At $18,800, Could This 2008 Porsche Cayman Get You To Bite?

While the 911 may be the king of Porsche appreciation, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Cayman is probably the best-handling model in the company’s stable. Let’s see how we all handle this well-presented Cayman’s price.

The current — and, in the U.S. currently delayed — Emira is claimed by Lotus to be its last ever internal combustion engine car. Following that is supposedly the all-electric Evija, but Lotus being Lotus, no one knows what will transpire. If someone wants a Lotus but doesn’t want to have to deal with supply chain issues, vaporware cars, or having to remember to plug the car in to later enjoy it, then yesterday’s 2011 Lotus Evora might make for a viable alternative. At $47,991, the price tag is also way below what any new Lotus (real or imagined) might demand. That, of course, comes at the cost of going it without a factory warranty. Unfortunately, that was a bridge too far for most of you, as that price tag earned the Evora a not-so-enviable 60 percent No Dice loss.

Ok, so I know I’ve been dancing around the elephant in the room this week by comparing the cars we’ve been looking at to their perceived role models at Porsche. I realize how tantalizing that can be so let’s close the circle today by looking at a real-deal Porsche.

This 2008 Porsche Cayman is the base model and not the brawnier S, but it still wrings a solid 242 horsepower out of its 2.7-liter M97 flat-six. And, while the gearbox may be a cog down on the S as well, the Audi-sourced five-speed is just as engaging. At around 2,980 pounds, it’s lighter than yesterday’s Lotus too.

According to the ad, this Cayman sports a clean title and 128,896 miles on the odo. The seller says that it “runs great” and “gets a lot of compliments.” More importantly, however, the ad also lists a slew of maintenance and replacements that have gone into the car within the last year. Those include all the fluids and filters, brake pads and rotors, the water pump and thermostat, and plugs.

The replacement of the O2 sensors and catalytic converters is probably the most notable among the work detailed. What is the primary reason that the cats on Porsches of this era go bad? That’s a failed Air-Oil Separator or AOS. Sure enough, the ad notes that this Cayman’s AOS has also been replaced.

That does leave the trifecta of travail unaccounted for. Those are the clutch, rear main seal, and, of course, the intermediate shaft bearing. No discussion of Porsche sports cars from the early 2000s can be had without mentioning the infamous IMS, but on the M97 engines, it’s really not a problem. Still, it would be nice to know how much clutch is left on this car and a quick look underneath to check for any leaks or weeps would be advised for any potential buyer.

The car at least looks pretty good. The black paint seems to be in decent shape, albeit in need of a good polish. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the Porsche crest factory alloys either. Inside, the biscuit leather interior seems to have held up well, with just some minor wear evident on the driver’s seat bolster. Floor mats would be warranted here too. A minor issue endemic to all these cars is wear on the switchgear on the dash. Aftermarket updates are available and don’t cost all that much.

Per the ad, there’s money owed on the car. That could be some sort of lien or other use of the car as collateral. All that means is some additional paperwork, but it shouldn’t require much extra work on the part of the buyer. The price tag for the car is $18,800, and that gets the new owner not just the car, but all the leftover jugs of brake fluid and the invaluable 101 Projects book.

How does that all sound to you? Is this Cayman well positioned to earn its seller that $18,800 in cold hard cash or perhaps a certified check? Or, would that price tag have you passing on this Porsche?

You decide!

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