Website is current. Reviews are stellar.

Some of the special additions had options that were included for free. That made them a much better deal when you bought one. When I bought my RS 60 Spyder in 2008, it came with about $20,000 in free options, including some that you couldn’t get on other Boxsters. So, you might end up with a more heavily optioned car without paying much more than a more lightly optioned car. I am more familiar with Boxsters but I think some of the Cayman models in 2008 were essentially a similar deal.

It’s not the sport option, it’s the sport Chrono option.

I’m sure Mayo’s place was closed for Thanksgiving. Don’t send them a message or an email, pick up the phone and call them.

I’m not a fan of direct injection, that might be a deal killer for me.

It’s not if you’ll get carbon deposits, it’s how often will you have to clean them?

I have to admit, I do like the looks of the newer cars better, right up to the point where they change the engines completely.

I think the DE cars are possibly the best looking car ever. Only option I would really need is a positraction. Wavetrac ? All I know is my 08 Cayman S went nowhere if there was 4 inches of snow on the ground. Only tried that one time. Spinning one tire got me stuck in my driveway. For 3 days.:D:D

2009 was the first year for direct injection in the S model engines. I’m not sure when the rest of the range got it.

For my money, you want the larger engine that came in the S models.

Right, my understanding was that the change was 987.1 - 987.2.

So, 987.1 (2008) had the IMS and cylinder issues, and the 987.2 (2009) had Direct Injection. It's always something isn't it?

What, so you can't just clear the carbon with an Italian tune-up? If that was the case, I'd never get it. :D

Yes, you're correct.

I don’t think the base model cars got direct injection in 2009, just the S models.

No, no direct injection until 2009.


2008 - IMS and cylinder issues
2009 - direct injection

I believe direct injection was accompanied by a small bump in power.

If you can only afford a 987.1, then my vote (assuming same condition/variables like maintenance history, etc...) is to get a 2008.
If you can afford a 987.2, then you can decide to which possible issue you want to gamble on.

And this site seems to indicate that the cylinder issues are only on the S models, not the base models.

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I believe you are correct as well.

Google the vin.

Sometimes those searches will bring up those sites that do more, as I can’t remember what they are from one day to the next.

You can sometimes track a cars history that way also, if it has been publicly for sale with the Vin number posted.

Try Vinwiki, maybe you’ll get lucky.

Or just get a Carfax. If it’s at a dealer, see if they’ll give you a free Carfax, a lot of them will provide that for cars they have for sale.

I have used Vin Analytics for several years. It has always been spot on.

FWFW, I just ran my Cayenne and Cayman VIN through the site. All good. So, you might want to double check that VIN.

Good luck!!!

Yep, I too get a validation error.

Comparing it to my 2006 S, my guess would be that the "1" found in the 2981 sequence is incorrect.

Remind me, what year is the car in question?

Just found this:

How to Decode a Porsche VIN?

W – Country of Origin (Germany)
P – Manufacturer (Porsche)
0 – Vehicle Type (Passenger Car)
AA298 – Description (2dr/Coupe/Porsche Cayman)
9 – Check Digit.
7 – Model Year (2007)
U – Assembly Plant (Stuttgart, Germany)
763174 – Production Sequence Number.

So your "1" is an incorrect check digit.

love my sports chrono package.

base model not an S. sigh.

rather drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

Good luck and keep us updated.

I like the more unusual colors, but I don't rule out anything. I'd have gone with poo brown if it had been the best car for the money. I ended up with a silver car. But I figured at least it was a special silver that other boxsters didn't get, and it's a special edition and it's definitely got an interior that makes it stand out despite the silver exterior. My turbo miata what bright fockin' red (as opposed to jet fockin black), and I liked it. I figure the less "look at me" colored car might not be a bad thing as I have a problem with my right foot. Or more accurately, others are likely to have a problem with my right foot.

Looking at this one, what is the story with this transmission, good?, Bad ?.
Truly prefer a standard with some decent options....but
Hard to find.
I have a feeling I would color it in about a year after looking at the communist opaque
Your thoughts?

https://vinanalytics.com/car/WP0AB2A81AU780549/


https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WP0AB2A81AU780549

It's nice. Sport Chrono on an "S" is pretty much a must. PASM sucks. But if you can find sport seats and a 6-speed, even better. I have factory headers and added an IPD plenum and big throttle body. If nothing else, it sounds pretty much like Heaven.

I like the color. The wheels, not as much. One of the features that I wish I had: PCM and a Bluetooth stereo and a subwoofer. At this point, I'm going to leave it stock. But even my buggy has a better sound system than the Cayman.

