Advice on Cayman S

[lostinvegas]

I am thinking about trading in my current Merc CLK AMG coupe and getting a Cayman S. The Merc has not been the most reliable and I have spent a fortune keeping it in tip top condition. I don't enjoy the tip/auto box and want to go back to a manual. I also don't need 4 seats anymore. The merc is great but its not really a sports car although it is ridiculously quick.

I am looking for a 2 seater sports car that looks good and is fun to drive but is also not going to cost me a small fortune to run.

Is there anything major to look for when buying one? I had a gearbox re-build on my merc after 6 months ownership to do a Valeo radio leaking water into the gearbox oil, that was a £3k+ bill. Is there anything similar to look out for with the Porsche??

Am thinking of spending £18 - 20 grand total is that a realistic budget for a decent car.

What are servicing costs like? are these cars reliable or would I be just as well buying a TVR??

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Durzel]

20k should get you into an earlier Cayman. You won't get into a Gen 2 for that money.

If it were me knowing what I know now I would seek one with a warranty. I haven't had anything major go wrong with mine, but it has had minor work done under warranty, and the spectre of scored bores looms large in Cayman ownership. The OPC warranty in particular is great for peace of mind.

Servicing is every 2 years, not particularly cheap but I doubt it's worlds apart from what you're paying at the moment.

General reliability wise mine has never let me down and it's a daily driver. They are great point-to-point cars.

[lostinvegas]

"and the spectre of scored bores looms large in Cayman ownership"

Could you enlighten me more about this? is it something that can be checked prior to buying?

I think I am going to buy from a dealer of some sort so I can Part ex my Merc, should I check the dealers warranty covers the above problem? is there a Porsche warranty you can get?

[Paul O]

I had a Cayman for 3 years, used as a daily and hardly spent anything on it.

Running report below if you are interested;
http://motorcloud.net/category/cayman-diaries/

Mine was the 2.7 but I think the problems tend to span both cars and are typical Porsche faults such as engine failure, rms oil leak, radiator corrosion etc. these are well documented. Porsche warranty covers them all - you can buy the warranty even if u buy the car elsewhere but you have to wait a few months before you can buy it.

Recommended though, I loved mine! great cars!

Edited by Paul O on Sunday 27th May 21:33

[spyderman8]

Yes, Porsche dealerships offer a warranty and it's the most comprehensive you can get. But to buy from an OPC will add approx £5k to the sale price and tie you into the chain for all service work. Swings and roundabouts.