981 Help please: Cayman or Boxster; Spec.; Colour? - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hello from Leicestershire. 55 greying, balding... time for my first Porsche! Nine BMWs last 30 years, two convertibles last ten years (E46 330ci MSport cab for 9), DB7 (rubbish), Merc E350 cab (rubbish), and last summer chose between 987 Cayman and TTS. TTS won on "liveability". Had to be a coupe as the cab looks like Noddy's car! Now I have £40k-ish to spend on a used 981. Extended test drive last weekend in a Boxster 2.7 PDK: http://www.sytner.co.uk/car-search/4830558-porsche... Then 30 minute drive in Cayman 2.7: http://www.sytner.co.uk/car-search/5104921-porsche... Having had convertibles for so long I did occasionally miss having the top down last 15 months in the TTS. But for the TT cab's looks I may have gone convertible. The top down Boxster sounded wonderful at higher revs (Sports tailpipe both cars, not PSE). The Cayman more muted, but I forgot to put the windows down...doh! Absolutely no "booming" in the Cayman. Maybe that happens with PSE? Haven't tried an S. Don't think I need the power and my £40k budget will point toward a Boxster in S guise. My thoughts are that the Cayman is absolutely gorgeous. The. Boxster loses its beauty roof up, BUT can be coupe or convertible AND you get THAT soundtrack, even in a 2.7. I'm 60/40 toward the Cayman. Colours: Guards Red, Agate, Silver, Black. Options: must have Dual climate, Nav, Phone, Cruise. Undecided on SD vs. MFSW (tried both). Any thoughts on why to choose either, with which engine, best colour for each, and any other "must have" spec (and why?). Many thanks from a newbie Porsche wannabe! David.

There is no wrong answer and only you can make the decision. The Boxster you linked to seems expensive though. Speaking to buddies of mine, they all think black or greys are understated classy colours. The blue is also very appealing according to my sisters. Personally I think sports cars have to be red which is what I went for. It wasn't popular amongst my friends but it goes to show how it is all down to personal taste. If you see one in Guards Red then I think you will agree. See my posts on the GTS feed. The steering wheel is one where I definitely think the SD is the right choice. In fact, I had ticked the MFSW by mistake when I went to see my first OPC in Reading and they actually had to ask me twice if I was sure it was what I wanted. I realised my mistake. The MFSW doesn't fit with the style of a sports car in my view.

I agree completely, guards red is a beautiful colour - everyone should own a guards red Porsche at some point. If it were me I'd try and go for a Cayman with PSE, it's the on option that's missing from mine that I wish it had. As for the steering wheel, absolutely no question, it has to be the sport design. It's a crime that Porsche are still putting the pdk buttons on 981s in 2015.

Spec and colour is a very personal thing, like pdk/manual, but Having owned a few now , when I bought my 981 MY must have options were 3.4 engine ( I drove a 2.7 and ruled that out) White. I was not compromising on this at all. Manual Box ( last car was a PDK and although the best auto I've driven the attraction wore off after a few weeks) PSE , I wouldnt have one with out this, roof down the noise/ pops / bangs are fantastic and add to the experience and when Mrs C is in the car I can turn it off to keep her happy. Heated seats. I initially wanted red leather but ones I found also had red dash /steering wheel/carpets/mats and I didn't like it when I saw it was too much for me . Wheel upgrade. 981 is a big car and standard smaller wheels to my eyes look wrong Bose music . I didnt think I was that bothered until I heard the standard music in the courtesy car I was given when in for service. Sat Nav nice to have but I could take or leave that if the rest of the car was ideal. Cruise, my car doesnt have this and I find I miss it when driving in the average speed Scameras which we have a lot of up here, Porsche dealer can retro fit this, I requested this when was in for service but unbelievably they forgot to do it !! If you find yourself getting swayed back towards the topless option I am half considering parting with my Boxster 3.4S ( I sell cars for a living but this is my own personal car) As above It took some finding as when I was looking most were Auto and the manuals that I did find were poorly specced, So My car is as I wanted above manual with PSE , Sat NAV , heated seats, Bose music , 20" Alloys, car is in white with black leather and in showroom condition , I have just had it serviced at Porsche and has the balance of Manufacturers warranty . I posted some pics in the picture thread on here yesterday.

