The M97/21 — the last generation of the air-oil-water-cooled flat-six Porsche inherited from the 996 lineage. Before the controversial switch to direct injection in the 9A1.
When Porsche launched the Cayman S in 2005 for the 2006 model year, the press grew uncomfortable. It was stiffer than the contemporary 997 911 Carrera (torsionally — 28,000 Nm/deg vs 22,000), had near-ideal weight distribution (44/56), and cost $20,000 less. Porsche had to deliberately de-tune the suspension to avoid cannibalizing the 911.
The chassis is the Boxster's — but with a fixed roof, adding massive torsional rigidity. The result: the best-balanced sports coupé Stuttgart ever produced in series. Twenty years later, well-kept 987.1 Cayman S hold strong in the collector market — the press calls it the secret 911.
The 987.1 Cayman represents the last water-cooled Porsche before direct injection. It's a car you drive — manual, mid-engine, no aggressive electronic nannies — and that holds value. La Compañía keeps it as a use-asset + cultural object: a fragment of German automotive history that still drives better than 99% of what's sold today.
The 12 standard colors for model year 2006. Special-orders + Paint-to-Sample available at extra cost.
Side. Front. Rear. Three angles of the best-balanced sports coupé of the late-Mezger era.
Porsche unveils the Cayman S as the top-tier coupé of the Boxster line. S-only at launch — 3.4L from the 911 Carrera, detuned to 295 hp. MSRP $58,900.
Base variant with 245 hp and 5-spd manual. More attainable. The S remains the desirable trim.
Facelift. Engine switches to direct injection (MA1) — 320 hp. PDK 7-spd replaces Tiptronic. Faster but less analog — purists prefer the earlier 987.1.
Full redesign. Longer, wider, faster. The GT4 (2015) arrives with 3.8L 385 hp + 6-spd — instant cult.
Porsche moves to turbo 4-cyl. More efficient but the sound divides fans. The GT4 + GTS 4.0 (2020) preserve the flat-six.
Porsche announces ICE Cayman/Boxster production ends 2026 — successor is fully electric. The 987.1 and GT4 4.0 become future classics.