OK, thanx
Good info!!
I will keep on the lookout.

That looks like a good car. I have never driven a PDK car but I think it may be the way to go. Only thing I do not like is the color but on a used car its hard to find everything exactly as you like it.

I have no emergency here....I will keep the hook in the water for a while and see what surfaces.
I HATE gray / silver. > i call them communist colors LOL

PDK is the automatic manual flappy paddle. Super fast shifts, and not a slushbox transmission. If you've got an S and especially PDK, then I think you'd want Sport Chrono, and this one has the "Sport Plus" option which takes things to another level. It's got a limited slip diff and sport exhaust which is nice. I don't think it's got PASM (no button for it, and not in the VIN decoder link). Sport seats would be nice, but aren't a deal breaker.

Good to know! Thanx!!

The first PDK car I drove was something from that era, maybe a 2009, I can’t remember. It was a 911, not a Cayman, so take that for what it’s worth. I didn’t particularly care for it, as when you ran it in auto mode it upshifted far too quickly for my liking. Coming off of a stoplight, it seemed like you were in fourth gear by the time you cleared the intersection, or shortly thereafter.

Definitely drive one before you start looking for one in earnest. You may like it, you may not.

The last PDK car I drove was a 2014 911 turbo S. That one I had no problem with, but I mainly drove it at higher speeds.

i'de say the design edition has little merit on function
anything with edition in the name , by Porsche... is a marketing ripoff

Yes, in auto mode, they short shift. In Sport mode, they hold the shifts until later, I believe. Of course, you can always use the flappy paddles to make it do what you want.

I disagree.

Buy a car with options X, Y and Z, and you pay $15k for those options

Buy a special edition car with options X, Y, and Z and you may end up paying $5k less than the car above, and on top of getting options X, Y, and Z, you'll also get options, A, B, C, and D.

The special edition cars are usually essentially option packages (sometimes including minor stuff that's not available on a regular car), but often at a bit of a discount over adding the options to a regular car.

So, if you want a bunch of options, and there's a special edition that's got them, that may be your best way to get those options.

new , sure, but not second hand

The DE1 will at some point carry more resale value than a sister car outfitted the same -IMHO

but they won't be as much fun cause they can't be driven else they might wear and loose more value..

recently read somebody with sticker on his 911.

not driving your Porsche so it has better resale value
is like not f íng your girlfriend so she is more desireable to the next guy

I guess you could convert that to

Spending more money on the prom queen
so you can try not to get jiggy with her at the prom
so she'll be a better catch and less of a slut
by the time the high school renunion happens and the nerd has become worth more then the quarterback jock ever was?

Yep, I have been saying that for years. I don't get it.

"Found the hottest chick that I could because everyone thinks she's awesome. I'm saving her for the next guy!"

WTF? :confused:

In my opinion, if I had to buy pre-2009, the DE1 would be my only consideration for a lot of reasons.
At some point, the liabilities of the IMS are going to start scaring people just as the Mag cases did for the 911.
Remember the "mid-year " reputations and all the nasty talk?
The dis dis dis?
Example- I bought ours for less than 6K!
But it was an S model, and of course, it finally became worth something years later after It was completely redone.
( and the reputations finally subsided)
I think there will be a renascence.

but are you sure the new chain system of the DFI engines at twice the chain speed of all Porsche engines before it.. Isn't going to cause chain problems down the line ??
Porsche never ran cam chains at full rpm's before the DFI engines
Are those chains easy to replace on an engine?

IDK, but we could do "what ifs all" day long without some sort of reason or evidence.
With the 1st Gen of Cayman, there is no "what if" there.
Cylinder scoring and IMS failure is a real percentage and as in - "Do I feel lucky?"
No, I don't.
I have a love for Porsche but not much for Russian Roulette.
BTDT. (mag Case)
Everyone has to make choices.
To hire out these engines to be fixed is at least $20K !
That just made a 30K car so way upside dwn to have $50 K in it.

Everyone has to do what they think is correct strategicly for their wallet. I have not ever bought a Porsche with end goal of making a profit.
At the same time, i don't want to get totally hosed.

yeah, but damned if you do bored if you don't
My money is on the 2.7's being less likely to bore score , or d chunk.
and the ims.. well it's the double row bearing, best of the range
and I just do super regular oil changes and inspect the mag plug for flakes.
surely it won't fail 2 rows in 1 go.
so far nottn
And no oil burning off either.. so i got that going for me, which is nice.