2008 Porsche Cayman Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Porsche Boxster and Cayman from 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 as a used buy.

The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are pure mid-engined sports machines, meaning the engine is installed just behind the cabin, unlike the the engine in the Porsche 911 that’s fitted behind the back wheels.A mid-engine layout gives exceptionally good weight distribution and therefore the best in chassis balance and higher cornering speeds than the 911.Interestingly, the Boxster and Cayman share quite a few of their front-end components with the Porsche 911. At the rear they are quite different machine visually, though there’s still a family resemblance.Porsche Boxster is sold only as a convertible, Cayman is a fixed hardtop coupe and didn’t go on sale till 2006, nine years after its open-top brother.Boxster’s roof is one of the simplest in the business, note the clever way the roof acts as its own cover when it’s powered open. It can be left open even if the weather is threatening as it can easily be powered closed at a red traffic light. You can usually avoid the embarrassment of having to wait for roof closure to be complete after the lights turn green.Both models are brilliant machines that cry out to be pushed hard and fast. Their naturally-aspirated engines are wonderfully responsive, the gearbox is a delight to use, road grip is very high and the feel through the steering wheel and the seat of the pants is magnificent.It takes a lot of provocation to get the tail out of line, and if it does start to slide the cars remains controllable - up to a point, that is. As with all full-on sports cars with mid-mounted engines, if the tail gets out too far you'll need quick reflexes to correct it.An advanced driving course is recommended if you really want to get the best from your Porsche. These days electronics aids can save you from over-reaching; they can be detuned should you wish to make your own decisions, particularly for track days.Unlike the 911, these Porsches are strictly two-seaters. The seats are supportive and comfortable and shoulder room is plentiful, with the two occupants well insulated from buffeting with the roof down.A real bonus of the mid-engined layout is that Boxster and Cayman are surprisingly practical for sportscars, with luggage compartments front and rear, this can almost be used as a daily driver by a one or two-person household.The Boxster arrived in Australia in January 1997. It received minor upgrades in October 1999, August 2001 and August 2002, then a major upgrading in February 2005. The latter, tagged the 987 series, replaced the previous 986 models.This was upgraded again in November 2006, November 2007 and March 2009. An all-new Boxster came out in June 2012, followed by a new Cayman 12 months later.The Boxster was initially criticised for being down on power, mainly due to its smallish 2.5-litre, flat-six engine. That problem was solved in 1999 when a bigger 2.7-litre unit was installed.Even better news was the shoehorning of an optional 3.2-litre engine into the models called the Boxster S and Cayman S. This was increased to 3387 cc in 2006 and to 3436 cc in 2009, with the standard Boxster going up to 2.9 litres in 2009.These superb Porsche engines, even the smallest ones, really come alive above 4000 rpm, their tone initially hardening, then rising to a wonderfully metallic howl as it goes through 5000 rpm. Get the top down whenever you can and hold on to the lower gears just for the sheer pleasure of listening to it.There were major changes to the Boxster engine in 2009. Though the flat-six engines still capacities of 2.9 or 3.4 litres, they featured a direct injection fuel system.This was complemented by numerous other changes. Power was increased, and even more importantly peak torque remained constant over large parts of the rev band. Unlike the older powerplants, that needed 4000 revs to come on song, the newer units really begin to buzz from not much over 3000 rpm.Powerful ventilated brake discs are installed. If you think going from a standstill to 100km/h in under six seconds in the bigger engined models feels sensational, just wait until you experience 100 to zero in less than three seconds. That really makes your eyes bulge and gives a most satisfying feeling of security.Boxster initially used either a five-speed or six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. From the 2009 upgrade a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox was installed.Porsche is long established in Australia. The dealer network isn’t huge, but it’s well organised and we seldom hear complaints about parts or service availability. Prices aren’t cheap, but neither are they outrageous for what you get.Insurance ratings are generally moderate for what is, after all, a prestige sports car aimed at those who like to drive hard and fast.A Porsche Boxster that’s always been serviced and repaired by an official dealer is relatively common and we feel it's the one to aim for. You probably be asked to pay more because of its history. And may we suggest you keep up the servicing to make your car a sound investmentWHAT TO LOOK FORHard driving is what the Boxster and Cayman are built for - butt too much can decrease their lives. Look for severe tyre wear, heavy brake dust buildup and repairs to the body. Rust is very unusual and almost certainly means the car has been badly repaired after a crash.These cars are well engineered and solidly built and unless poorly repaired after a crash should last well. If you suspect collision repairs it’s wise to have it professionally inspected.Check the interior for signs of mistreatment. Look under the floor mats for signs of dampness caused by a Boxster being caught out in the rain. The engine should start easily, idle smoothly virtually from the moment it kicks over and have throttle response that’s all-but instantaneous.Heavy operation of the clutch is likely to mean it’s due for an overhaul. Not a complex job, but there are no cheap repairs on a Porsche. The gearbox should be light and easy to use, with no noises at any time, even during the fastest of gearchanges.Be sure the brakes pull the car up cleanly without one wheel locking ahead of the others. If ABS is installed feel for a pulse through the brake pedal under hard braking.CAR BUYING TIPMost sports cars are only driven gently - sad but true - however it’s a fact of life they probably make a better used-car buy. 

