Cayman 2.7 or 2.9 for first Porsche - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I’m looking to get my first Porsche within the next year, and a base level Cayman appeals to me. It will be a weekend car and used for occasional European road trips etc. I’ve not had chance to drive one yet, but from what I have read it seems to fit between my previous two sports cars, an S2 Exige (too hardcore for longer trips) and a 350Z (not precise enough to drive and a lazy feeling engine). I think the base Cayman would offer similar straight line performance to my 350Z due to less weight, which is sufficient for what I want on the road so I don’t think I need an S. The supposedly better reliability of the 2.7 and 2.9 are also a big factor. So then the decision comes down to 2.7 Gen 1 verses 2.9 Gen 2. Both of these don’t seem to be immune from engine problems but hopefully less likely. Price wise the difference seems to be about £15k for a 2.7 and £23k for a 2.9, so a sizeable difference in purchase price. I prefer the Gen 2 looks, but the performance difference on paper doesn’t seem that much. I’m interested to hear how these are different to drive. Another consideration is that I might need to carry a baby in the passenger seat occasionally. 2.7 pros – cheaper purchase price, less likely to bore score, more character?, less depreciation 2.7 cons – 6-speed box not standard, potential IMS but unlikely, no ISOFIX? 2.9 pros – better looking, 6 speed box standard, bit more power, no IMS, ISOFIX standard? 2.9 cons - more expensive, more likely to bore score?, greater depreciation Is there anything else I’m missing? Any thoughts from people who have owned or driven both? I also understand a Porsche warranty is desirable, but what are the downsides to this. I’d probably have to pay a premium for a car with it, and as I understand it, I’d have to use official Porsche servicing (more expensive) and cannot modify the car in anyway. Now, I feel the need for a good exhaust is essential for me, so this would void the warranty unless I get an expensive PSE. Presumably a Carnewal modification would void it as well? The wildcard option is an early 996 C2 manual and slush fund ready for an engine rebuild.

Gen 2 car imo

I've currently got the Gen 2. 2.9 PDK - had it from new, nearly 3 years on and it's been fantastic, if I could do it again, I would go manual though. I think the manual box suits the 2.9 engine more as you really need to work it to get the best out of it. PDK has evolved a lot and is more sorted in the 981 - still impressive in the 987 gen 2 (I've got sport design wheel with the paddles - which is a must IMO)

The 2.9 has the modified closed-decked cooling system and is thus far less likely to bore score than the earlier open-decked Gen 1 cars. Edited by Trev450 on Thursday 12th March 10:19

miskalachi said: I've currently got the Gen 2. 2.9 PDK - had it from new, nearly 3 years on and it's been fantastic, if I could do it again, I would go manual though. I think the manual box suits the 2.9 engine more as you really need to work it to get the best out of it. PDK has evolved a lot and is more sorted in the 981 - still impressive in the 987 gen 2 (I've got sport design wheel with the paddles - which is a must IMO) Thanks, definitely want a manual, both my Exige and previous Type R's required working the box hard so no problem there.

I love my 987 2.7 Boxster,couple of things I wished it had though,slightly shorter ratios and a 6 speed gearbox,other than that it's perfect.

I bought a 2.9 last year after going through similar thoughts. I started off thinking I'd get a 2.7 but as time went on I read more about the Gen2 cars, the changes made and decided to stump up the extra cash. Mostly because the cars were newer, lower mileage and basically just less "used". Mine had a Porsche warranty which I'm not renewing this year. It's very reassuring in your first year of ownership but I'm less convinced now so I've decided to have an emergency fund rather than a piece of paper from Porsche. Come back in 2 years and see if I've made the right call.... Brian

I've had a 2.7 for getting on five years now. Similar to you I came from a Lotus. I've kept a blog (of sorts) since I got it. It's not massive, but you might find some stuff in there useful. http://juansolo.co.uk/motas/porker.html Edited by juansolo on Thursday 12th March 18:03

I had both a 2.7 and a 2.9......ran them both for 3 years/80,000+ miles Both from brand new so under warranty, but never had any issues with them. Couldn't really tell any difference between performance. Wasn't bothered between 5 or 6 speed box either,,,,thoguh 2.9 better on fuel slightly. Re the child seat thing, in both the 2.7 and 2.9 you had to pay Porsche a huge amount (knocking on £1K) to have something that switched off the passenger airbag in order to have a child seat. I didn't ever have this - just used the GF's car at the time when taking her child out.

Pick up my new to me 2.9 manual on Saturday. Took me ages to find a none poverty spec car. 34k on the clock, sport steering wheel, sport seats, comfort pack and infotainment complete with xenons. Not sleeeeeeeping now .......

juansolo said: I've had a 2.7 for getting on five years now. Similar to you I came from a Lotus. I've kept a blog (of sorts) since I got it. It's not massive, but you might find some stuff in there useful. http://juansolo.co.uk/motas/porker.html Edited by juansolo on Thursday 12th March 18:03 Thanks, that blog was an interesting read. I'd think I'd want 17" wheels whichever way I went, but one of your comments stated that Gen 2 ride comfort was better. Did they change the suspension as well as the engines? I thought it was mostly engine and cosmetic changes?

