Porsche Cayman (2005 - To Date)
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
Rarely have we seen a car arrive that dominated its class as comprehensively as the Porsche Cayman. Before this purposeful coupe was launched, all sorts of manufacturers were making very good money with very mediocre offerings in the sports coupe segment. Afterwards, they either shaped up or shipped out. Tracking down a decent used Cayman can be a little more problematic than youd at first think given the rate of take up.
Buyers often arent keen to sell and those that do often want silly money. Heres what to look out for.
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Built alongside the Boxster at the Valmet plant in Finland, Porsche has suggested that most of the Caymans conquest sales came from Audi TT owners looking to trade up to something a little more hardcore, but Nissan also rushed a more powerful 350Z through development to stem haemorrhaging sales. While the Cayman looks great from the front and rear, the three-quarter aspects of the car can occasionally photograph a little gawky given the domed rear haunches and low bootline. The Cayman shares the Boxsters bonnet, headlights, front wings, doors and tail lights but beyond that the steel metalwork is all custom (expect to see some jealous vandals modifying the C in the rear badge). The front bumpers were modified with bigger air intakes into which beady fog lights are indented.
The tapered engine intakes on the side of the car dont look quite as elegant as those on the latest Boxster although the rear hatch design is a very neat piece of styling. This opens remotely via a button on the key fob and offers up a reasonable amount of space. Some storage space behind the seats gives a total of 260 litres which, when added to the 150 litres up front, means the Porsche is more practical than it has any right to be. Slightly longer than the Boxster, the Cayman is also 13mm taller, yet the width remains unchanged at 1,801mm.
Values for the 2.7-litre Cayman are now dipping below £40,000 but much will depend on how loaded the car is with extras. The list price for this model when it went on sale was a little over £36,000 but many cars left dealerships carrying price tags considerably higher than £40,000. Whichever way one looks at it, its a very strong residual performance.
Choose a Cayman S and there is a little more price elasticity. Early examples kick off again at just under £40,000 but its important to get the right specification. The car often needs metallic paint and leather trim to be really desirable, while 19" wheel upgrades are also popular, despite doing little for the ride quality. All Caymans are rated at Group 19 insurance.
The Caymans 2.7-litre engine is a reliable and charismatic unit which has yet to show up any significant problems. The 3.4-litre lump is a little more temperamental and some have developed cooling issues all of which will have been sorted under warranty.
Check the tyres for wear and also have the rear axle and suspension inspected as heavy acceleration from a standstill on a dry surface leads not to wheelspin, but to quite severe axle-tramp. This is a condition where the rear of the car judders under the torque of the drive going to the grippy rear tyres and is a potentially damaging and uncomfortable sensation. A whining axle or drive shaft will bear testament to this. Check the condition of the alloy wheels for kerbing damage.
Check the bodywork, especially the bonnet and bootlids, as these can easily be damaged by owners slamming them onto protruding items from the front and rear boots. Caymans are quite colour sensitive, and dark blue and green cars are harder to shift than ever-popular silver. White is becoming quite a hit on the continent. Otherwise insist on a proper Porsche main dealer service history and buy with confidence.
(Estimated prices, based on a 2.7 Cayman) Cayman spares are predictably quite pricey, although they never cross the border into exorbitant. A clutch kit is £175, while front brake pads are around £60 with rears weighing in at about £75. The Cayman is equipped with two radiators, one on the right and one on the left, and these cost around £110 each.
A new alternator is around £350, while a new headlamp is in the region of £160. A new exhaust muffler and oxygen sensor will cost around £360. Not bad at all, really.
Forget what youve read about mid-engined cars being snatchy and tricky when the limits of grip are exceeded. We took a Cayman S to play with a bunch of performance car rivals at a private test track and it aced the lot of em. If the Nissan 350Z wasnt out to play, the Porsche would have won the award for best drift car, proving easier to balance on the throttle than the BMW M Coupe, despite the fact that it lacks a limited slip differential. It might well be an urban myth that Porsche failed to fit such an LSD to the Cayman S to prevent it lapping the Nurburgring quicker than a 911 Carrera but having sampled the junior sibling at full chat, I wouldnt bet against it.
Yes, it lacks the drama, heritage and sheer definitive feel of the 911 but if you subscribe to the history is bunk mentality, you might well decide that the cheaper car is the better car. Our test car was fitted with the optional Sport Chrono pack, satellite navigation, uprated seats and virtually every other option Porsche could throw at it bar carbon ceramic brakes, so its worth considering how well a more standard car would fare. Considering done. It would still have won.
Porsche hope that the Cayman S is the sort of car that will build lasting brand loyalty, acting as a stepping stone to 911 ownership. If the price tag is a little on the high side and you dont need nearly 300bhp, try the 2.7-litre car with 245bhp. Its just as sweet but lacks the 3.
2-litre engines concussive punch.
If you want the best performance coupe this side of, well, a Porsche 911 GT3, look no further. The Cayman is as close to perfect as its possible to get when it comes to fulfilling its requirements. You can ask no more than that. Unfortunately, used car sellers know this too so you wont find any outrageous bargains.
Id pick an early Cayman S and would probably keep it for a very, very long time.
