This week I wanted a challenge.

So I went and looked for the best 987.2 cars I could find.

The .2 Boxster and Cayman models (2009-2012) are a Porsche enthusiast favorite, but they're also genuinely hard to find. Their production coincided with the global financial crisis, which meant fewer people were buying nice-to-have German sports cars.

Someone in the forums said that Porsche made as many 987.2 cars during their four-year run as they made 987.1 cars in 2005 alone. Brutal if true.

Challenge accepted then. Let's see what rare birds we find out there.

Onwards!

—RF

Your 987.2 shopping list

987.2 cars, roofed and not, are very sought-after by Porsche enthusiasts for the extra refinements of the mid-cycle generation refresh.

Not all the listings below are the best I’ve ever featured, but they all have enough green flags to pass the Pepita filter.

These are the best 5 4 cars currently out there:

• The best deal:

  • 🔗 2011 987.2 Boxster | Manual | Brick Township, NJ | $18,900

• The one that turns heads:

  • 🔗 2009 987.2 Boxster | PDK | Houston, TX | $24,698

• The most minty:

  • 🔗 2009 987.2 Boxster | Manual | San Bruno, CA | $27,500

• The best roofed deal:

  • 🔗 2009 987.2 Cayman | Manual | Overland Park, KS | $23,998

• A close second:

  • 🔗 2009 987.2 Cayman | Manual | Palos Park, IL | $26,500

Reply to let me know if any got your attention.

Market Report

Nice, manual Cayman base models gravitate around the $30K mark. With a bit of patience you can find options in the mid-20's range if you don't mind higher miles. You may even luck into outlier .2 Boxsters under $20K, like the 2011 blue Boxster above, or this $19K car from a few weeks back.

Beware though: Nice, low-mileage, manual 987.2s under $30K don't last long. This week I had found this recent listing for a 2009 manual Boxster in San Bruno for $27,500. The car had barely 30K miles:

It was gone in the blink of an eye.

This keeps happening to me. So if you are in the market for a nice manual example and you see it for under or around $30,000, do not hesitate.

What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know

The 987.2 generation is quite bulletproof. The direct fuel injection engines eliminated IMS bearing failures and bore scoring issues present in earlier models.

Shifter cables are known to fail without warning, so budget to upgrade them to Numeric Racing cables when you get the chance.

Sagging headliners affect all Porsches from this era. Fix it once and forget about it.

Or skip straight to a 981

🔗 2014 981 Cayman | Automatic | Redford, MI | $25,995

If you'd rather have something newer, here's a 981 Cayman at 987 prices.

This one's straightforward: base model, heated seats, recent tires and upgraded Brembo brakes. Two owners, clean history and looks well-maintained.

At a similar price point as a nice 987.2, it's up to you to decide which mid-engine generation fits your needs better.

Market Report

While you often see 981s listed in the $30-35K range, with a bit of patience you can find them for much less. I'd say the mid-20s is the real benchmark for 981 Caymans with PDK transmission. These are cars with 100K+ miles, but still in great condition and often with just one or two owners, unlike older models. Check out other recent finds here and here.

What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know

981s are bulletproof: no IMS concerns, no bore scoring. Water pump typically needs replacement at 60-80K miles. PDK fluid changes every 60K miles. Check service records (at least six, according to CARFAX) for these items.

Porsche Problems

See you next week with more affordable picks!

Take care,

—RF