Jasper3.0 said: Pick up my new to me 2.9 manual on Saturday. Took me ages to find a none poverty spec car. 34k on the clock, sport steering wheel, sport seats, comfort pack and infotainment complete with xenons. Not sleeeeeeeping now ....... I bet, please provide some pictures once you've picked it up, if you can stop driving it for long enough!

Many thanks for all the responses, can't say I'm any closer to deciding which way but some food for thought. Interesting comments about most being poverty spec, I had thought about that but makes sense in a way as a base model. Can't say I'm too fussed on options, but I would really like xenons which I think were options on both models.

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon OP - to those that have also owned/driven a 3.4s, is there performance days and nights apart from the 2.7/2.9? I am seriouslty considering a Cayman and that is my question -looking around £20k ideally but can go higher. Bore score obviously a concern on gen 1.

I found this page http://caymanregister.org/faq.php?faq=models a good starter on the changes although it is for the US market. Personally I didn't worry too much about the "poverty spec" thing, but I'm probably a bit of a luddite where options go. Having said that, one thing I would strongly suggest is that you get a car with PASM even if it's the only option. The difference is quite marked and as a newcomer to these things I'm still impressed a year later. I find I'm using it in standard mode for general pottering about over our potholed roads but when you get some decent tarmac and switch on it makes a very noticeable difference to the car. Brian

I test drove a Gen I 2.7 and 3.4 before deciding on my 2.9 Gen II. What tipped over to the 2.9 Gen II was the update of the car of over the Gen I models and also the engine reliability of the 3.4 Gen I. I've had my Gen II now coming up to 2 yrs and keeping it for a least another year (Carnewal GT exhaust going on in 3 weeks). When i got the car, finding one with a list of options was hard. Mine has; Full Leather standard seats, silver seats belts, lower winger mirrors in silver and sound plus package. not much, i agree but i'm happy with it. Had my steering wheel retrimmed. by Royals, so you can do some subtle mods. What ever you decide, sure you'll enjoy the car. Post photo's when you get one, we all like photo's !

PompeyPaul said: Sorry to jump on the bandwagon OP - to those that have also owned/driven a 3.4s, is there performance days and nights apart from the 2.7/2.9? I am seriouslty considering a Cayman and that is my question -looking around £20k ideally but can go higher. Bore score obviously a concern on gen 1. The performance difference is certainly noticible. The 3.4 has quite a bit more torque and doesn't require it's neck to be wrung in the same way that the 2.7/2.9 does. If you like to rev the nuts off an engine, though, then the smaller capacity models are a safer option.

anonymous said: [redacted] I took my 2.7 on a long Euro tour last year and will be going again this year,I must admit I did find the engine a little lacking in top end go on the autobahns and found myself dropping down a cog more often than I'd liked to get going but it's fun to rag the 2.7 as it's such a sweet revving unit that delivers power right to the redline.

Remember being just outside Wurzburg on the autobahn with a Passat tdi trying to keep up,dropping it down to 3rd,then redlining 3rd,4th and upto an indicated 150mph in 5th was alot of fun!

Loved my faultless 2008 2.7, the sort of power that you could really exploit on the road. All in one of the cheapest cars I've ever run too! I had the airbag on/off switch and isofix fitted by my local OPC, I negotiated a price of almost exactly £500 and had a 981 Boxster courtesy car for the day (notably less steering feel and embarrassing throttle blipping as you slowed for traffic lights (PDK car)).

evojam said: I took my 2.7 on a long Euro tour last year and will be going again this year,I must admit I did find the engine a little lacking in top end go on the autobahns and found myself dropping down a cog more often than I'd liked to get going but it's fun to rag the 2.7 as it's such a sweet revving unit that delivers power right to the redline. Did a Alpine tour with a friend in an Aston V8V. It had 150+ more hp than the Cayman and a big slug of torque. I just had to change gears more. I don't think I had any less fun, and in the real world on real roads, there's nothing in it if you're not driving like dicks. FWIW, our brakes both went long at the same point on one of the mountains too, so we weren't being that gentle The Caymans dashboard lit up with imminent brake failure warnings and the Astons front disks went blue...

