Fancy a 981 Cayman... S, GTS and general advice?

[david-j8694]

Morning all.

I got rid of my 440i 2 days ago and, armed with a tidy chunk of cash in an account, I'm sniffing around the 981 Cayman. I've discounted the base one - I think a long-geared 275bhp NA engine is going to leave me feeling a little short changed having come from a 3.0 turbo I6 with over 300bhp. Even counting the Cayman's significantly lower weight. Happy to be advised otherwise, though! That leaves me looking at the S or GTS.

My reqs are:
PDK
PASM
Chrono
Bose
Cruise
Sports Exhaust
No alcantara
Not white or grey
Am I missing something?

The advantage of the GTS is they're invariably well specified with all of the above. The downside is they're 8-10k more than even a well specified S, and £52-55k is really stretching my budget. I could go hunting down the back of the sofa if it were absolutely the best option, but it's drifting into more uncomfortable territory. Plus I'm not sure I would notice the extra 15bhp.

Here's an example of an S I really like for 44k:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111149...

Here's an example of a GTS I really like 53k:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189...


What do you guys think? Happy to hear any and all opinions regarding the base, S and GTS.

Thanks all.

[thumb5]

I might be a little biased, but I wouldn't discount the base (2.7) 981 so quickly. It depends what you enjoy; there's a lot of fun to be had in lower gears with the engine sounding so sweet at high-ish revs. I came to mine from a Maserati 3200 GT which had more torque and horsepower - at least on paper a higher-performance car, and capable of more "punch in the back" acceleration - but I find the Cayman much more fun, involving and rewarding to drive.

[david-j8694]

thumb5 said:

I might be a little biased, but I wouldn't discount the base (2.7) 981 so quickly. It depends what you enjoy; there's a lot of fun to be had in lower gears with the engine sounding so sweet at high-ish revs. I came to mine from a Maserati 3200 GT which had more torque and horsepower - at least on paper a higher-performance car, and capable of more "punch in the back" acceleration - but I find the Cayman much more fun, involving and rewarding to drive.

Yeah, I hear you. To be honest, the base is what I was originally looking at and they're a really compelling proposition being a notch or so cheaper again. I think I've just spent so much time looking at the S model that I don't want to feel like I compromised too much (I spent a fair bit of my time in my 440 thinking I just should've got the M4 first as last). I'm definitely one for a bit of scope creep, given I'm now sniffing around the GTS models!

[WayOutWest]

Comparing the two cars in your links the GTS has less than half the mileage, so the premium paid for the GTS in that case is much more worthwhile.
Also I think the wheels on the black S look too blingy/fussy, but that is down to personal taste.

Finally most GTSs seem to have the alcantara trim pack, so if you prefer leather you might have found your ideal car already with that red one.

If you found an S with the same v low miles and similar spec for £10k less, then it might be a harder decision.

[MrVert]

The GTS on a 981 Cayman / Boxster is a great package.

It's one of those cars that just gets just about everything so right.

I think the carbon pack massively lifts the interior if you can find one with it. Especially combined with the full leather (dash etc) it really does feel premium.


I drove a 2.7 before I bought a 3.4, the comment above is definitely true, you can use more of the power through the rev ranges with the smaller engine as you need to keep it spinning...and it's great fun. The 3.4 though definitely feels 'beefier' though and I thought suited the car perfectly.

I think moving forward the GTS will keep its' money slightly better than the S, but obviously more outlay at the start.

Whether you think the GTS package is justified by the £ 8-10k difference, only you can decide.

I thought.. and still think it is.

Good luck with your search, they are great little sports cars.

[rs4al]

I’ve been looking too, although will probably go down the road of a 987.2 as coming from a MX5 mk1, I prefer the less modern interior.

What I did notice, is that not having the GTS interior pack (alcantara seat centres, doors etc) has an effect on price.

This CGTS had the perfect spec to me but it’s sold https://rpmtechnik.co.uk/porsche-sales/vehicle/981...



Equivalent specced cayman S’s seem to be around £40-45k, good luck!

