Believe it or not, next year marks 20 years since the introduction of the Porsche Cayman. Perfect time, it might be argued, for the electric 718 to arrive, celebrating the big anniversary with a big debut and a commitment to a compact Porsche sports car for the future. Certainly there are some reasons to be hopeful that Porsche could make a battery-powered two-seater feel great.
For a lot of us, however, the impending double-decade birthday might be all the incentive required to take the plunge on one of Porsche’s 21st-century heroes. We all know by now why an early Cayman might appeal: a naturally aspirated flat-six, hydraulic steering, a fabulous chassis and compact, exploitable dimensions are just the start. This is to say nothing of the alluring used asking prices and a design that’s ageing perhaps better than some expected. What was the new sports car to beat became (and continues to be) a very appealing secondhand option all these years.
But we also all know why an old Cayman of this era might not appeal. The stories of bore scoring and IMS are well documented by now and, if only afflicting a few cars, are significant enough issues to put some off. If not quite the plague the naysayers will tell you it is, it was undoubtedly a problem with early 987s and 997s. Some cars you’ll get lucky with, some you won’t. This 2005 Cayman S was one of the unfortunate cars, with significant bore scoring to cylinders five and six discovered earlier this year.
So why on earth point it out as a worthwhile place for almost £20k? Because the problem has been sorted. More than sorted in fact: this Cayman was subject to a full Hartech rebuild in May this year. When testing everything worked, there was a vibration traced back to the flywheel, so that was replaced with the clutch over the summer. All in, more than £15k was spent on the powertrain refresh, and the Hartech engine work was covered by a two-year warranty.
Understandably, the owner who shelled out that much planned to keep their car for a good while, having owned and enjoyed the car since early 2021. However, for whatever reason, they’re not able to keep it, meaning there’s a Cayman S for sale with basically a brand new Hartech 3.4-litre flat six, plus clutch and flywheel, for £18,995. It’s less than £4k more than was spent on it over the summer. There’s still probably no such thing as a Porsche bargain, but you have to say it looks like a lot of sports car for the cash.
It’s being offered by the dealer who sold it in 2021 and commissioned the recent Hartech work. Still less than 80,000 miles old and with good spec - PASM, short shift, Bose stereo - it’s gotta be a great project for whoever takes it on next. The 19-inch wheels have been refurbed, but the ad suggests that there are a few cosmetic blemishes inside and out. So it could be the ideal base for either perfecting your polishing skills and making a mechanically fresh minter from it, or running with the flaws and perhaps making a circuit-focused build from it, safe in the knowledge of a fresh engine. Very tempting either way. And just the thing to mark 20 years of a brilliant little Porsche in a few weeks time.
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE CAYMAN S (987)
Engine: 3,386cc, flat-six
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 299@6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 251@4,400-6,000rpm
MPG: 26.6
CO2: 254g/km
First registered: 2005
Recorded mileage: 77,000
Price new: £43,930
Yours for: £18,995
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