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Which Cayman would you get for £17k?

spice92

New member
Hi all,

First post here and new to the forum (besides the several months of research browsing here!). I'm looking at getting a cayman in the summer, so I've come seeking opinions on which model and spec to consider!

I will be looking at the lower end of the market, with a maximum budget (although TBC) of approx £17k. I'd be quite happy with the base model/non-S, so I see three options moving forward (also welcome to hear other options!):


  1. For £17k I have seen a few nice looking early gen 2 cars (09), with approx 70,000 miles.
  2. For £17k I could also look at getting a well specced and lower mileage (say 40,000) gen 1 (say 2007/2008 to avoid the early IMS issues). However, whilst reading around on IMS issues the advice seems to be to avoid cars that aren't driven often, so this plan is potentially flawed?
  3. I could also look at spending approx £13k and look at an 07 plate with approx 60,000 on the clock.
A few points to consider on the gen 1:
- From my research, the IMS risk on the updated gen 1 cars seems negligible? This risk is mitigated completely on the gen 2.
- It seems that the track rods seem to wear quicker on the gen 1, and may also have to factor in for a 60,000 mile gen 1?
- Based on these I may feel more comfortable budgeting in a warranty if getting a gen 1 car, which quickly racks up the price. I probably wouldn't get the warranty on a gen 2.

The gen 2 also has:
- Larger engine = faster. Almost comparable to the gen 1 S in power but without the loss in economy.
- More durable track rod ends
- Oil pump improvements (living 10 mins away from Brands Hatch I intend to track the car once or twice a year)
- Minor interior updates (black rather then grey plastic, I'm not sure if anything else?)
- A few styling updates (I do love the updated rear lights on the gen 2!).

The gen 2 obviously ticks more boxes than the gen 1, however for something I'm going to use only on the weekends and am looking to keep for 2/3 years, I'd love to hear some opinions on if you think the gen 2 would be worth the extra money or if I'm going to get close enough to the same experience from a gen 1, at potentially £4-5k less. I'd be happy with the manual (or PDK if I could get one in my price range).

The re-sell value is important to me (this is a bit of a treat... by the time kids are on the scene I don't imagine I'll be doing anything frivolous like this for a while!). I am by no means an expert here, however I expect that (given a max of 5,000 miles per year):
- a 2007 2.7 with say 60,000 miles for £12-13k is going to be pretty much at the bottom of it's depreciation?
- a gen 2 with 70,000 on the clock would lose another £3-4k over 3 years of ownership? (Any thoughts on this would be appreciated).

I'm obviously not expecting a definitive answer here, but would value the opinions of those who have faced a similar question and with more knowledge on the matter than myself!

Many thanks

Joe


 
With your budget I would go gen 2 2.9. Fantastic buzzy engine, plenty of power for weekend fun on the road and I think they have already reached their low value point. The gen 2 cayman and boxsters are so well regarded that I don't think you will lose any money on them.

 
Hi Joe,

From your post it's clear that you've done the necessary pre-purchase research, so you'll be aware of the supposed pitfalls of Cayman ownership.

As always, regardless of whether you choose a Gen1 or Gen2 car, buy on service record and condition. A high mileage car which has been well cared-for shouldn't be a problem provided the necessary attention has been paid to the correct service schedule, brakes, tyres, coolant radiators and pipes, a/c condensers, etc. You know what to look for, but I'd always recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection which could throw up problems which could help negotiating a better price and maybe save you the cost of the inspection.

Even though there have been reported IMS bearing failures and bore scoring, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't have high confidence in buying a Gen1 car, but if your budget allows you have the benefit of the significantly updated engine when buying a Gen2 car. Note that only the S version has direct fuel injection, but both the 2.9L and 3.4L have the benefit of not having an IMS as well as using the more robust Alusil method for casting the cylinder blocks. As you've noted, the Gen2 engine has a revised on-demand oil supply pump and four scavenge pumps (compared with the Gen1's two pumps) which will be benficial if you plan to track your car and there were modifications to the steering system on the Gen2 cars, among some other minor enhancements elsewhere.

I can't comment on depreciation other than to say that now the mid-engine cars have gone 4-cylinder turbo there's good demand for the 6-cylinder naturally aspirated cars and I suspect that good quality Gen2 cars will always be in demand. S versions are more desirable and often have better specs than non-S cars but don't be put off the lower powered cars.

All just my tuppence worth of course and I hope that you find a car to meet your needs. Gen1 or Gen2 you won't be disappointed.

Good luck..!

Jeff

 
Many thanks for the replies everyone, it's nice to get some other opinions.

I'll say that even after just pondering over your thoughts in the last few days I feel more inclined to just spend toward my maximum and go for the gen2 rather than the gen1.

I think that I would always have worries in the back of my mind about things going wrong with a gen1 car (whether they are likely to happen or not). I want this purchase to be something I can enjoy, not something to worry about!

