718 Cayman/ S buyers advice. - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi all, back in the market for my next car and I've set my sights on either the base model or the S of. 718 Cayman. It'll be my daily/ only car of mostly a 20 minute commute, over to the golf club and so on. Are there any optional extras that really are a must have for such driving or to enhance the experience? And any thoughts about whether I'm better getting the S or if a well spec'd base model is a good proposition too. I'd test drive both if I could but they are like hen's teeth here in Northern Ireland. TIA.

Hi, I drive a 2018 Cayman S. I can t comment on the difference between base and S as only driven an S, but I’ve read that the variable geometry turbo in the S makes for a much better drive (see 718Forum for details). I would say Sports Chrono is a must as it allows for different drive modes (normal, Sports, Sports + and custom. sports Chrono also gives launch control (if you have a PDK gearbox) which is something everyone should experience at least once in their life. Seats wise I ve got the base seats and they are brilliant - easily the most comfortable seats I ve had (and I ve had seats with endless settings too to compare against). I would recommend PASM or SPASM as well as both give you variable engine mounts for a better ride. I haven’t got PTV but read in other forums that it wears brakes out quicker). Probably only needed if you track the car, not needed on the UK roads. Things like lights and other stuff are personal choice and aesthetics- I have PDLS + lights and they re great. I would also join the 718Forum as this one is definitely more biased towards older models and flat 6 engines. Happy hunting - get a couple of test drives in of a base and an S so you can compare. Edited by JulesTommo on Wednesday 15th April 13:39

Chrono will give you the dynamic engine mounts, which you may not want unless you keep it under warranty as is a noted design fault and replacement is quite expensive out of warranty. Also watch out for GPF issues, cars I think pre 2018 will not have a GPF with associated issues, there's a thread on the Porsche club forum which is quite eye opening. Good luck. In terms of performance I don't think there's much difference on the S, and the base can be remapped quite high anyway if you feel it lacks power.

^ here is the link. https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/cayman... The pre GPF cars also sound better as less muted.

I’d think very carefully. Crazed headlights, cracking and leaking rear lights, potential and costly PDK repairs, loose blanking plugs, resulting in serious oil leaks to name a few. Good car to drive quickly but it’s definitely not a cruiser as the tyre noise is horrendous. Given your use commuting to golf club it would be very low on my list.

Or just keep it under warranty, Porsche extended can go to 15 years and 125k miles. Buy pre gpf job done..

Thank you for the replies everyone that has offered thoughts and advice, it's very much appreciated as always.

JulesTommo said: Hi, I drive a 2018 Cayman S. I can t comment on the difference between base and S as only driven an S, but I ve read that the variable geometry turbo in the S makes for a much better drive (see 718Forum for details). I would say Sports Chrono is a must as it allows for different drive modes (normal, Sports, Sports + and custom. sports Chrono also gives launch control (if you have a PDK gearbox) which is something everyone should experience at least once in their life. Seats wise I ve got the base seats and they are brilliant - easily the most comfortable seats I ve had (and I ve had seats with endless settings too to compare against). I would recommend PASM or SPASM as well as both give you variable engine mounts for a better ride. I haven t got PTV but read in other forums that it wears brakes out quicker). Probably only needed if you track the car, not needed on the UK roads. Things like lights and other stuff are personal choice and aesthetics- I have PDLS + lights and they re great. I would also join the 718Forum as this one is definitely more biased towards older models and flat 6 engines. Happy hunting - get a couple of test drives in of a base and an S so you can compare. Edited by JulesTommo on Wednesday 15th April 13:39 Thank you, that's really helpful insight and good to have your thoughts and feedback. Cheers.

Toyota-MR23 said: Chrono will give you the dynamic engine mounts, which you may not want unless you keep it under warranty as is a noted design fault and replacement is quite expensive out of warranty. Also watch out for GPF issues, cars I think pre 2018 will not have a GPF with associated issues, there's a thread on the Porsche club forum which is quite eye opening. Good luck. In terms of performance I don't think there's much difference on the S, and the base can be remapped quite high anyway if you feel it lacks power. Yes I've been reading a lot about the GPF and had decided I'd focus my search on the cars pre GPF. Terrible for some of the owners from what I've read.

hooch500 said: I d think very carefully. Crazed headlights, cracking and leaking rear lights, potential and costly PDK repairs, loose blanking plugs, resulting in serious oil leaks to name a few. Good car to drive quickly but it s definitely not a cruiser as the tyre noise is horrendous. Given your use commuting to golf club it would be very low on my list. Thank you for your thoughts. I have found that regardless of what car I look at, they all seem to have common problems, be in an F82 M4 Competition, a Jag F-Type and so on. Genuinely interested in your thoughts though on what might be worth considering?