[david-j8694]

WayOutWest said:

Comparing the two cars in your links the GTS has less than half the mileage, so the premium paid for the GTS in that case is much more worthwhile.
Also I think the wheels on the black S look too blingy/fussy, but that is down to personal taste.

Finally most GTSs seem to have the alcantara trim pack, so if you prefer leather you might have found your ideal car already with that red one.

If you found an S with the same v low miles and similar spec for £10k less, then it might be a harder decision.

Yeah, that is a fair point actually. Those two aren't a great comparison I guess, as the GTS looks pretty well priced for its spec, whereas the S feels a little on the firm side compared to other similar examples on AT. That S does make the GTS hard to ignore.

MrVert said:

The GTS on a 981 Cayman / Boxster is a great package.

It's one of those cars that just gets just about everything so right.

I think the carbon pack massively lifts the interior if you can find one with it. Especially combined with the full leather (dash etc) it really does feel premium.


I drove a 2.7 before I bought a 3.4, the comment above is definitely true, you can use more of the power through the rev ranges with the smaller engine as you need to keep it spinning...and it's great fun. The 3.4 though definitely feels 'beefier' though and I thought suited the car perfectly.

I think moving forward the GTS will keep its' money slightly better than the S, but obviously more outlay at the start.

Whether you think the GTS package is justified by the £ 8-10k difference, only you can decide.

I thought.. and still think it is.

Good luck with your search, they are great little sports cars.

Thanks for the insight, and I agree, yours does look cracking inside. Yellow exterior too - lovely. Any things that stood out about the car - good or bad?

rs4al said:

I’ve been looking too, although will probably go down the road of a 987.2 as coming from a MX5 mk1, I prefer the less modern interior.

What I did notice, is that not having the GTS interior pack (alcantara seat centres, doors etc) has an effect on price.

This CGTS had the perfect spec to me but it’s sold https://rpmtechnik.co.uk/porsche-sales/vehicle/981...



Equivalent specced cayman S’s seem to be around £40-45k, good luck!

Another nice GTS. Guards Red does add a bit of flair without being too polarising I think. I did initially start looking at the 987, but I just really love the stance of the 981; function is following form a bit for me here!

That does bring me onto my next question though: is there any bargaining room at all on these cars? I am new to Porsche as you might've all guessed , but I am a genuinely serious buyer for the right car. However, I wouldn't want to waste a dealer's time (and mine, to be frank) by viewing, test driving and getting my heart set on a car that I know is a few grand out of reach, with no chance that they'll budge.

[MrVert]

Mine had the M030 lowered suspension which I think is a great set-up. It gives a tad more feel to the steering and makes the stance very aggressive.

Boxster obviously but this’ll give you an idea.


Even with 20’ wheels the ride was superb, never harsh and the car was superbly planted.

Big spec on my one (now sold by the way), had pretty much every box ticked and it drove superbly. Overall a great package. For me the GTS is worth the extra £‘S, it’s rarer and just that bit more special IMO.

One of the best sports cars I’ve had…and there’s been a few. Great size, perfect power and weight distribution, lovely cabin, fab noise….one of the best modern Porsche’s for the UK roads.

If you’re buying from a dealer, I would speak to Ashgoods, thoroughly recommended and they do have quite a few Caymans come into stock. Their pricing is more realistic than some of the others also. Great guys.

[AJB88]

I had a 2015 Cayman S, I was lucky that the person who had traded it in for a 911 had spent money on the spec.

I got GTS body kit, Sports steering wheel with PDK paddles, BOSE, red belts, Sport Crono, PSE, Carmine red paint.. the list was endless, Only thing I added was cruise control. Was an amazing car.

I fitted after, COBB engine stage 2 tune and COBB PDK tune, race headers (sounded amazing with the PSE open), Circa 360-365bhp.

Drove from MK to Maranello via Germany and was faultless, even in the snow.

[Lexington59]

At that budget level you may also be able to upgrade into a 718 if you're willing to be flexible on spec. A much faster car, which you will feel due to the excellent torque, EPAS fixed and generally far more up to date.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107235...

I would certainly avoid the 981 2.7, it is indeed a little underpowered as you point out.