Jeff, thankyou, I was aware of the points you mentioned. I wasn't sure if the DFI will make any 'real world' difference or not. From many posts I've read about the 2.9 being more comparable to the early S than early 2.7 I'm not regarding the lack of DFI on the 2.9 as a drawback :)

It seems to be a great time to buy with the new 4 pot coming out and making these more sought after. A good friend tested the new version recently and was pretty underwhelmed with the newer engine compared to the old one.

Thanks for the suggestions on the S gmcraig. I think I would prefer the base model rather than the S for now, and am wary of how much all those mods (as lovely as they are!) are going to affect my insurance premium, considering I'm fairly young as well. Lovely car and if I had a bit of extra money I'd go for it without question! I am at the complete opposite end of the country too! :ROFLMAO:

Many thanks

 
Early gen 2 but not because of the IMS. Later gen 1 IMS issues are overblown anyway, the 2.9 is noticeably more powerful but as importantly, the gen 2 cabin is much nicer place to sit

 
Thanks Jamie. I've only managed to have a sit in a gen 1 at the moment, looking forward to finding a gen 2 and seeing the difference. I will say I was a little underwhelmed with the gen 1 I sat in... but then again was comparing an 80,000 mile car that to a showroom 718!

 
Joe,

Regarding the DFI engine, I think it's main advantages are more power/torque, better fuel economy and lower emissions owing to a more controllable fuel distribution, and this is reflected in the vehicle tax. The main downside is a potentially increased build-up of carbon on the inlet valves owing to the absence of the fuel-washing effect you get with indirect injection. I've not heard any reports of this happening on the F-6 engines but it's something which is common on BMWs/Minis and some VAG vehicles such as Audi. Particulates are also more of a problem on DFI engines.

I'm sure that the non-DFI Gen2 2.9L would suit your requirements very well. Good luck with the search even if you have to drive a few examples to find your ideal car.

Jeff

 
Don't discount a Boxster either; you'll get a lot more for your money for what is an, arguable, more flexible car

 
jamieward said:
Don't discount a Boxster either; you'll get a lot more for your money for what is an, arguable, more flexible car
I would love to, however I need to be able to get mountainbikes on the car... so it's going to be a cayman with suction cup bike mounts! (Possibly roof bars, I've not looked into them much!)

 
I took an 2009 987 2.9 out for a test drive today. I was utterly blown away with it, I haven't stopped smiling all day!

It's a big step up in car for me (coming from a Civic 1.8! Which is actually my first car) and I was very impressed.

I've never driven anything 'fast' on the road before, but have done a few laps on track in a DB9, Gallardo, F430, Atom and GTR last year. I preferred the Cayman to a lot of them (I know they're all very different cars, but the Aston is big and heavy, the Lamborghini felt disappointingly Audi-like and too 'perfect'. The cayman reminded me most of the F430 if anything out of those I have driven, albeit obviously a bit 'softer' and not quite as quick!).

It's worrying how quickly you can end up on the wrong side of the speed limit, I think I feel safe in saying that the base model has plenty of power for the UK and I'd be more than happy with it (but I'm sure I'd want the S if I drove one!).

Still hoping to get out in a 2.7 sometime soon to try that as well.

 
lawrence quinn said:
Although very rare/expensive you can get OE roof rails for a Boxster to carry your bike.
Oh my lord. Who on earth designed those! They look terrifying!

 
Go for the S on the 987, more power, more options 6spd.

If you're going for the 987.2 go for the R.

A lot is down to personal taste, eg the interior and even the exterior as there was a wee facelift.

If you can find a 987 that has been well looked after you will get more car for your money. At least this was my rational at the time, but that was before they took out the R.

Don't worry too much about reported 'issues', every car has their own issues. Just learn what can go wrong and take appropriate action.

On the 987 that means sticking with the OEM road tyres or do some oil modifications for fast road and track.

 
Personally I would always go for a car with PCCB and Sport Chrono as a minimum starting spec.

For me it just transforms the car.

And it needs to have 300hp (at least).

Even my daily driver needs to have 300hp+

 
gmcraib said:
On the 987 that means sticking with the OEM road tyres.

Why stick with OEM tyres? Michelin PS4S are available now. Not N rated, but the next generation of tyres, hence better than the old PSS.

 
Briggy said:
gmcraib said:
On the 987 that means sticking with the OEM road tyres.

Why stick with OEM tyres? Michelin PS4S are available now. Not N rated, but the next generation of tyres, hence better than the old PSS.

In the manual it says that high grip tyres eg slicks and semi slicks have the potential to cause oil starvation issues due to higher g forces exerted.

Basically avoid sticky rubber otherwise do the oil mods. With Michelin pilot sport you’ll be fine, they are an oem tyre.

 

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