Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

The trials and tribulations of finding a Cayman 981S

Didsby

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2018
Messages
18
Hi all,

I've had a very warm welcome in the newbie section and wanted to try to knuckle done on what I 'need' in terms of spec.

I have an idea of what I'd like and wondered if people could give me their thoughts. Also when saying do / don't bother can you please explain why as quite often people say you 'need' all this and I'm wondering why?!

Budget wise £40-45k - obviously as little as possible to get the right car, although I do like the idea of buying from an OPC for the warranty as this is a big purchase for me.

Car will do 4/5k per annum mainly weekends and the odd local client visit.

Must haves
Colourwise - not keen on red or black but like all other colours.
20 inch wheels - not fussed which
full leather interior - this is a luxury but transforms the interior for me
Sports seats plus - I have sat in both and find them much comfier
PDK - live near Manchester and often encounter stop start traffic
Heated seats
Front & rear parking sensors

Nice to have
Sports exhaust - or is this a must? Is it still quite fruity without?
Cruise
Rear camera
Nav


Don't think I need - tell me I'm wrong?!
Dual climate - rare anyone other than me in the car
Full mobile phone prep (mentioned in other thread) - what's the advantage?
Bose - heard not great?

Question marks
Sports Crono / sports steering wheel - which gives me the flappy paddles with the PDK which I would like? If just the sports steering wheel do I want crono and why?
PASM - what will it really do? How will it make the car feel different?

ps - sure i'll have forgot something!
 
Hi,

Good luck with the search. I think you should make PSE a must. I know you haven't bought it yet but the next buyer will probably want it lol!

I wouldn't be concerned with nav although again, as above. Most people use Google/Waze/both now. Same with phone prep - I wouldn't care about it.

Never understood the point of front sensors. Rear sensors, of course, but you can basically see the front end or you can gauge it pretty accurately surely? Do you need a rear camera, sensors are enough I would say.

Bose - agreed, nice to have but not amazing.

Keep us updated!
 
Sports exhaust is good to have as are the flappy paddles . Not sure if you get the sports plus button unless you spec the sports chrono package , sure someone will be along to confirm that.
 
Sports chrono package and sports exhaust need to go onto the MUST HAVE list. One sharpens the engine responsiveness and the other lets it growl.:D

Good luck in your search. :lol:
 
Got to say Sports Chrono and PASM are a must. Driven my car about 3 times without SC on and the PASM is just awesome when you hit a nice stretch of tarmac.

Not sure about the 981, but extended leather was a must on the 987.
 
:hand: Ah, you have not bought into the true Porsche mentality, all options are must haves :grin:

Re the dual climate you have fallen for the classic assumption that it does what it says, which it does not :roll: Its why so many are not specced with this but its the opposite, its a must have. what it actually is is "Climate control" but I guess calling it that would be confusing (not) :wack:

So without it you get manual AC. Yep in a car costing c£70k new you do NOT get climate control so have to manually constantly adjust both blower speed and temp to retain the actual temp you want. With "dual" you get full climate ie put it in auto and just set a temp and forget. Now in a small car this is even more important than in a larger car, especially when you are sat on the engine :grin: and believe it or not there are times when its very hot when you put the roof down. Now what you will find is that ever owner who does not have this tells you you don't need it. Well they are lieing to you :judge: ps once you realise what this is and how to spot it on pics from the button layout you will a) realise how many don't have it b) how many say they have climate but don't :frustrated:

Re you other things IMHO:

Must haves:

- PSE - the sounnnnnnnnnnd
- PASM - simply transforms the ride, from totally civilised to a proper sports car
- Sports seats plus - the comfort without the weight of the 18 ways
- Sports steering wheel for the flappy paddles with PDK
- Nav - despite what people say it affects resale, does the job fine and look cool in the 3rd binnacle display
- rear parking sensor
- dual climate

Nice to haves (in no particulal order):

- Full phone prep - this uploads contacts, better phone signal etc... do some research its much more than simple bluetooth
- rear & front parking sensor
- Full leather
- sports chrono (not essential as if get the flappy paddles you will have more fun driving in manual than using the auto box in any mode, sports plus is unuseable on the road, sport is OK (turns off auto stop, open PSE, better throttle map) but is not as much fun as manual. Good for resale though.
- BOSE - resale and better base. Again those who don't have it will say its a waste of time
- cruise
 
The sport design wheel is the best looking modern steering wheel produced IMO and transforms the interior compared to the standard wheel. Also has paddles so if you have PSE is essential.

Not sure how you could do without phone prep in a modern car.??

PASM is awesome in a daily driver, unbelievable compliance for a performance car.

I could live without Chrono. I could live without PSE (but it is good). I could live without heated seats, rear parking essential, Bose is worth it if a daily driver, Nav is fine but for the cost would do without.
 
Time to resurrect this thread.

The BTL we were selling hit some stumbling blocks. Fingers crossed should Exchange tomorrow!

That will be my green light to find something ASAP.

I have been scouring the net but tbh I'm none the wiser in terms of what to compromise on.

Can anyone give any pointers / links to good cars? Budget absolute max 45 although nearer 40 would help.

No longer so fussed on OPC as may pursue the fairly local hartech option.
 
Yes recognise that I am going to have to compromise especially since I want a nice example with lowish miles.

Having looked round at more cars and got to grips with things a bit more the only real must haves are for me personally.

20 wheels
Pasm
Sports steering wheel for the flappy paddles
Sports seat plus
Dual climate
Rear sensors

I'm taking the view that they are great cars and I won't miss what I never had!
 
Having a wobble

Being a weekend only car would I be better with a 987 Cayman r or boxster spider?!?!
 
Didsby said:
Having a wobble

Being a weekend only car would I be better with a 987 Cayman r or boxster spider?!?!

Both are a great choice for a weekend car. I loved my PDK Cayman R. However to feel their true character you need to get one with the original bucket seats which might not suit you as I don't think there was a heated seat option for them.
 
For your budget you'd find a rather nice 997.2 C2S with the options you're looking for excluding 20" wheels. Just a thought.
 
Didsby said:
Having a wobble

Being a weekend only car would I be better with a 987 Cayman r or boxster spider?!?!

The 987 Spyder is a lovely driver's car, though the roof really is a bit of a fiddle. Some early cars were delivered with a fault whereby the roof vibrated against the driver's side window. It was something to do with the rubber seal and/or the tension in the roof. I don't think it was a recall matter (though i could be wrong), so i'd want to at least be a pax at 70/75mph with the roof up in any car I was thinking of buying to know this has already been sorted. However for oof down driving it really is a cracker.

Of course i'm rather a 981 fan, but you really can't go wrong with any Boxster.
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,353
Messages
1,439,439
Members
48,708
Latest member
JLav211
Back
Top