juansolo said: evojam said: I took my 2.7 on a long Euro tour last year and will be going again this year,I must admit I did find the engine a little lacking in top end go on the autobahns and found myself dropping down a cog more often than I'd liked to get going but it's fun to rag the 2.7 as it's such a sweet revving unit that delivers power right to the redline. Did a Alpine tour with a friend in an Aston V8V. It had 150+ more hp than the Cayman and a big slug of torque. I just had to change gears more. I don't think I had any less fun, and in the real world on real roads, there's nothing in it if you're not driving like dicks. FWIW, our brakes both went long at the same point on one of the mountains too, so we weren't being that gentle The Caymans dashboard lit up with imminent brake failure warnings and the Astons front disks went blue... Fantastic!! always fun too dice with a mate in another car.I've had lots of big bhp cars and agree you don't need alot of power to have fun in a Boxster/Cayman. Cannot wait to go back in May

Thanks ran into two German owners at Lake Como,that 964 had an aftermarket exhaust of somekind and was pretty loud!

anonymous said: [redacted] I think they look nicer than the 986 from the rear.....the extra width on the 987 makes the 986 look weak. Not even going to mention the headlights, because you only get nasty!!! ;-)

I wish they were rounder,but that would make it look like a 911 and Porsche would'nt want too upset 911 owners again!!

Thanks all. Although not looking to purchase until later in the year, it's interesting to look through the classifieds to see what you can get for your money, and there are very few 2.7 or 2.9's for sale through private sellers! It's generally my preferred way of buying so you can get a better idea of the previous owner, but seems most go through the trade.

My first new Porsche was a Gen 2 2.9 man... loved it, traveled around 30k in it. The only down side was it had to have two sets of gear cables as they seem to fail quite often???? As a first Porsche I don't think you could ask for a more, great handling, enough power for the average man, great MPG and sensible running costs. My advise would be to buy from your local OPC if possible, get the two year warranty and enjoy the car

JackReacher said: Thanks all. Although not looking to purchase until later in the year, it's interesting to look through the classifieds to see what you can get for your money, and there are very few 2.7 or 2.9's for sale through private sellers! It's generally my preferred way of buying so you can get a better idea of the previous owner, but seems most go through the trade. I would also advise buying through a dealer and getting a good warranty,be it an OPC or independent specialist,a suprising amount has needed replacing on my 40k miles 987 Boxster 2.7,inc steering rack,all coolant pipes which are of poor quality and rotten exhaust bolts and aircon rads.

JackReacher said: Thanks all. Although not looking to purchase until later in the year, it's interesting to look through the classifieds to see what you can get for your money, and there are very few 2.7 or 2.9's for sale through private sellers! It's generally my preferred way of buying so you can get a better idea of the previous owner, but seems most go through the trade. So I collected my new to me 2.9 yesterday. My initial thoughts are wow.... It is not noticeably quicker (or slower) than my 330d. But other than that there is no comparison. The way the thing steers and handles is so far ahead of anything I have driven. Yes the ride is crashy on the 19" wheels, but at speed, the ride quality is sublime. The Stereo is has the sound pack plus, which is good, as it is that poor that the standard one must e really bad. Having said that we had the stero off for large parts of the trip back just to listen to the engine. It is plenty fast enough for the real world and happily returned 31 mpg on the run back. The paintwork needs a bit of TLC as you would expect on a 35k mile car and the rear arches have suffered from serious gravel rash.

evojam said: I would also advise buying through a dealer and getting a good warranty,be it an OPC or independent specialist,a suprising amount has needed replacing on my 40k miles 987 Boxster 2.7,inc steering rack,all coolant pipes which are of poor quality and rotten exhaust bolts and aircon rads. Wow it's a shame that so much is needed on a low mileage example! While I like the idea of a OPC purchase and the comfort the warranty gives, one of the things I really want is a decent exhaust, and I understand if I want to keep the warranty, I'd have to get a PSE, which is how much? And does it sound good on the 2.7 and 2.9?

Sound package plus. Wait for the ASK Amplifier to pack up. In the words of Agent Smith: it is an inevitability... Yeah, mine's just died. Porsche quality my arse. If it's really bass light, it could be that (amp runs the centre and two door bass speakers and is a little fragile to say the least). There's a dude in Norway who fixes them, but I'm gonna have a go myself first. Rads (well condensers), get some grilles. It's generally build up of leaves and moist crap in the pods that rots them. Steering rack, sure it's not the track rod ends? They're made of cheese and when they let go need swapping with the ones from the 987.2. Can't help you on the pipes, that is unusual for rubber pipes to rot so quickly... Exhaust bolts. They all do that, they're crap. However unless you're replacing the exhaust or have a problem, why would you pre-emptively replace them? When you do need to, cut them off and fit decent ones. Edited by juansolo on Sunday 15th March 21:15

