Even after warranty if the problem is highly unusual. I've closely followed the developments of the Boxster/Cayman since both were first on the market and the problems now being reported are very low. In other words, the design issues of this model have been solved and now it is only manufacturing variability that is a concern. Finally, it you properly maintain the car, I see no reason why you couldn't get 150,000+ before any major repairs are needed.

Porsches can be expensive to own out of warranty. OEM parts are expensive and servicing can often require a significant amount of expensive hourly labor. Many modern Porsche owners trade or sell their cars once the warranty expires which is similar to BMW , Mercedes, and other "high end" marques these days. There is a large DIY and "indie" contingent for the air cooled 911s , and this sector is developing for the water cooled M96/M97 engines, but it does not have the enormous depth and expertise that has grown up around the aircooled flat six.

Ooo so when are you selling the CS?

High mileage Hyundai the company for which I toil on a part time basis just junked a Hyundai staton wagon with 297,000 on the clock. Engine still ran strong. Transmission tok a ****. If a porsche can't reach high mileage properly maintained than I am afraid we are all driving a piece of junk

You know what, I get really tired of hearing this ****. I've had a couple of Porsches the first being an old (and I mean old!) 944, I was a young Trooper in the Army at the time and posted in Germany, I came home to the UK pretty much every weekend in it for years and it never missed a beat, I sold it with well over 200,000 miles on the clock and serviced it pretty infrequently (I was poor!) Next was a 986 Boxster , daily driver and driven hard to boot. I was worried about IMS failure and decided to have the LN Engineering upgrade done by Autofarm (superb company and the best service I've ever had!) they removed the IMS bearing and carrier and replaced it with the new bearing and beefed up mount. The bearing that came out was the original Porsche factory fit and was in perfect condition with over 50,000 miles of hard driving on it. My present car is a 2.7 Cayman and it's never missed a beat, oil change every 3500 miles and I expect it will do as well as my previous two Porsches. I have a couple of friends with Porsches one with a Boxster S ( 986 ) that has massive mileage on it and he rarely services his car. Porsche engines will give years of service and plenty of fantastic driving miles. The number of failures on 986 , 996 and early 997 engines has been hugely exagerated mainly on forums by idiots, if Porsches lasted 40,000 miles only they would have gone bust years ago, quaility sells! Enjoy your car and stop worrying about it all the time.

I was apprehensive when I first got my 06 Cs recently, but I did my research, got the PPI, and I am very happy with my decision. If something fails, I will deal with it. My previous 85 911 which I owned for 13 years was one of the most reliable cars I've owned...

I remember this post was a good shock http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-pictures-video/49602-finished-break-period.html

Pedro got good life from his Boxster 's engine. But it lost a rod or rod bolt a while back. He fixed it. Oh I do not recall the mileage. Ahem. My 02 Boxster now with over 242K miles (on the original engine and clutch no less) is running just fine. In case you were wondering. Sincerely, Rockster.

I am at 70k on my 2006 S and still running like a dream.... Daily driver

I have 72,000 on my 2006 Boxster S . It's been bulletproof so far aside from a few small issues......oil separator and water pump failures.

2008 Cayman S 38000 miles runs better than a Swiss Watch

2008 Cayman S with 156000 miles. Runs great but the IMS is a ticking time bomb. Thinking about getting a 992