[MrVert]

I think he wants a proper engine

[david-j8694]

Lexington59 said:

At that budget level you may also be able to upgrade into a 718 if you're willing to be flexible on spec. A much faster car, which you will feel due to the excellent torque, EPAS fixed and generally far more up to date.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107235...

I would certainly avoid the 981 2.7, it is indeed a little underpowered as you point out.

Man the 718 is such a thorn in my side lol. The 2.5S is properly fast and being the newer car it is the one I should probably go for. I have yoyo'd back and forth (even posted a thread about the 2.5S and 4.0 GTS allocation), but the thing tipping my decision in favour of the older car is I'd like to experience the NA flat 6. I've just come from a big turbo petrol with loads of torque, so I kind of feel it'll just be more of the same. But faster obviously. Whereas the 981S presents a new experience. Different noise, different throttle response, more revvy engine, etc.

I cannot deny, though, that paying the same price for a 6 year old previous gen car does linger in the back of my mind. Especially when seemingly everything is objectively better in the 718. I guess that's it. This isn't an objective purchase.

[david-j8694]

MrVert said:

Mine had the M030 lowered suspension which I think is a great set-up. It gives a tad more feel to the steering and makes the stance very aggressive.

Boxster obviously but this’ll give you an idea.


Even with 20’ wheels the ride was superb, never harsh and the car was superbly planted.

Big spec on my one (now sold by the way), had pretty much every box ticked and it drove superbly. Overall a great package. For me the GTS is worth the extra £‘S, it’s rarer and just that bit more special IMO.

One of the best sports cars I’ve had…and there’s been a few. Great size, perfect power and weight distribution, lovely cabin, fab noise….one of the best modern Porsche’s for the UK roads.

If you’re buying from a dealer, I would speak to Ashgoods, thoroughly recommended and they do have quite a few Caymans come into stock. Their pricing is more realistic than some of the others also. Great guys.

That's all good stuff, thanks for taking the time. The Boxster looks excellent. Those are the 911 Turbo wheels, right? They seem quite a common option on the 981.

Cheers for the tip, I'll give them a shout. They have a Miami blue 2.5S at the moment (for 42k.. Can't believe how well the 981 variant is holding its money!).

[MrVert]

Miami one's sold

[robj4]

Just left my GTS with PCBolton.

Racing Yellow
GTS interior (alcantara of course, but I shampoo it regularly and it's all fluffy like new)
PDK
Twin zone aircon
Bose
PTV
PCCB
Cruise
PASM
Illuminated carbon sill
Nav
Speed limit indicator
mobile phone prep

probably some other stuff I forgot.

Missing DAB which annoyed me and I far prefer X73 suspension to PASM. Though it does mean scraping the front splitter a bit.

12690 miles

looks like new inside and out

No benefit to me now Bolton have the car.

[neil jdmr]

I think the S you listed is a nice car and around the going rate given the spec. If you can wait into the darker months chances are you may get a couple of grand off.

I was in the same boat with spec and tbh finding an S with all the GTS options isn't an easy task. Yes you can just buy a GTS but 95% have the alcantara which i also didn't want.

The only other must have for me was ptv as i do plan on a few trackdays but aftermarket ones are available for a similar option price.

The 2 way seats are a bit naff for a car of this premium so the 14way are a good choice, obvs the buckets but i found they were hard to come by.

Having drove both in my search for the right car i personally couldn't feel the 15bhp. The only reason i could see to choose the GTS over the S was the prestige and possibly resale which will be important if your only planning on keeping it a couple of years.

I personally didn't like the "symposium" tube i think its called. It pipes engine bay volume into the cabin for a race sound. It wasn't for me and i don't mind loud cars, i came from a 94 fd rx7 and they don't come much louder on a cold idle. It didn't make it louder just " raspy" and on a personal level the pse on the S sounds a perfect balance.

Most important go and test drive a few, we all have our opinions so you need to get what's right for you.

[david-j8694]

robj4 said:

Just left my GTS with PCBolton.

Cheers for the heads up. Sounds like you just said "yes" at the options table on that one Sounds epic. There is already a yellow GTS floating around, but it's at Stockport. I'd need to do some research into the PCCB... Would I be landed with 4 figures per corner when they needed replacing? Should've mentioned it above, but I won't be tracking mine.

