Boxster (986)
1996 – 2005

Grant Larson’s design, inspired by the 356 Cabriolet, Speedster, and 550 Spyder, stimulated a commercial turnaround for Porsche.

The Boxster was created to save Porsche from bankruptcy. With flagging sales of the 968 and 928, both were discontinued to make production space in the Stuttgart factory. The Boxster was designed to be the poor mans Porsche, to appeal to a broader market. With a base model in Australia on it’s initial release costing less than $100k.

Sharing much of its structure and engine architecture with the also new 996, 911 development costs were considerably lower. With heavy consultation from Toyota, Porsche changed the factory, and the way it produced its cars. Introducing the Kan-ban System (Just in Time) further reduced the cost of producing these cars.

The success of the Boxster not only saved the company from insolvency, it also became one of the most popular models ever released by Porsche.

Production of the 986 began at the former 928 facility in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive also manufactured Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland.  The Boxster was Porsche’s first road vehicle to be designed as a dedicated two seater, mid engine roadster, since the 550 Spyder.

The first-generation Boxster was introduced in late 1996; it was powered by a 2.5 litre flat six engine making 150Kw.

In 2000, the base model was upgraded to a 2.7 litre engine(160Kw) and the new Boxster S variant was introduced with a 3.2 litre engine (184Kw). The S version also received bigger brakes, a stronger six speed transmission and firmer suspension, making it a much more capable vehicle.

The Boxster received a minor face lift in 2002. The roof was reworked to fit a smaller glass rear window. The interior finally got a glove box, the front and rear lids were now electrically operated.  The car also received a reworked exhaust pipe and air intake. The orange indicators were replaced with clear units. The bumpers were also changed slightly for a more muscular appearance, and new wheel designs were available. Engine outputs were increased slightly to 166Kw for the 2.7, and 190Kw in the 3.2.

As these cars have aged, their pricing has dipped accordingly, it is not uncommon to be able to buy an early 986 for less than $20,000. However, there can be issues in these cars, that although they can be fixed, buyers need to be aware of them.

Intermediate Shaft Bearings – All M96/20 engines use a counter shaft driven by the crankshaft to drive the camshafts. At the rear of the engine the intermediate shaft is supported by a sealed single or twin row bearing. These bearings can and do fail. If this bearing fails, the camshaft timing will slip and valves will strike pistons, causing a very expensive engine repair. Such is the seriousness and prevelance of the matter, owners of 996 911’s and Boxster in America successfully sued Porsche Cars North America over the issue.

Cylinder Heads – The cylinder heads of these cars are very complex castings, over the years there have been failures where the cylinder head cracks and allows oil and water intermix.

Oil/Water Coolers – These cars are fitted with oil/Water heat exchangers, these can fail and allow water and oil intermix.

Boxster (987)
2004-2012

The second generation Porsche Boxster was released in 2004 at the Geneva Motor Show. Having saved the company financially with the blander looking 986 & 996 cars, Porsche allowed their designers a freer reign. The result was a much more muscular car. The main noticeable difference was the redesigned headlights, similar to those on the 911 Carrera model. Other changes included larger front and rear air intakes, as well as larger wheel arches to allow the instalment of bigger wheels. The interior was all new with no parts being carried over from the 986. The base engine was a 2.7-litre 176 kW flat-six boxer engine, with the Boxster S getting a 3.2-litre 206 kW engine. 

In 2008 the 987 Boxster received a face-lift externally and technically. The facelift was a minor one, revised head and tail lights, refreshed bumpers and a new range of wheels. The biggest changes were under the skin, the new direct injection engine architecture from the 911 was introduced as well as the option of the new clutchless manual (PDK) transmission. The standard engines capacity rose to 2.9l and power rose to 183kw. The S series capacity rose to 3.4l and power increased to 230Kw.

The 987 was the last generation of the Boxster and Cayman series with hydraulic steering.

Cayman
2006 – 2016

After much demand from the public, the Cayman went on sale in July 2006. 

The Cayman is essentially a hardtop Boxster. A car long sought after by customers wanting a more focused mid engine sports car. Given the more focused nature of the car, Porsche engineers were able to develop a firmer spring and shock absorber package for the Cayman S than the Boxster. In an unusual move, the Cayman S was released to the public before the standard model.  The Cayman shared the same mid-engine platform and many components as the second generation Boxster. At least 50% of the parts that made up the 2006 Cayman S, came from the 911, with only 30% coming from the Boxster and about 20% being unique parts to the Cayman. Engine and transmission options were the same as the Boxster range.

The Cayman S was powered by a 3.4-litre flat-six mated to a 6-speed manual transaxle, a 2.7-litre engine with a 5-speed transmission was standard for the base model. An electronically controlled 5-speed automatic (Tiptronic) was also available on the S and base models. The Tiptronic transmission for the 987.1 was a ZF unit.

A facelift for the Porsche Cayman came in February 2009. As with the Boxster, the base Cayman’s engine displacement was increased to 2.9-litre while the Cayman S gained direct injection. Both the Cayman and Cayman S maintained a 7 kW power advantage over their roadster sibling, the Boxster. A limited slip differential was now a factory option.

The Cayman R was launched in 2011 as the pinnacle of the 987 generation. Based on the 2009 Cayman S, the Cayman R was given more power and a 55 kg weight reduction thanks to lightweight wheels, 911 GT2 lightweight door cards and handles, doors and carbon seats, removal of air conditioning, storage compartments, entertainment system and rear wiper. The Cayman R was made in limited numbers and led the way to the formation of the Cayman GT4. Porsche’s iconic and desirable lightweight “R” designation originated with the legendary 911 R in 1967.