Porsche Cayman R

// £32,000–£45,000 Steering, solid investment It’s not a Cayman GT4

Ah, the 987 Cayman R. Fifty-one grand when new in 2011/12, and still happily holding mid-forties for good examples, with plenty of reasons why. For a start, it gained 10bhp and lost 54kg over a standard, contemporary Cayman S (totals of 325bhp and 273lb ft then, for R), but you also got aluminium doors, extra aero, lightweight wheels, diferent exhaust manifold, sports seats and limited-slip dif included in the R package. Obviously you also got a 3.4-litre fat-six, and that means that it’s also now desirable because it most defnitely isn’t a modern 4cyl 718 that sounds like an Impreza. Which is a good point to make. Objectively and on emotionless papery charts, the 718 is a better, more efcient, faster car in most situations. So why would you spend nearly as much as a new 718 S (£51,853 2018 new, base) for a seven- or eightyear-old car? Frankly because the 987 R just feels special. Special in a way that only translates on a bumpy, twisty road. Because there aren’t many cars that have the steering and chassis communication coupled with the usable, shiny performance. It makes you feel heroic in the frst 10 minutes and never stops. Yes, it’s got anti-roll bars and stifer suspension than the standard Cayman of the day, but actually it manages to just feel more expensive than simply more track-focused – you won’t break your spine into Jenga pieces. And on the right road, in the right conditions, you can scythe corners like you wouldn’t believe. And you don’t even have to be a pro to enjoy it, on road or track. If there were a measure of satisfaction that everyone agreed to, this would score highly. Better than a similarly priced 911? Yep.

What we found... Manual with a sports shift kit. £46k. We wanted the Peridot green (or is it yellow?), but couldn’t find one minus PDK.