Porsche 987 Cayman – Can I Take It To The Track?

I see the questions on the forums I follow- Can I take my Cayman to the track? What upgrades do I need? If I’m going to buy one, which one should I get?

These are all great questions. Because I own a both a 2006 and a 2007 Cayman S, I tend to follow the 987 forums on Rennlist and Planet-9. Before I provide my opinions, let’s look at the available models. Porsche model designations can get a little confusing. They still make a Cayman but it is a totally different car from those that I own. Mine are 987.1 models, bascially sold from 2006 until 2008. Then there was a strong “refresh” where the 987.2 model was introduced and sold from 2009 to 2012. Starting in 2013, they went with the 981. I know nothing about the 981, except to say like most things with Porsche, they were an evolution of continuing improvement. Also, for this article, feel free to subsitute Boxster for Cayman, as both models feature very similiar drivetrains and suspension. If you want a Boxster, check for the rules where you plan to run. Some tracks restrict convertables due to safety and insurance concerns.

The discussion boils down to .1 or .2 car? Base or S? We call the engine in a 987.1 Cayman a M97. It was an evolution of the M96 engine introduced way back in 1999 or so. Their first water cooled flat 6 street engine. The engine in the 987.2 is designated as a MA.1. It’s main feature is that the IMS shaft (and bearing) was deleted and the S version uses direct injection of the fuel. Both cars came in an S and a Base version.

As a very brief summary of the much discussed deficiencies of these engines- the M97 has a larger IMS bearing than the M96. This larger IMS bearing is reported to have a very low failure rate. As noted above, the MA.1 has no IMS bearing. The S versions of both engines have some potential for bore scoring. Rumor has it that the Base engines are less prone to bore scoring. This is all very anecdotal since Porsche has never officially acknowledged the problem. Failure rates are hard to determine. As with anything on the internet, bad news can get magnified out of porportion. But it is certainly the case that engine rebuilders such as LN Engineering and Slakker Racing Development are not running out of customers with bore scoring. The MA.1 S engine with direct fuel injection has a technically more complex high pressure system as required to inject the fuel directly into the cylinders. There doesn’t seem to be any notable failures associated with direct injection but there are reports that “gunk” collects behind the intake valves, as they are not washed down with fuel as with the port injected Base engines. The general consensus when these questions are asked on the forums is that the 987.2 Base engine is the most reliable and least prone to bore scoring. The Base engine in both cars have about 20% less displacement and thus less horsepower than the S model.

If you go to Bringatrailer.com and search on Porsche Cayman, like I just did, I see a lot of 987.1 cars that have been sold. To me, there are clearly much fewer 987.2 cars that have been sold. This is due to the fact that the sales figures for the 987.2 were much lower than the 987.1, probably due to the recession in the US in 2009. A 987.2 clearly demands a higher price than a 987.1.

Although certain drawbacks have been identified in both the 987.1 and .2 engines, I think the real elephant in the room is do you want to suddenly put a 20 year old car into track service? Anecdotally, after following the forums for many years, there are those that buy a used Cayman or Boxster, typically a 987.1, because they are the cheapest to purchase. They take it out to the track and kerblammo, the engine gernades. Much anger and hand wringing ensues. A while back, I went through the PCA Tech Question archives (available to members on their website. Interesting reading). These cars weren’t blowing up their engines when they were new. That problem has come up only as they have aged.

I have owned my 2006 Cayman S from new. It now has 75K miles. It is the wife’s car and does not get tracked. I recently did a video inspection of the cylinders, through the spark plug holes. There were no signs of borescoring. It has the larger IMS bearing and gets driven pretty gently. I sleep pretty well at night with regards to that car. My more recently purchased 2007 Cayman S had 90K miles and 5 owners when I bought it. I bought it because I liked the Forest Green color! After 10K miles of highway driving (including an 8000 mile trip over 4 weeks), I decided to proactively tear the engine down. See my long series of articles about that adventure starting here. There were no smoking guns but the rod and main bearings certainly had wear and the piston skirt coatings were starting to flake off. I suspect (but can’t say for sure) that if I had tracked it long enough, something expensive would have let loose. But now I have $50k invested in a $25k car! That may represent an extreme example of buying a 987.1 that you like and reworking it to your desired level of reliability and track capability.

