View full gallery (273)

2011 Porsche Cayman R

26 Bids
8:45 PM, 04 May 2021Vehicle sold
Sold for

£29,250

Background

First launched in 1996, the Porsche Boxster redefined what was possible – and even desirable – in your bargain basement sportscar. And, while the Boxster languished a little as a result of its undeserved reputation as a bit of a hairdressers’ car - a moniker it shared with the Mazda MX-5, another sportscar that placed the emphasis more on handling than outright performance – the Cayman is up there as one of the best, if not the best, handling cars of all time.

Mid-engined and sporting only two seats, the Cayman and Boxster shared their underpinnings; a 2.5-litre, normally aspirated flat-six engine powered the first Boxster (model number 986) and the engine size and power output slowly rose over the years with the base model gaining a 2.7-litre, and the sportier ‘S’ a 3.2-litre, in 2000.

The Cayman 987 arrived in 2005 and was manufactured in Finland until 2012 after which time production switched to Germany. The entry level model had a 2.7-litre engine and a five-speed gearbox, while the ‘S’ had a 3.4-litre engine and a six-speed manual; the five-speed Tiptronic gearbox was available for both models.

The Cayman R, which we’re looking at here, is a derivative of the well-respected S but is 54kgs lighter, a little faster, and even better handling. The changes that Porsche wrought to bring it to market were extensive and included aluminium doors, a limited-slip differential, lightweight alloy wheels (said to be the lightest the firm had ever fitted to a road-going car…) and carbonfibre sports seats.

It also sits 22mm lower than the ‘S’ courtesy of firmer springs and dampers and has 40% more downforce on the rear axle and 15% on the front via an upgraded front and rear aerodynamic package. Oh, and it’s got 10bhp more than the ‘S’ bringing the tally to a nice, round 330bhp.

The differences were subtle but obvious, and it could now hit 62mph in just 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 174mph. Which is enough, isn’t it?

  • Wp0zzz98zcs791615
  • 35646
  • 3.4
  • PDK
  • Plantinum silver
  • Black and silver

Background

First launched in 1996, the Porsche Boxster redefined what was possible – and even desirable – in your bargain basement sportscar. And, while the Boxster languished a little as a result of its undeserved reputation as a bit of a hairdressers’ car - a moniker it shared with the Mazda MX-5, another sportscar that placed the emphasis more on handling than outright performance – the Cayman is up there as one of the best, if not the best, handling cars of all time.

Mid-engined and sporting only two seats, the Cayman and Boxster shared their underpinnings; a 2.5-litre, normally aspirated flat-six engine powered the first Boxster (model number 986) and the engine size and power output slowly rose over the years with the base model gaining a 2.7-litre, and the sportier ‘S’ a 3.2-litre, in 2000.

The Cayman 987 arrived in 2005 and was manufactured in Finland until 2012 after which time production switched to Germany. The entry level model had a 2.7-litre engine and a five-speed gearbox, while the ‘S’ had a 3.4-litre engine and a six-speed manual; the five-speed Tiptronic gearbox was available for both models.

The Cayman R, which we’re looking at here, is a derivative of the well-respected S but is 54kgs lighter, a little faster, and even better handling. The changes that Porsche wrought to bring it to market were extensive and included aluminium doors, a limited-slip differential, lightweight alloy wheels (said to be the lightest the firm had ever fitted to a road-going car…) and carbonfibre sports seats.

It also sits 22mm lower than the ‘S’ courtesy of firmer springs and dampers and has 40% more downforce on the rear axle and 15% on the front via an upgraded front and rear aerodynamic package. Oh, and it’s got 10bhp more than the ‘S’ bringing the tally to a nice, round 330bhp.

The differences were subtle but obvious, and it could now hit 62mph in just 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 174mph. Which is enough, isn’t it?

Video

Overview

First registered on the 1st of January 2012 and bought by the vendor in 2017 from a good friend of hers while she was living in Bahrain, this left-hand-drive Cayman R is one of the most beautiful - and best handling - modern cars we’ve seen this year. It has tinted windows, which is probably very necessary in the Middle East!

Perfectly specified, it’s come here to the UK via the middle east, so winter road salt and the other nasties we have to contend with simply aren’t going to have been a problem. In fact, she assures us that it has never seen rain, only ever coming out in the dry and being carefully stored under a genuine Porsche cover in the garage when it wasn’t being used.

Offering 90% of the GT4’s driver appeal but with a price tag that’s probably only going to be in the region of a third as much, this wonderfully presented Cayman R is the thinking driver’s modern Porsche of choice.