Ordered my new Cayman a few months ago and after trying various configs this was my opinion: Essential Options: Sportsdesign Steering Wheel - Much nicer than the standard wheel and very cheap option; should be standard although if you suffer from cold fingers then the standard heated wheel might be worth it Heated Seats - Essential in the Boxster Essential for a daily drive: CDR Plus - The standard stereo is utterly terrible and has no USB or DAB so if you use the stereo tick this option. Full Phone Module - Only £100 more than the standard module if you take CDR+ and much better for many phones Options I didn't like: PCM - CDR+ is identical but without Nav. The NAV in the 981 is slow and clunky compared to most cars and effectively costs £1500 more than CDR+ so not worth it IMO Leather Seats - Since they removed all of the interesting options they seem like a bad deal. Highly Taste Dependant Options: PSE - Hugely personal choice but I found it overly noisy and unnecessary Wheels - Smaller ones are quieter and more comfortable but larger one will look better and behave better on the limit. Be aware of tyre costs. Colour Car in the link is overpriced, you should consider new. Edited by Krobar on Saturday 3rd October 10:26

Hello Leicestershire, I'm in Lincolnshire, You're only a boy, I'm 64 and bought my first Porsche last year, a 981 Boxster. I've always gone for convertibles, when possible; that is excepting those years when I had children still at home. Obviously, the choice between a Cayman or Boxster is one only you can make. I was going to buy a 2.7, but when comparing all models, and I had to make an Excel spreadsheet to do this, such is the complication of all the optional extras and their cost, I found the difference in price second hand between a 2.7 and a 3.4 was very small. Plus owners of the S had nearly always added more extras. Choosing the extras is the trick. If you go for the Boxster you'll know what type of convertible driver you are; 1. Never have the top down, I just bought it to look cool, 2. only have it down when it's very hot and sunny, or 3. always down unless it's raining. If you're the latter I recommend the heated seats and wheel. The Bose is good, but if you're tall you'll have the seat right back, effectively blocking the largest speakers. Some extras sound great, I have the electrically adjusted seats and wheel, but as I drive the car 99% of the time I never touch the settings! Similarly, mine has the wizzy dynamic lighting, but again I hardly ever drive at night. Altogether the extras on my car come to almost £16,000; which is more than the cost of my first 12 cars added together. I calculate that new my car cost about £62,000, I paid £20,000 less than that 18 months later. That's quite a hit, especially when it had been in the OPC for 6 months before I bought it, so the first owner had lost at least £400 a week. I'd go for second hand.

I went for my 2.7 Cayman over the Boxster because I loved the looks and felt the Coupe more 'manly'!!! Went for black so as not to have to worry about colour coding bits and pieces...plus it doesn't show up dead flies/tar etc... Here's mine.....any excuse to post a pic or four ;-)

Before I bought my '62 TTS I read a review saying the 1.8 was the best TT as you had to use all of the engine to get the most out of it. Certainly the TTS has a little too much power and is a "lazy" drive because of this. It's rare to have to get up into the power band, and the turbocharged engine is a little unpredictable in relation to what my right foot wants! Look out 981.2 owners! 0-60 in 5 seconds ( S-tronic) is great on the rare traffic light dash, as is the exhaust "blap" at full throttle. Otherwise it's too much engine for the car. My day and a bit test in the 2.7 Boxster allowed me to agree with some reviewers that this is a very sweet, free revving, engine with plenty enough power and a nice sounding 4000+ power band. I'd prefer to see the beautiful Cayman in my drive, with its better over the shoulder and rear view, and luggage shelf but the slightly more visually compromised Boxster (roof up) has the roof down option (I'm type "3") which in turn improves the soundtrack, and it's cheaper too. Well, it's cheaper at the moment, but I'm reading rumours that the Cayman will be the cheaper model in 2016 "in some markets" when 981.2 comes in. Will that drop the used Cayman's residuals through the floor, or will the Boxster price new increase by £10,000 to reposition it? My current thoughts on colour are that Guards Red on either would work. Agate Grey or Silver better on the Cayman. Can't really see another Boxster colour that works so well? Going off black as it looks really sinister (which is good) but you lose the gorgeous shape in the blackness.