​​​​​​​So you say, I’ll snag one of those 50K mile cars that come up on BAT. Now you have a different concern. With lower mileage, was the car properly warmed up every time it was taken out? Did the bearings get to stew over the winter in a mix of old oil with blowby products because the owner deferred oil changes because, hey, I’m not putting that many miles on it? You are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

One other important question is, can I mentally and financially afford to write off the cost of my track car? It is rare but it does happen. Insurance companies have wised up and I suspect they will disallow your claim if there is even a sniff of track usage being involved. Yes, you can get 3rd party track insurance. It is not cheap and may carry a significant deductable. Hagerty offers such insurance. $25,000 of agreed value coverage with a $2500 deductable runs around $200 for a weekend of coverage. I doubt that track insurance covers your engine going kerblammo, although Hagerty has pleasantly surprised me in the past so it might be worth asking them.

So, if you are in the market, which one should you buy? Actually, if I could afford it, I’d consider one of the newer Caymans, with mid-range mileage. Maybe a 981. They are all great cars. Since cost is a consideration for most, the best up front purchase value remains to be the 987.1 Base Cayman. If its the first Cayman you have owned, you will not miss the reduced horsepower. There are lots of cars at HPDE events that will leave any Cayman in the dust so don’t worry about winning the track event! Just enjoy yourself. With any car you are considering, walk away unless you can get a thorough pre-purchase inspection (PPI), including cylinder inspection. Through the spark plug holes in fine, as I discuss here. Documented oil analysis would be a plus. Maybe even mandatory, to help weed out engines with marginal bearings.

Can I take it to the track and what upgrades do I need? Well, yes, you can take it to the track. There is not much you can do to prep an older engine. I would suggest getting an oil analysis (see Blackstone-Labs.com) and see if you are already showing signs of bearing wear. Put very simply, bearing shells have a thin layer of the “good stuff” supported underneath by a different material, typically copper. Blackstone can identify when the good layer is going or gone by the ratio of trace metals in the oil. Their analysis will tell you in plain english when you need to consider a rebuild. If you pass that hurdle, that is a good start.

Another very simple test is to check the negative pressure at your oil filler cap using a manometer. Search on youtube for “Porsche Cayman manometer test”. Help Me DIY shows a check for the AOS health as well as ring health, which are 2 different tests. Both are simple enough.  

At this point, for a begining driver in HPDE, you are probably in pretty good shape. Corner speeds when you start out, hopefully on street tires, are low enough that oil starvation should not be a problem. Most event organizers require that you get a tech inspection on your car at a local garage, prior to the event. This should flush out any remaining issues. You will have to get your brake fluid flushed. Your stock street brake pads are fine but should have 50% of remaining pad thickness. If you haven’t already done so, change your oil to one of the “boutique” brands. I use Driven DT40. The stock Porsche oil filter is fine. Assuming your tires are not bald, you are good to go. Do not even think or worry about any other go fast mods. At this point, you just need “seat time” to develop your skills. Trust me, the car will not be holding you back. Eventually, if you insist on upgrading tires, you may go from Max Performance summer tires to what are typically referred to on Tirerack.com as Ultra High or Extreme Performance tires. In that case you may want to invest in a deep sump. Not cheap but I have confidence in the Hartech version, available in the US at Slakker Racing Development (sr.dev). At some point, I would proactively change out the air oil separator with a new OEM one from Porsche. The fancy ones being marketed IMHO are overkill. I would also invest in a good diagnostic tool. I like the Durametric. With this you can track engine health, as discussed in various articles on my website. And at some point, you are going to realize that supportive seats and a 6 point harness setup give you confidence as you go faster.

So that is about it. I was going to joke at the beginning of the article that the simple answer is Mazda Miata! That remains true but yes, driving a Cayman at the track is a better experience. Try it. You’ll like it.

PS This video from Slakker regarding used oil analysis might be of interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YJspPlDf1k