The f type is certainly worth a drive but is more GT aka armchair on wheels. Emira possibly worth a look the steering is awesome and has super car looks. What’s the budget? Go to 60k and it opens up Aston Vantage or GTS 4.0 options.

Tarby said: The f type is certainly worth a drive but is more GT aka armchair on wheels. Emira possibly worth a look the steering is awesome and has super car looks. What s the budget? Go to 60k and it opens up Aston Vantage or GTS 4.0 options. Yeah I'd I'd 60k I'd be definitely looking at those but as it is I'm at 40k to work with.

JulesTommo said: I would recommend PASM or SPASM as well as both give you variable engine mounts for a better ride. PASM or SPASM give you active dampers for a better ride. I would recommend PASM for a daily driver, supple yet controlled. Its Sport Chrono that adds the dynamic engine mounts. Buyers advice? Take your time, know what you want - so many things are options in a Porsche.

Benzo26 said: Thank you for your thoughts. I have found that regardless of what car I look at, they all seem to have common problems, be in an F82 M4 Competition, a Jag F-Type and so on. Genuinely interested in your thoughts though on what might be worth considering? Personally given your use, I would have a look at the S560 coupe Merc. Turbo charged V8, far more cosseting than a 718 or M car. I drove on a while back and unusually for a Merc they are also engaging to drive. More room for your kit, looks great, running costs similar and quite rare so pretty exclusive..

You can easily drive a Cayman every day and SPASM with -20mm drop is no issue either IMO. It's a sports car not a luxury car though. Options I think are worth looking for are Sport Chrono, LED lights, reversing camera, automatic climate control, electrically folding mirrors, BOSE/Burmester audio

jimbo761 said: ^ here is the link. https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/cayman... Reading the above on the GPF must be a real nightmare for owners, and as per problems of the past ie RMS,IMS, Bore score , 991/2 turbo failure, Active dampers failing etc Porsche bury the head in the sand with there unreliable products! Is there any correlation in the way the 718 is used and the build up of ash in the GPF ie Diesel vehicles that do a lot of short Journeys suffer with faults, does taking longer journeys and Italian tune ups help? I did notice yesterday after a month of shortish journeys that after a 360 mile round trip on Saturday that my car (GR Yaris) feels more alive and pulls stronger, maybe it had a good old exhaust clearance on the long journey? If you not cornered about such things you could fit a GPF bypass exhaust which some 911 owners do

Techno9000 said: PASM or SPASM give you active dampers for a better ride. I would recommend PASM for a daily driver, supple yet controlled. Its Sport Chrono that adds the dynamic engine mounts. Buyers advice? Take your time, know what you want - so many things are options in a Porsche. Thanks bud. Yes I've definitely found that the specs are very very different across the board and it's hard to find one that has everything I would want. Definitely going to take my time on this one.

130R said: You can easily drive a Cayman every day and SPASM with -20mm drop is no issue either IMO. It's a sports car not a luxury car though. Options I think are worth looking for are Sport Chrono, LED lights, reversing camera, automatic climate control, electrically folding mirrors, BOSE/Burmester audio Yeah it's a sports car I want to be honest, not so much a luxury car. Or a nice balance in terms of it being a lovely place to sit in the cabin but still be sporty. Which is why the Cayman really appeals to me.

I knew it was something that did it 🫣 Cheers Techno for being in the know Techno9000 said: JulesTommo said: I would recommend PASM or SPASM as well as both give you variable engine mounts for a better ride. PASM or SPASM give you active dampers for a better ride. I would recommend PASM for a daily driver, supple yet controlled. Its Sport Chrono that adds the dynamic engine mounts. Buyers advice? Take your time, know what you want - so many things are options in a Porsche.

Hiya, join the 718 Forum. Loads of advice, tips and knowledge there They’re comfy drives if you want them to be - I agree with Techno, take your time and decide which of the options you want are a must have or must avoid, and which are nice to have For example, the PDK is a great auto box but will be a must avoid if you want a manual box only. Lights -a load of options but only you’ll know if say for example PDLS + is a must have. In my case they were both in the must have list together with Soorts Chrono, PASM, I wanted 20” inch carrera wheels, at least BOSE stereo, Black leather interior and either Guards Red, Python Green or Racing Yellow. Once you’ve done that your search is easier. . Benzo26 said: 130R said: You can easily drive a Cayman every day and SPASM with -20mm drop is no issue either IMO. It's a sports car not a luxury car though. Options I think are worth looking for are Sport Chrono, LED lights, reversing camera, automatic climate control, electrically folding mirrors, BOSE/Burmester audio Yeah it's a sports car I want to be honest, not so much a luxury car. Or a nice balance in terms of it being a lovely place to sit in the cabin but still be sporty. Which is why the Cayman really appeals to me.