When the Cayman was first revealed by Porsche in 2005, it was to a mixed reception. There were those who loved the idea of a mid-engined model to sit just above the Boxster, and there were those who saw it as ... well, just another Boxster.But, despite the detractors, it was a good little car — attractive, dynamic and powerful enough to attract a lot of new buyers into the brand.Now it’s an even better little car, with new engines and suspension set-up, tweaked jewellery, better economy and the option of Porsche’s twin-clutch transmission to really sweeten the deal.DrivetrainsPorsche has put a lot of effort into reducing the weight and friction levels of both new engines to boost power while reducing fuel consumption.The base model Cayman gets a 195kW/300Nm 2.9-litre six-cylinder boxer engine (up 200cc and 15kW). Mated to a new manual transmission with six slots over the previous five, this gives a 0-100 speed of 5.8 seconds, which is shaved by 0.1 if you option the PDK box – the downside being 2km/h also being shaved off the manual’s top speed of 265km/h due to weight gain. But while the manual uses 9.2L of fuel per 100km, the new transmission manages 8.9 — an improvement of 11 per cent on the outgoing model with its sequential Tiptronic.The Cayman S carries a direct fuel-injected 3.4-litre six-cylinder that develops 235kW (up 18kW). With the six-speed manual you get a 0-100 speed of 5.2 seconds, but getting the PDK here gets you down to 5.1 – and with the optional Sports Chrono Pack drops down to a blistering 4.9 — but again cuts 2km/h off the manual’s top speed of 277km/h. And again the PDK offers fuel savings on the previous Cayman S, using 16 per cent less at 9.2L/100km, while the base model comes in at 9.6L/100km.Appearance and equipmentThere has been little change to the body styling of the Cayman, but it has been freshened at nose and tail with light clusters featuring twin tube halogens at the front and LED strips at the back that accentuate the swelling curves of the haunches, a new wind deflector plate and foglights. To dress up further, there’s an optional lighting pack with bi-xenon lamps and LED daytime running lights.Porsche says these changes have been made while maintaining the Cayman's aerodynamic drag figure of 0.29 and downforce — increased by the split wing spoiler moving up 80mm when the car hits 120km/h.The interior gets some facelifted touches, the main one being a revised centre control stack with larger screen for nav, info and entertainment. And ventilation has been added to the heating for the perforated-leather covered seats. And you could almost claim it’s practical too, with a 410-litre luggage capacity, although there’s little in the way of cabin storage to augment that for smaller items, and the cupholders that spring out of the dash are a nightmare.UnderpinningsThe Caymans roll on new wheels — 17” and 12mm wider on the base model, which now gets the larger 318mm front and 299mm rear brakes of its big brother — and 18” on the S, with the chance to upgrade to 19” and also nab the awesome 350mm ceramic brake package plus a locking rear diff. But in Porsche tradition, there's no spare wheel, simply a can of tyre sealant and a compressor — and perhaps a prayer for our councils to sweep the streets more often.Meanwhile, new mapping has given the steering a sharper response, while the suspension has been adjusted to account for the engines’ extra power.Porsche’s electronically controlled Active Suspension management is available for both models, lowering the body by 10mm over the standard suspension. It has been enhanced with brake assistance that includes a pre-loading function that comes into play if you lift off the accelerator quickly – even before your foot touches the brake pedal.The Sports Chrono Package adds a Sport Plus function that further sharpens steering, quickens gearchanges and throttle response and hardens the suspension. And if you’ve got the PDK box, the Chrono addition tosses in a Launch Start function — where you can look like Lewis Hamilton by plunging your feet onto both pedals, revving up and then wiping your foot off the brake and letting the car slingshot you into the horizon — as well as a handy auto kick-down if you stab the accelerator.There have been some weight losses and gains overall, with the Cayman tipping the scales at 1330kg with the manual box and 1360kg with the PDK, while the S is 1350kg with the manual and 1375 with the PDK.This means the S with PDK comes in at 15kg lighter than the previous model with the Tiptronic, but the base model has gained about the same mainly because of the extra gear and larger brakes.PricingFinal Australian spec and the price tags are yet to be revealed, and we should have more information close to the car’s local launch in March 2009.DrivingOn the road the Cayman S we tested was a joy. The engine is keen to let you dip into its extra sauce, and just keep pouring it on, delivering it in a smooth progressive stream with no sign of it letting up as it swings the needle up to the 7500rpm redline.And it sounds better too – with Porsche saying they retuned the exhaust specifically for that effect. But it still falls short of the kind of guttural growl that vibrates through your stomach lining when you’re in something like the 911 Carrera.On the noise side, there’s quite a bit of wind rush, and a lot of tyre noise over rougher surfaces.But those same bits of bad road revealed the remarkable qualities of the new suspension set-up. Patchy bitumen, gaping potholes – no matter what the semi-rural roads on the southern Spain launch threw at it – the Cayman S simply snubbed its nose at the challenge. You could hear it all passing under the wheels, but there was little in the way of jarring or jumping that upset the handling – or the occupants.One question we always have of suspensions designed with European markets in mind is whether or not they will handle our poor Aussie blacktop well enough. In the case of the Cayman, the answer is a resounding `yes’.It tracks confidently and the wide stance helps keep it glued to the road.Pressing the Sports Plus button sharpened everything up to near-race track standards – but in this case the car became almost too responsive to joust with oncoming farmers on the narrow winding mountain roads.With the PDK predicting which gear you want to be in next and getting it set up for you, once you get used to thumbing the forward-back paddles wrapped around the spokes of the steering wheel, this car is simply a bundle of fun that makes the most of its power-to-weight ratio.No, it’s not a 911. But then, only a 911 is a 911. But what it is – especially in the current economy – is a fantastic drive-to-dollar ratio.