# CAYMAN RUNNING COSTS? opinions?



## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

i've been thinking about buying a porsche cayman S, with a maximum budget of 25k

i've never driven one and don't know anyone who has.

i'm pretty sure my fellow forum members have 8)

any pros and cons i should consider?

running costs , build quality , handling (servicing insurance etc).

how easy to mod?

would really like to hear your experience or thoughts on them.

i know i could buy a faster car for 25k but its not all about the speed.

i currently have a focus ST which is a pile of junk (my last ever ford), i need to get back to german cars asap!

thanks for your input :-*


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## richieshore (May 17, 2010)

I was toying between a new TT and a used cayman s, the insurance on the cayman was an extra £1000 a year, the tax was double and the mpg was half!

I'm more than happy with my TT but still quite fancy a cayman next but that'll be in 3 or 4 years when I have more cash and the insurance is cheaper so who knows what I'll actually go for then.

There is a guy on the MK2 side who had one before his RS so I'm sure he'll be along to help you out more!


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## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

richieshore said:


> I was toying between a new TT and a used cayman s, the insurance on the cayman was an extra £1000 a year,


OUCH!

:?


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## Super Josh (May 29, 2009)

I can't answer your question, but just to reinforce what was said above, someone once said that everything is double on the cayman comapred to the TT. Such as fuel, insurance, servicing etc.

Josh


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## andyTT180 (Mar 19, 2010)

Depends which model you buy I'd like to get a 2.7 cayman late next year, it gets similar official fuel consumption figures to the mk1, not looked into insurance but I suppose it'll all depend on what age you are and how many years no claims you have. The servcing is more expensive but remember they only need serviced every two years so although it may seem more expensive it may not be much more than two services for a TT


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## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

39 this year and full no claims, plus i live in inverness where nothing gets nicked (almost)


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## andyTT180 (Mar 19, 2010)

zorg said:


> 39 this year and full no claims, plus i live in inverness where nothing gets nicked (almost)


Your best to just get a quote, I'd imagine the cayman would be great to drive because of its good weight distribution etc.

Think this post is just making me want to get a cayman even more :lol: :lol:


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## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

I think the insurance costs may be slightly more expensive, but as its already been said, it only needs servicing once every 20,000 miles.

Have drives a Cayman S at the Porsche track in Silverstone, and thought it was fantastic, great road holding, fantastic cornering speeds, I really liked it!

I wouldnt mod it though, save the money and go for an S


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## DPG (Dec 7, 2005)

Plenty of indy's about that seem quite resonable.

http://www.porschtek.co.uk/servicing.html


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## Dash (Oct 5, 2008)

I'm sure I read something about a dodgy engine which got revised. Does that ring bells with anybody?


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## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

Dr_Parmar said:


> save the money and go for an S


i did say an S in my original post :wink:

i would not even consider a 2.7 spec car.

DPG those are some very reasonable prices, unfortunately its a bit far to travel from inverness.

this would be my ideal car,with a big techart rear spoiler.i _know_ viper green cars are very rare.


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## wallstreet (Oct 19, 2009)

Dr_Parmar said:


> I think the insurance costs may be slightly more expensive, but as its already been said, it only needs servicing once every 20,000 miles.
> 
> Have drives a Cayman S at the Porsche track in Silverstone, and thought it was fantastic, great road holding, fantastic cornering speeds, I really liked it!
> 
> I wouldnt mod it though, save the money and go for an S


+1 go for the S. My insurance for an S Box was £525 full comp! I was in my early 30's. PEART are specialist Porker insurers, very friendly & courteous.

So insurance if you shop at specialists is not heavy. 20K serving us not inhibitive. Independents charge good prices. Off course £150-200 more than a TT. Look it up. A different performance.

BUT I was never foot down in the wet. Tail happy. I was in the C4S.


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## richieshore (May 17, 2010)

zorg said:


> Dr_Parmar said:
> 
> 
> > save the money and go for an S
> ...


That is absolutely disgusting, what a way to ruin a gorgeous car!

I've heard the newer facelift models have lots of improvements which are a must have, I believe it's mrdemon on here who had one before his TTRS.


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## leenx (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm pretty sure a recent car journalist slammed the Cayman S? and suggested the 2.9 / 2.7 Cayman instead?


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

Dash said:


> I'm sure I read something about a dodgy engine which got revised. Does that ring bells with anybody?