Hiya, join the 718 Forum. Loads of advice, tips and knowledge there They’re comfy drives if you want them to be - I agree with Techno, take your time and decide which of the options you want are a must have or must avoid, and which are nice to have For example, the PDK is a great auto box but will be a must avoid if you want a manual box only. Lights -a load of options but only you’ll know if say for example PDLS + is a must have. In my case they were both in the must have list together with Soorts Chrono, PASM, I wanted 20” inch carrera wheels, at least BOSE stereo, Black leather interior and either Guards Red, Python Green or Racing Yellow. Once you’ve done that your search is easier. . Benzo26 said: 130R said: You can easily drive a Cayman every day and SPASM with -20mm drop is no issue either IMO. It's a sports car not a luxury car though. Options I think are worth looking for are Sport Chrono, LED lights, reversing camera, automatic climate control, electrically folding mirrors, BOSE/Burmester audio Yeah it's a sports car I want to be honest, not so much a luxury car. Or a nice balance in terms of it being a lovely place to sit in the cabin but still be sporty. Which is why the Cayman really appeals to me.

I run a poverty spec base which I specced from new and have kept for ten years. The only option I wished I'd specified is the rear wiper, not a huge issue but reversing out of parking spaces in heavy rain can be a pain. Otherwise PASM gives you a slightly more comfortable ride, but I only really notice when a passenger how firm the passive version is. Everything else is unnecessary, the 20" wheels look great but will eventually get destroyed by potholes or curbs, the basic xenon lights are really good, the sound package plus standard system is actually better than the Bose, in my view you don't need half the internal leather options or stitching and the base seats are actually really good unlike the Emira. Is probably the downside of buying outright in that the option costs in full will impact the price, rather than the finance deals where you can mitigate the extra cost by just looking at monthly payments. I did pay extra for the PDK though, mainly for driving in London but I have to say the box is superb. That's probably the only option that adds any value in the used market, everything is just an expense.

Jimbo makes a good point, I forgotten that I started out looking for a Cayman with a rear wiper ( plus lots more ), and they are rare. Ended up with a Boxster that had all the (other) options on my list. A note to the OP, don't rule out a Boxster, I'd never before had a convertible, but both my wife and I have fallen for it. It is possible to fit golf clubs in the boot of a Boxster, although it's marginal.

jimbo761 said: I run a poverty spec base which I specced from new and have kept for ten years. The only option I wished I'd specified is the rear wiper, not a huge issue but reversing out of parking spaces in heavy rain can be a pain. Otherwise PASM gives you a slightly more comfortable ride, but I only really notice when a passenger how firm the passive version is. Everything else is unnecessary, the 20" wheels look great but will eventually get destroyed by potholes or curbs, the basic xenon lights are really good, the sound package plus standard system is actually better than the Bose, in my view you don't need half the internal leather options or stitching and the base seats are actually really good unlike the Emira. Is probably the downside of buying outright in that the option costs in full will impact the price, rather than the finance deals where you can mitigate the extra cost by just looking at monthly payments. I did pay extra for the PDK though, mainly for driving in London but I have to say the box is superb. That's probably the only option that adds any value in the used market, everything is just an expense. That's really great insight bud, getting some real life feedback is always really helpful so thank you for this.

Thank you to everyone again, for taking the time to reply and offer thoughts and advice. It's been very much appreciated.

Late to the party here but can I recommend the 18 way seats as a must-have. I run a 718s, epic car and despite being a sports car I have done big continental runs in complete comfort. My list when I was buying was 18-ways, cruise, pasm, multi function wheel, and a decent colour- there’s far too much grey out there.

Benzo26 said: That's really great insight bud, getting some real life feedback is always really helpful so thank you for this. It’s all just opinions so test drive. I pretty much disagree with all Jimbo says. Sports Chrono adds different drive modes and you should try one with and one without. Bose is a big step up from base, but still not brilliant. I’ve got base seats and find them really comfortable - others hate them. I’ve got 20 inch wheels and they’re not trashed - they’re not even marked. Like all wheels just be careful. Various other options too. His point re finance - I just don’t understand it when you will be buying second hand. Basically, bear in mind Porsche drivers all have strong opinions so best thing to do is test drive and find out for yourself

^ chrono adds sports plus, a mode you only really need on track. Watch those big wheels, damn potholes.. After ten years I guess you’d have plenty of experience of what options are actually worth the cost.