Buyers Guide
By Bruce Anderson
Boxster & Cayman
1997 Boxster (986)
2005 Boxster S (987)
2006 Cayman S (987)
Developed as Type 986, Porsche’s Boxster originally sold for $39,950. Its name combines the terms “boxer” (for its horizontally opposed engine) and “roadster” (for its open-top configuration). Production began in Summer 1996 for a fall introduction as a 1997 model. The engine was an all-new, water-cooled six cylinder. Although it was a horizontally opposed six, about all that it shares with the flat six found in 911s is its 118-mm cylinder spacing. Displacing 2.5 liters, it utilized four valves per cylinder. Bore was 85.5 mm while stroke was 72 mm to yield 2480 cc. The engine’s power output was 201 hp at 6000 rpm with a peak torque figure of 181 lb-ft at 4500 rpm. A five-speed manual was standard while a five-speed Tiptronic automatic was optional.
One of the Boxster’s more impressive features has to be its powered, “Z-folding” top, which has a magnesium frame and stows in seconds once the windshield clamp is released. To make space for a deep front trunk, the twin radiators were located in the front corners. Intake air for the engine enters on the left side of the car, while a similar “inlet” on the right side vents hot air and provides visual symmetry. The front suspension is a McPherson-strut setup with aluminum transverse arms, aluminum wheel carriers, and coil springs wrapped around twin-tube shocks. The rear suspension is a similar McPherson-strut setup. The same die-cast wheel carriers are used for the rear suspension, but are switched side to side. The four-wheel-disc brakes use four-piston aluminum calipers with anti-lock control. 16-inch wheels were standard equipment, though few cars were equipped with them. Most cars were sold with the optional 17-inch wheels and tires. As the wheel diameter went up, tire widths increased.
In late 1997, Porsche farmed out 986 production to Valmet in Finland. Finnish Boxsters can be easily differentiated from the German-built cars via the vehicle identification number (VIN). The eleventh digit will have an “S” for Stuttgart, Germany or a “U” for Uusikaupunki, Finland.
There were a few changes for 1998. One was the addition of optional 18-inch wheels. The rear chassis received reinforcements at the wheel wells, the lower engine compartment, the rear wall crossmember, and the rear axle mounts to allow their use. Side airbags were new for 1998 and were standard. A new satellite navigation system was made available, as well. For 1999, there were few changes. Litronic headlights were offered as an option and an improved storage bin took its place between the engine-compartment cover and convertible top.
The 2000 Boxster had several important changes, but the big news was a larger, more powerful 2.7-liter engine. Power increased from 201 to 217 SAE hp at 6400 rpm. Torque rose to 192 lb-ft at 4750 rpm. Redline was also increased from the 2.5-liter engine’s limit of 6700 rpm to 7200 rpm. That same year, the long-awaited 3.2-liter Boxster S was introduced with 250 hp at 6250 rpm and 225 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. Redline was set at 7200 rpm. The S’s extra power wasn’t from displacement alone. Intake valve sizes were increased and a twin resonance induction system (also used by the 2.7) was adopted.
All 2000 Boxsters were equipped with the Bosch Motronic ME7.2 system, which added E-Gas, a drive-by-wire throttle system. Porsche added warm-up catalytic converters, bringing the number of catalysts in the Boxster to four. Gearing was changed to provide better performance with the higher torque of the 2.7-liter engine, while the Tiptronic allowed temporary manual control while in the automatic mode. The S used either a six-speed manual based on the 996’s gearbox or an optional five-speed Tiptronic transmission based on the 996 unit.
Changes were made to the suspension system for 2000, with new, stronger rear wheel carrier assemblies and longer rear control arms to reduce bump steer and improve stability. The 2.7 came with 16-inch wheels; 17s or 18s were optional. The S came with 17-inch wheels; 18s were optional. The S had larger brakes, too, easily spotted thanks to their red calipers and cross-drilled rotors. The S had twin tailpipes and a central opening in the front bumper while its radiator inlets, windshield trim, and trunk badging were finished in a titanium-like paint. The S also got a new, three-spoke steering wheel and a new shift-knob design. All 2000 986s featured flat black “soft-touch” interior trim, as well as lighted vanity mirrors and manual seat-height adjustment for the passenger seat. The leading edge of the driver’s side engine-air intake also gained a small lip.
Little was changed for 2001. All 986s were equipped with three-spoke steering wheels and S-like shifters. Ambient lighting was made standard, and Porsche saw fit to change the front and rear trunk releases from manual pull handles to electronic switches while adding remote access for both trunks to the key. The Boxster received the cloth headliner the S got for 2000. PSM electronic stability management became optional for 2001. Designed to keep the car from spinning out of control, PSM can counter oversteer in a corner by braking the outside front wheel or counter understeer by braking the inside rear.
The Boxster remained much the same for 2002, its first extensive re-do being slated for the 2003 model year. Engine displacement remained the same for both the base car and the S, but power went up for 2003. Don’t get too excited, though: It was just eight horsepower, giving the base car 225 hp and the S 258. The 2003-on VarioCam system provided better flexibility, while a new exhaust had more growl at lower rpm. Outside, new bumper covers reduced lift and freshened the styling with body color strakes for the front and side intakes. The best news for 2003 was probably the completely redesigned convertible top, which finally got a glass rear window. Inside, both Boxsters got the glovebox that “wasn’t in the budget” previously.