Exterior

The Porsche Platinum Silver (colour code LM7T) looks utterly sensational; the Cayman is a fabulous shape anyway but this hue sets the lines off to perfection.

As you can see in slide #3, our tame photographer had a ball shooting it, and who can blame him? With ultra-tight shutlines and perfect alignment, it tells only a good tale.

The subtle black decals along the sides work well too, as do the twin-tailpipes, discreet rear spoiler, and lightweight, 19-inch alloy wheels, which give a welcome glimpse of the cross-drilled brake discs and bright red, Porsche-emblazoned calipers. Of course, they are also shod with matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Finally, just take a look at that profile and those rear haunches, both of which are displaying beautifully maintained paintwork. The light lenses are also unsullied, as are the badges and the glazing.

There might be the odd stonechip but other than that we can’t find anything to fault here bar some minor scuffs to the underside of the boot lid (#134 and #135).

Interior

The interior is every bit as good as the coachwork still being fresh and vibrant and almost untouched. Sure, there is some very (and we do mean ‘very’) light creasing to the seats and a mark on the outside of the driver’s seat (#97) but that’s entirely consistent with the car’s mileage and age and wouldn’t concern us at all.

Other than that, we defy you to find anything to take umbrage over. Door cards, carpets, headlining and trim, it’s all nigh-on perfect and in need of nothing.

Being the Cayman R, it is awash with neat little touches too like the red door pulls, the alloy fuel filler cap, alloy flappy paddles for the PDK gearbox, and red seatbelts plus that amazing Porsche Sport Chronometer which comes with the Sport Chrono Plus package and gives the driver access to the mind-bogglingly effective Launch Control.

The frunk is well-organised and in great shape too, as is the rear boot and luggage net.

Oh, and as you’d expect, everything works as it should.

Faults? Nothing we are aware of other than the warning light you can see in slide #64. This might be nothing more than a result of the car sitting in the garage without its battery trickle charger connected for a couple of months.

Mechanical

The stamps in the service history book show the following work as having been carried out:

• 06.05.2014 and 19,557kms – service by Behbehani Brothers of the Kingdom of Bahrain

• 18.09.2014 and 25,737kms – new brake discs and pads by Behbehani Brothers of the Kingdom of Bahrain

• 23.05.2015 and 34,332kms – service by Behbehani Brothers of the Kingdom of Bahrain

• 18.05.2016 and 46,609kms – service by Behbehani Brothers of the Kingdom of Bahrain

As you can see, it starts perfectly, ticks over beautifully and revs very well indeed. We’ve taken it for a quick test drive too, and enjoyed every minute of it with the driver reporting that “it drives very, very well and sounds awesome. Can’t really fault it really.”

Oh, and the vendor drove it to us, reporting that she enjoyed every minute of the two-and-a-half-hour journey, also commenting that she used it as her daily driver in Bahrain and never once felt that this track-focussed car was too hardcore for commuting in.

The engine bay is as you’d expect being clean and tidy. The underside is straight and solid too, but there are some scuffs to the front undertray (218).

Faults? Well, aside from the battery warning light it is due a service, so potential bidders should factor that into their thinking.

History

The Cayman’s MoT certificate, which is valid until December 2021, was gained without a single advisory point bar low rear tyres.

It has a couple of expired MoT certificates plus some old invoices to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. Of course, it also has a current UK V5 registration document and two sets of keys.

The car also comes with a Porsche Aerokit indoor fitted car cover (not shown in the gallery).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Summary

Very far from the poor person’s GT4, the Cayman R is probably a better bet for anyone whose natural habitat is the road rather than the track. Slightly softer and more forgiving, any performance deficit could be overcome with skilful driving.

And because the GT4 was largely bought by those looking for an investment rather than something they can actually use, the market is currently flooded with low-mileage, barely used examples that come with a ridiculous price tag.

Unlike this lightly used example, which is only for sale because the vendor struggles to get her toddler’s child seat into it. We think will sell for somewhere between £24,000 and £30,000, which is an absurdly small sum when you factor in the performance and driving pleasure it’s going to give you.

It’s also one of those cars that you can’t help but look back at as you walk away - and that, surely, is priceless.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

About this auction

Seller

Private: elisabeth joselyn

Viewings Welcome

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and is strictly by appointment. To book one in the diary, please get in contact.

preview-45460455-F887-48BD-8948-49B44F0E5F0C.jpg?optimizer=image&width=650&quality=90&format=jpg image

Thinking of selling your Porsche