My thought process when ordering either the Boxster or Cayman came down to the amount of mileage I will doing. Most boxsters are bought by weekend/light users who may put around 5k on them each year. Caymans appear to be bought by 'regular' users who average higher mileage. I average 12k/year so come time to sell my Cayman it won't look as though it's been to the moon and back in comparison to others on the market. If I had gone the boxster route then come sale time, buyers would have more than likely discounted my offering in favour of a lesser mileage car. Something to consider

I went to test drive a Boxster and ended up getting a Cayman; I'm sure there are others who did the opposite

Collected my new Cayman S yesterday ..... 11 miles on the clock . Stunning drive home ........ no regrets on colour & spec . Tried to upload a pic but unable to as max 2 MB upload ... whatever that may be ?? Is MB Much B******* ?

I agree with most of what krobar says. I'd add. Heated seats are certainly nice to have if you have leather seats - but leather was an option which you may or may not be keen to have. Dual zone climate in a Cayman. Not because it's dual zone but because it's climate - which the standard one isn't. Perhaps not an issue in a Boxster mostly driven open. I'd try PDK - it's contentious on here - but a number of us have been been seduced by it despite initially favouring manual. The PDK has a more sensible set of ratios. PSE is likewise contentious. I'm with krobar, but many like PSE so worth a try. Rear parking sensors are highly desirable. Front ones are nice to have and the visual display that comes with them is a bit more informative than beeps. A rear wiper is also useful - particularly if the car is kept outside. Some are not keen on the aesthetics, though I'm fine with them. PCM is ludicrously overpriced and doesn't do speed cameras or personal POIs, but otherwise I'm Ok with it and the display (and convenience) is much better than aftermarket alternatives. Wheels - only you can decide on aesthetics, and krobar describes the trade-offs. I have both 18s and 19s and think 19s are the better compromise. I've tried 20s too and they are by no means a bad choice. 2.7 vs 3.4 The 2.7 may well have enough power (and has a sweeter more free revving engine) but the 3.4 pulls the long gears in a more relaxed fashion which you may prefer.

More rambling thoughts... It's ridiculous that "manliness" comes into the decision process after all the alleged hairdresser jibes aimed at male convertible owners. But it does! It never bothered me in ten years driving E46 convertibles but I do feel more self conscious about being the stereotypical mid-50s greying, balding, man buying a sports car to fulfil a mid-life crisis. Anyway... on to my spec so far: MUST haves: PDK PCM Dual climate Sports tailpipe (not PSE) SD wheel Standard sport seats Cruise Park assist rear Bluetooth phone prep Dimming mirrors/Rain sensor Seat heating DESIRIBLES: Park assist front Folding mirrors 14 way memory seats (for the extending thigh support) Seat ventilation Leather package Sound upgrade DAB Smoking package ( for 12v socket) Colours: Boxster in Guards Red, maybe Agate or Silver. Cayman in Guards Red, Agate, or Silver. What's the difference between Rhodium and GT silver, and why isn't Platinum silver listed when I've seen it on a few cars for sale? Is it a special order colour? Wheels: 20" as on both test drive cars. Carrera S or Carrera Classic depending on body colour. Maybe black Carrera S if red Boxster with black roof. More later...

I have Cayman S in Agate Grey 20" Carrera wheels Sat Nav Sports Plus Sports Exhaust Heated Seats Multi Function Steering Wheel Sports Chrono Full Leather PDK Bose Parking Sensors front and rear Bought the car 1 year old and love it. Parking sensors a must in the city especially the rear, restricted view when parking. Sports exhaust sound is not that different and Sports Plus is a bit on the hard side on UK roads. The bigger wheels look good but there is a fair bit of road noise. Engine sound is awesome. Defo go for the S model, that 3.4 engine just sings to you.