I think the 'dodgy' engine stories will be related to the RMS/IMS problems experienced across the range. There was another thread on here about them, although it was mainly discussing the 996.

The problem is actually much much rarer than you'd believe if you trust the forums, but it has generated some very bad press for Porsche because it seems it can occur at pretty much any stage in the cars life, leading to some nasty stories of people having to replace engines in relatively young cars. There are also some excellent specialists around who can often fix the resulting mess without resorting to a new engine. It certainly wouldn't put me off buying a Cayman (although it stopped me looking at pre-facelift 3.4l 996s).

That being said, when I bought my 996, I made sure I had enough left over to replace the engine if the worst happened. Fortunately, while it was up on a ramp at a specialist having an alignment done, they commented on how dry the engine was, which is a good sign that my seals are in very good nick (almost all Porkers will have some oil down there, even the ones that go on to live a long and healthy life).


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## richieshore (May 17, 2010)

leenx said:


> I'm pretty sure a recent car journalist slammed the Cayman S? and suggested the 2.9 / 2.7 Cayman instead?


Everything I've heard/read says ignore the cayman and get the S with LSD and PDK!

Some have even commented how this combination, regardless of price is even better than the base 911.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

richieshore said:


> leenx said:
> 
> 
> > I'm pretty sure a recent car journalist slammed the Cayman S? and suggested the 2.9 / 2.7 Cayman instead?
> ...


I read some speculation that if the Cayman had the same engines as the 911 it would outperform it. Makes sense. Mid engine is better balanced than rear.


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## andyTT180 (Mar 19, 2010)

Kell said:


> richieshore said:
> 
> 
> > leenx said:
> ...


Most of the reviews say that porsche held back with the power on the cayman because if it had similar power to the 911 It would be a much better car


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

andyTT180 said:


> Most of the reviews say that porsche held back with the power on the cayman because if it had similar power to the 911 It would be a much better car


They're a sports car manufacturer (primarily) so they need to differentiate their range on performance (where normal manufacturers tend to differentiate on size). It makes sense for them to try to keep the Cayman below the 911 in most potential buyers eyes.

To me it's a no-brainer... I also considered the Cayman as it's in a similar price bracket to the 996 now but regardless of performance (and I'm sure a Cayman would be all over a 996 on twisty roads) the 911 is just more special.


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## wallstreet (Oct 19, 2009)

Spandex said:


> andyTT180 said:
> 
> 
> > Most of the reviews say that porsche held back with the power on the cayman because if it had similar power to the 911 It would be a much better car
> ...


996 turbo is only £7-£10k more! A lot of bang for your buck with 4wd. Very reliable samples out there.

Gents add water & seasons we have on our mountains & trust me the porkers with rwd no matter which ones still need to be sensible in the real world. You can kill others, yourself & ditch down the mountain. On dry it's alot more fun, add moisture & you stir with the devils potion. Scary. Thus I prefer a 4wd bias.


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

wallstreet said:


> 996 turbo is only £7-£10k more! A lot of bang for your buck with 4wd. Very reliable samples out there.


Yep, I considered them too, but it just wasn't worth it to me with the commute I'm doing. I'd be paying for a load of extra petrol and rarely getting the opportunity to use the power. Maybe in a year or two if I get a job closer to home or in the City I'll have a more serious look at them.

The 4wd thing is a negative point to me, not a positive. It's just extra weight and power loss. Apart from the TT I've only ever owned RWD cars and I prefer them.


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## bilen (Mar 3, 2004)

I ran a Cayman S for over two years whilst my girlfriend had a 3.2 TT (MK2)

In overall costs the Cayman S was about £250 per year more expensive in insurance

Servicing was virtually identical. TT needed oil change at 10K miles and full service at about 17K miles, whilst the Cayman needed one Service at 18k miles and cost about £650 which I thought was very reasonable.

Tyres also nearly identical. Cayman ran on 19" 235 and 265 wheels whilst TT ran on 19" 255 all round, they cost £900-1000 to replace all 4 tyres

Fuel- the Cayman was slightly thirstier, but that was more down to my right foot than anything else. On the motor way the Cayman was better (more aerodynamic and lighter?)

As a second hand proposition I would go for the Cayman every time unless you need Quattro for bad winters. TT is very nice, the Cayman in my humble opinion is special. :roll:

The above does not take into account the deprecation I suffered as I bought mine new.