AJB88 said:

I had a 2015 Cayman S, I was lucky that the person who had traded it in for a 911 had spent money on the spec.

I got GTS body kit, Sports steering wheel with PDK paddles, BOSE, red belts, Sport Crono, PSE, Carmine red paint.. the list was endless, Only thing I added was cruise control. Was an amazing car.

I fitted after, COBB engine stage 2 tune and COBB PDK tune, race headers (sounded amazing with the PSE open), Circa 360-365bhp.

Drove from MK to Maranello via Germany and was faultless, even in the snow.

Wow that sounds savage. I have watched lots of YouTube videos on the 981 + PSE and the noise does sound great. Carmine Red is my favourite Porsche colour too. If I were speccing from the factory it'd be in that.

neil jdmr said:

I think the S you listed is a nice car and around the going rate given the spec. If you can wait into the darker months chances are you may get a couple of grand off.

I was in the same boat with spec and tbh finding an S with all the GTS options isn't an easy task. Yes you can just buy a GTS but 95% have the alcantara which i also didn't want.

The only other must have for me was ptv as i do plan on a few trackdays but aftermarket ones are available for a similar option price.

The 2 way seats are a bit naff for a car of this premium so the 14way are a good choice, obvs the buckets but i found they were hard to come by.

Having drove both in my search for the right car i personally couldn't feel the 15bhp. The only reason i could see to choose the GTS over the S was the prestige and possibly resale which will be important if your only planning on keeping it a couple of years.

I personally didn't like the "symposium" tube i think its called. It pipes engine bay volume into the cabin for a race sound. It wasn't for me and i don't mind loud cars, i came from a 94 fd rx7 and they don't come much louder on a cold idle. It didn't make it louder just " raspy" and on a personal level the pse on the S sounds a perfect balance.

Most important go and test drive a few, we all have our opinions so you need to get what's right for you.

I didn't know of the "symposium" feature actually - is that a feature of teh 981 itself or some sort of option? Not a huge lover of the idea of piped sound into a car. At least it's less necky than piping a V8 sound into diesel cabin though!

I'd agree on the S tbh. There are S models selling for more and less than that on AT with varying spec. I think it's that GTS that is making it look a bit pricey. Also happy to wait a month or two if it means more for my money. I literally dropped my car off on Tuesday thinking I'll go without one for a few months and see how I feel.... That plan has gone well clearly

Edited by david-j8694 on Friday 26th November 07:12

[n12maser]

There is no fake pipes sound into the cabin on the GTS, just to be clear. It is a small pipe that goes from the engine bay to behind the seats, letting more (real) engine sound into the cabin.

I believe it only opens in Sports and Sports Plus mode, but is shut in Normal mode, where it will sound pretty much the same as an S I imagine. It's pretty subtle.

I'm selling my 981 GTS prob just after Xmas with a well-known indy if you're still in the market then - look out for it: Porsche warranty just renewed, GT Silver, 18 way memory seats, steels, PTV, pdk, sports chrono plus, x73 suspension from factory (i.e. same as 981 Spyder) etc

[neil jdmr]

That's the one, i didn't mention anything about "fake" sound, just that there is a pipe from engine bay to the cabin. I wasnt keen on it but many are which is why i suggested to the OP to go try for himself.

And yes it's specific only to the GTS.

[robj4]

david-j8694 said:

robj4 said:

Just left my GTS with PCBolton.

Cheers for the heads up. Sounds like you just said "yes" at the options table on that one Sounds epic. There is already a yellow GTS floating around, but it's at Stockport. I'd need to do some research into the PCCB... Would I be landed with 4 figures per corner when they needed replacing? Should've mentioned it above, but I won't be tracking mine.

I bought the car last February from 911 Sport, the GTS I ordered new in 2015 had more options! I like PCCB for no brake dust on the wheels, not through common sense. Always a risk one will get damaged and cost a fortune. The car had never been used in the wet when I got it, the underside was like new, amazing really. It's still almost the same.