987.1 or 987.2? Advice Please.
Looking for some advice from current/former 987 owners as I’m seriously considering buying a Cayman as a fun/weekend car.
This would mostly be a weekend car, though I’d likely drive it occasionally during the week when the mood strikes. I’m in Ontario, so it would probably be stored for ~5 months each winter.
I’m debating between a 987.1 vs 987.2, and I’m struggling with whether the extra cost of the .2 is really worth it for my use case.
I can afford the additional cost of a .2, but I’m fairly frugal and I’m not sure I want to spend significantly more on what is ultimately a toy/weekend car. At the same time, I’d rather buy once and avoid regrets.
So far, I’ve only driven a 987.1 Cayman S Tiptronic, and honestly the transmission felt pretty slow to me. Even in “manual” mode it didn’t feel especially engaging. My preference in theory is a manual gearbox, but manuals seem harder to find (especially clean examples).
For those who have owned/driven both:
How much better is the PDK in the 987.2 compared to the Tiptronic?
Is the PDK actually engaging/fun enough, or if driver involvement matters should I just hold out for a manual?
Any regrets going PDK vs manual (or vice versa) in a weekend car?
Also curious on base vs S. Based on the S I drove, I suspect the S is more my speed, but I’d love opinions from owners who’ve had both. Is the base enough for spirited driving, or does the S feel meaningfully more special?
And finally: from a maintenance/reliability/cost of ownership standpoint, how would you compare:
987.1 vs 987.2
Base vs S
Would you actively avoid a clean/well-maintained 987.1 in favour of stretching for a .2, or is a good .1 the smarter buy?
Trying to make the right call and avoid expensive mistakes. Thanks for your input.