In 2004, the final year of the 986, Porsche released the Boxster S 550 Spyder, a special edition celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the original 550 Spyder race cars. Finished in GT Silver over Cocoa leather with a brown top (or near-black Natural Gray leather with a black top for the less adventurous), the S 550 featured a modest horsepower increase to 264, U.S. M030 sport suspension, wheel spacers, a short-shifter for manual cars, 18-inch wheels with Seal Gray centers, and many trim changes. Just 1,953 examples were made.
In 2005, Porsche replaced the smash-hit 986 with the 987. The body was completely redesigned. Gone were the sculpted doors seen on both the Boxster Concept and 986. The new design had more defined lines, a better integrated pop-up rear spoiler, double-arm door mirrors, and revised shutlines. The headlight design was simplified and the fog lights and turn signals were moved down, into larger radiator openings in the front bumper. Bi-Xenon headlights were available as an option. The interior was radically redesigned, with far better materials, more headroom, more legroom, and a height-adjustable steering wheel. The window switches moved from the center tunnel behind the shifter to the door panels; the memory switches for the driver’s seat also moved to the door panel. Displacement remained 2.7 and 3.2 liters, but power moved up to 240 and 280 hp, respectively. 17-inch wheels were standard on 2.7-liter cars; 18s were optional on 2.7s and standard on 3.2-liter Ss. New 19-inch wheels were an option on either. While brakes were carried over from the 986, the suspension benefitted from a redesign to accommodate the 19-inch wheels and to work with newly optional PASM electronically adjustable dampers.
The Boxster and Boxster S remained much the same for 2006, but were joined by the 987 Cayman S coupe. Its 3.4-liter engine used the 96-mm bore of the 996 Carrera engine and the 78-mm stroke crankshaft from the Boxster to yield 295 hp. But for its engine and adventurously styled steel roof, the Cayman S was nearly identical to the Boxster S. Just 15 pounds lighter and possessing only 15 more horses than the $54,700 roadster it was based on, the new coupe cost $58,900. It seemed like a tough sell, and it was. Things didn’t get any easier for dealers in 2007, when Porsche gave the Boxster S the Cayman S’s 3.4-liter, 295-hp engine. Porsche also added a $49,900 standard Cayman for 2007. It used the base Boxster’s 2.7-liter engine, by now making 245 hp. Like the Boxster, the Cayman came equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, while a six-speed manual and a five-speed Tiptronic were optional.
What to Buy
From a driving perspective, you can’t go wrong with any of the modern mid-engined Porsches. Some feel that the Tiptronic transmission, which adds 88 pounds to the back of the car and dulls shifts, is a buzz kill. Others feel that the 2.5-liter 986s lack torque — though most agree they make the best noises. As for Boxster or Cayman? It really comes down to your budget and whether you prefer coupes or cabriolets.
From a mechanical perspective, there is more to consider. 986s and 987s are like other Porsches — they got better with age. Most cars have their issues and Porsches are no exception. In the case of these Porsches, which used the M96 flat six, the biggest problem has been oil leaks. Most are viewed as rear main seal (RMS) leaks when they’re actually several different leaks, including the bearing cover, rear case bolts, and the rear main seal. The bearing cover problem primarily affected 1997–99 Boxsters, which used an O-ring to seal the bearing cover; it tended to fail at a high rate. The number-one leak that continues to be an issue in 986s and 987s is the RMS leak, and it seems to affect 20–100 percent of cars depending on who you ask. The seal can be replaced and work effectively so long as the crank assembly is still centered.
M96 intermediate shafts are another problem area. The original intermediate shaft used a double-row ball bearing on the flywheel end with a single O-ring bearing cover seal. In 2002, this was changed to a single-row ball bearing with a tri-seal in an attempt to prevent leaking. Both the double- and single-row bearings had a stamped steel cage and the cages can fatigue and break, letting the ball bearings fall out and cause destruction associated with intermediate shaft failures. Porsche moved to solve the problem in mid-2006, when it phased in a new shaft design which seems to have fixed the problem. There are also several aftermarket fixes that seem to work for the problematic early intermediate shaft bearings.
There is one other problem unique to Boxsters. Some of the early crankcases had a porosity problem, resulting in oil seepage. Compounding the problem, the supplier had issues with one of two machines it used to make the crankcases. To keep the production going, it decided to save as many of the porous crankcases as possible by inserting cylinder sleeves. On the surface, this seemed like a good idea, as manufacturers have been sleeving engines forever and it is an acceptable fix. However, they apparently didn’t do the job right, as there were a number of catastrophic failures. This problem is limited to 2.5-liter Boxster engines built in late 1998 and early 1999, and the engines usually failed in the first several thousand miles. As a result, I would steer clear of low-mileage 1998 and 1999 Boxsters.
I wouldn’t steer you clear of the rest of them, though. These are great cars — and great Porsches — at bargain prices.