The 2.7 engine doesn't sing....it screams! Love it :-)

DJMC said: More rambling thoughts... Sound upgrade Minor point - if you have PCM you will have an upgrade to SPP at least - it's mandatory. Lots of stuff on Bose on the forum - quite a few of us have it and are far from impressed. And re folding mirrors: They do look flash, but since the mirrors don't stick out much in the first place or fold in much in the second, their appeal is largely cosmetic rather than functional. Edited by bcr5784 on Monday 5th October 08:54 Edited by bcr5784 on Monday 5th October 10:02

I have BOSE in the TTS. Similarly unimpressed. 2.7 seems the way to go having read up on this vs. 3.4.

I have the following on mine: Carrara White Metallic GTS Interior Package - Rhoduim Silver Park Assist front and rear Electric folding outside mirrors Auto dimming interior and exterior mirrors with integrated rain sensor Porsche Tourque Vectoring Porsche Doppelkupplung Porsche Cermic Composite Brakes (PCCB) Sports Suspension (X73) 20-Inch Carrera S Wheel Wheels painted in satin platinum Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 2-Zone automatic air conditioning Smokinh Package Light Design Package Sports Bucket Seats Telephone Module Bose DAB PCM Some of them are nice to haves but not essential.

DJMC said: 2.7 seems the way to go having read up on this vs. 3.4. I thought that too - but then I drove a 3.4. Turned out to be an expensive "mistake"!

I'm just a little fed up with too much power I never get to use. 2.7 I had for a day and a half suited me just fine and allowed me to use more higher revs. Made the same mistake buying the TTS.

DJMC said: I'm just a little fed up with too much power I never get to use. 2.7 I had for a day and a half suited me just fine and allowed me to use more higher revs. Made the same mistake buying the TTS. Fully understand where you are coming from - use the upper end of the rev range in the S and you are soon in license losing country. On the other hand neither the 2.7 nor 3.4 have the mid range urge of your TTS. But if you have not felt the 2.7 lacking in that regard in a day and a half, I suspect it will indeed suit you just fine.

Not so worried on price positioning now, as I see the Cayman is now cheaper than the equivalent Boxster (£175 - Black Edition). Also, base 2.7 Cayman only £141 more than a new Boxster now. No doubt used Cayman and Boxster 2.7 prices will fall into line with each other very soon. OPCs won't have any argument for Caymans being thousands of pounds more.

It seems like you've decided on a Cayman 2.7. Colour and styling are a purely personal thing. I'd advise 20" wheels and either white (good for hiding swirls), black (will show EVERY mark) or grey (low maintenance) to aid resale. Saying that, mine is grey and I really admire the blue ones when I see them! Other desirable options: Sports exhaust Full Leather Bluetooth/phone BOSE (ignore Burmester, it's far too expensive) Heated seats (I don't care about these but I'm often told everyone else does) Sat Nav (I don't care about this, but see above) That's likely about £10k worth of options right there. I'd personally pick up a used example for £35k instead of splashing £20k+ more for brand new, but you are the one to decide that

Colour wise, my preference is Guards Red, followed by a silver, then Agate Grey. Can't be doing with dirty black or white cars, and it's a 15k/annum daily driver. I know Rhodium Silver has a blue hue, but how does GT compare? Platinum is a little too yellow in some lights.

DJMC said: Colour wise, my preference is Guards Red, followed by a silver, then Agate Grey. Can't be doing with dirty black or white cars, and it's a 15k/annum daily driver. I know Rhodium Silver has a blue hue, but how does GT compare? Platinum is a little too yellow in some lights. As I said on Boxa.net, GT Silver has a slight brown tint. GT Silver is a very classy colour, looks amazing under street lights at night for some reason, but does not reward after washing much. An easy colour to keep nice, and looks ok dirty. I had a 987 in GT with cocoa interior and it was classy but I did get colour envy at porsche meets. I'm looking forward to my guards red spyder feeling a bit more special.