Jasper3.0 said: So I collected my new to me 2.9 yesterday. My initial thoughts are wow.... It is not noticeably quicker (or slower) than my 330d. But other than that there is no comparison. The way the thing steers and handles is so far ahead of anything I have driven. Yes the ride is crashy on the 19" wheels, but at speed, the ride quality is sublime. The Stereo is has the sound pack plus, which is good, as it is that poor that the standard one must e really bad. Having said that we had the stero off for large parts of the trip back just to listen to the engine. It is plenty fast enough for the real world and happily returned 31 mpg on the run back. The paintwork needs a bit of TLC as you would expect on a 35k mile car and the rear arches have suffered from serious gravel rash. Pop up a picture?!

juansolo said: Sound package plus. Wait for the ASK Amplifier to pack up. In the words of Agent Smith: it is an inevitability... Yeah, mine's just died. Porsche quality my arse. If it's really bass light, it could be that (amp runs the centre and two door bass speakers and is a little fragile to say the least). There's a dude in Norway who fixes them, but I'm gonna have a go myself first. Rads (well condensers), get some grilles. It's generally build up of leaves and moist crap in the pods that rots them. Steering rack, sure it's not the track rod ends? They're made of cheese and when they let go need swapping with the ones from the 987.2. Can't help you on the pipes, that is unusual for rubber pipes to rot so quickly... Exhaust bolts. They all do that, they're crap. However unless you're replacing the exhaust or have a problem, why would you pre-emptively replace them? When you do need to, cut them off and fit decent ones. Edited by juansolo on Sunday 15th March 21:15 This was my first Porsche so didn't really know what too expect.. Fitted two new aircon rads myself with a kit from Design911,hoovered all the crap out and there was a fair bit! and meshed the front off,worked a treat..where the leaves had been sitting against the water rads looked a little suspect but ok for now. Coolant pipes I was told by 2 specialists have a life span of around 8 years before they start to weep,mine is a 55' plate 987 on just over 40k,not sure whether it's the rubber or the cheap looking tinware fitted on the end. Exhaust bolts,agreed there crap but easily replaced,access is a little tricky,although made alot easier as I have a pit! Steering rack was found too be badly leaking when I had the front coolant pipes done,so this had to be replaced,was told it effects early 997's also?? Also the drivers door membrane was leaking so this had to be done. Had to spend 2K on it but the car is 100% now and performed faultlessly on a 3,000 mile Euro tour last year,however I would'nt buy another Porsche without a warranty and proper inspection from a specialist.

FrankCayman said: Pop up a picture?! Nope, she is sat on the naughty step at this moment. Flat battery. Jumped to get to work, jumped to get home from work. Having to take the afternoon off tomorrow to buy (and change) the bloody thing!

JackReacher said: juansolo said: I've had a 2.7 for getting on five years now. Similar to you I came from a Lotus. I've kept a blog (of sorts) since I got it. It's not massive, but you might find some stuff in there useful. http://juansolo.co.uk/motas/porker.html Edited by juansolo on Thursday 12th March 18:03 Thanks, that blog was an interesting read. I'd think I'd want 17" wheels whichever way I went, but one of your comments stated that Gen 2 ride comfort was better. Did they change the suspension as well as the engines? I thought it was mostly engine and cosmetic changes? The non-pasm suspension (certainly on the 2.9) was changed as far as I'm aware. Indeed if mine ever turns start leaking, it'll get swapped with the gen2 items.

FrankCayman said: Pop up a picture?! So here she is. 1st Picture is prior to collection. 2nd is yesterday at OPC Newcastle, where she went for kick the tyre type health check. The fist week of ownership as been lows and highs really. Batter died on Monday morning, so needed jumps Monday am. and pm. and Tuesday am and lunchtime. I then took time on Tuesday to change the battery. Quite an easy job, cleared the PSM fault easily and then she has been fine again. She is averaging 28mpg to / from work and will comfortably do 31mpg on the motor way. I am working my way through the interior rattles (only one to go) and she needs some TLC, the previous owner(s) must of only applied a cursory washing regime (not that I am OCD), but there is a layer of grime below the rear window. The standard exhaust is fine foe now. It make a nice enough noise when pushing on, but is not boomy when driving normally. Do I regret getting rid of my BMW 330d Xdrive. I did on Monday and Tuesday, but she make me smile every time I see her, never mind when I drive her. If anyone has any questions please ask.

Well I finally tried a Cayman 2.9 a couple of weeks ago, and I liked it. I was previously swaying towards the idea of a Gen 2 S (although not driven yet), but the 2.9 was a very nice engine, liked to rev and sounded good although could have done with a bit more exhaust noise. It was a 2009 car, and I hear some of the early ones had some bore scoring issues, with subsequent upgrades to cylinders made. Does anyone know when Porsche started upgrading them, which ones should be more robust? or is it safer just to find a 2010 car.

My first go in a Cayman was also a 2.9 which I liked very much but I bought a Gen 2 S as its so much better, noticeably more power and torque which is worth the extra cost. Don't get me wrong the 2.9 is a great drive and if that's enough for you it won't be a disappointment.