The Cayman cost £55k new and went for £27k some two and a bit years later [smiley=bigcry.gif] . The TT went for 17k after 3 years and cost £32k new


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## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

appreciate your input guys, it sounds like it is indeed do-able.

i don't do a lot of miles to be honest.

20k in 4 years with my TT

thanks again

-z


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## Charlie (Dec 15, 2006)

bilen said:


> The Cayman cost £55k new and went for £27k some two and a bit years later [smiley=bigcry.gif] .


OUCH that has got to hurt [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Charlie


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## zorg (Apr 25, 2006)

Charlie said:


> bilen said:
> 
> 
> > The Cayman cost £55k new and went for £27k some two and a bit years later [smiley=bigcry.gif] .
> ...


yeah i would never buy a brand new motor, doesn't make any sense. even a 6 month old car could save you thousands.

-z


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

I ran a Cayman S for 17 months. Bought new for £49k and sold for £37k. The only running costs I can advise on is the mpg as I never serviced it or replaced tyres. I was getting around 23mpg.

I was paying £700 insurance (I was 28), but it's pretty irrelevant given the fact our post codes differ.

It was the limited slip diff they didn't put on which held it back. It's now an option on the facelift versions (which you won't be able to get for your £25k).

I loved it. I'd have another one, without question.

I sold it on to Cameron Sports Cars. This was my car:

http://www.cameronsportscars.co.uk/item ... %2Flibrary


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## leenx (Feb 8, 2010)

Widget said:


> I ran a Cayman S for 17 months. Bought new for £49k and sold for £37k. The only running costs I can advise on is the mpg as I never serviced it or replaced tyres. I was getting around 23mpg.
> 
> I was paying £700 insurance (I was 28), but it's pretty irrelevant given the fact our post codes differ.
> 
> ...


I was just interested to know what you really thought of the Cayman S and why if you dont mind me asking did you move on to pastures new? Iss the facelift Cayman S a lot better than the previous? and is the Cayman S a lot fruitier than the Cayman in your opinion?


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## leenx (Feb 8, 2010)

richieshore said:


> leenx said:
> 
> 
> > I'm pretty sure a recent car journalist slammed the Cayman S? and suggested the 2.9 / 2.7 Cayman instead?
> ...


Here's that review I mentioned.

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/used ... ew/25487-4


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

I bought the Cayman S blind. I ordered around August 2005 time for delivery in March 2006. I've never driven the standard Cayman. Buying one now, I'd probably be happy with the facelift 2.9. However, a few years ago, when my priorities were different, I would have gone for the S, without a shadow of doubt.

The thing is with the Cayman (in whichever guise) it rewards the non-hardcore drivers amongst us. The mid-engined, rear wheel drive is the perfect combination. The tail end wasn't happy, so to speak, however, if you wanted to play, it was easy to do so, and even easier to correct due to the perfect weight distribution.

I got rid of it because we had a baby in December 2006. I kept hold of the car for a few months after Holly was born, but in fairness, it just turned into an expensive driveway ornament. I was working shifts (week on week off) at the gas site (6 miles from my home), which meant I was using the car for 84miles each fortnight. when I was off we'd go out together in the family wagon. So I got sensible, sold the Cayman S, bought a 2004 Ford Sportka (simply to cover those 84 miles I hope you understand!) and trimmed out most of my mortgage. And before you ask, no, I'm not. I'm in a 2.0TSi DSG Scirocco GT at the moment.

Would I have another one? Yeah. Would I buy another one without seriously considering the alternatives? No. The most sure footed I have felt in any car, in any weather, was my old 2002 TTC 225.

Driving one will answer any questions you have. Weigh up your options and make the decision. If you don't go for a Cayman S, are you the sort of bloke who'd see one on the road, whilst you're in your 2.7/2.9 and think "should've got the bigger engine"?


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## leenx (Feb 8, 2010)

Widget said:


> I bought the Cayman S blind. I ordered around August 2005 time for delivery in March 2006. I've never driven the standard Cayman. Buying one now, I'd probably be happy with the facelift 2.9. However, a few years ago, when my priorities were different, I would have gone for the S, without a shadow of doubt.
> 
> The thing is with the Cayman (in whichever guise) it rewards the non-hardcore drivers amongst us. The mid-engined, rear wheel drive is the perfect combination. The tail end wasn't happy, so to speak, however, if you wanted to play, it was easy to do so, and even easier to correct due to the perfect weight distribution.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply - interesting reading. I think I need to drive one and take it from there - both models!!


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