S vs. Base?
 

After the motor failure in my 996 in 2020, and having sold the 944 Turbo that I purchased at the beginning of the year, I am Porsche-less. And now I am looking into purchasing another fun car.

I am trying to tell myself to set a limit of $60,000 out the door. So, a brand new Porsche is not in the mix (unless I completely cave in to car-temptation). I really want something that will be good for autocross. I don't expect to regularly compete for FTD, but I want to at least keep it interesting. I may get back into doing some track days, but my experience so far has me hesitant about that. I cannot afford another engine failure!

Here are my current thoughts on what I can get for $60K:

A fairly low miles, 981 base Cayman or Boxster.
A not-quite-so-low miles, 987.2 Cayman S or Boxster S.
Outside of the Porsche box, I am interested in the 2022 Toyota GR86

With the Toyota, I can get a brand new car under warranty for less than $40K. That leaves me $20K for other things. I haven't seen one in the flesh yet, but I like everything that I know about it so far. But, will I be disappointed in 228 horsepower? I would probably be more inclined to track this car, given it will be under warranty for a while.

If I decide to go the Porsche route, how big of a practical difference is there between the 987S and the 981 base? Will it make that much of a difference at an autocross? Obviously, the older S has more power, but I would rather buy a five-year-old car with 20K miles than a ten-year-old car with 80K miles.

Help me spend my $$$!

The newer bases have more power than older S! We’re also looking for a newish chickster S.

I've had a 987.1 Cayman S, a 987.2 Cayman R, and currently have a 981 GT4. So far, every generation has driven and felt like the previous generation dialed up a just little more. So, you won't be disappointed with either of your two options.

Now, if you're looking for a car that can kick a$$ at autocross without modification, I'd have to recommend a 718 GTS (Cayman or Boxster) with PDK and the 4-cylinder turbo engine. Yeah, I know the 4-cylinder engine is sneered at by the purists, but they have a ton of low-end torque and do really well at AX.

A 718 GTS is definitely out of the question, but I do have thoughts of stretching the budget for a new 718 T. That might be a nice AX car. Since that move might lead to me being single, I would have a lot of time for AX!

You can sleep in your car but you cant drive your house to work....

Its funny how the gearing different between the 5 and 6 speeds used to a thing. PDK pretty much fixes that issue if you cant stand not shifting. The better brakes are nice for DE, not sure about autox. Might comes down to what cars are more fun/competitive to go against. S or not are a hoot to drive, get the better condition car and you'll be happy.

btw I'm waiting for the new Z to compare it to the gr86 and maybe even upcoming new Integra. On paper they all sound good to me.

Can you get a base 718 for $60k?

Used prices are...um...rather high right now.

My 2 cents. For autocross you want power, and probably PDK. For the street, too much power might make the car less fun than something you can wind out, and even more fun with 6MT but that could be less fun for commuting. Other than AX, what are you going to use the car for?

The GR86 is going to be a lot more practical than a Cayman because of the storage room and emergency use back seats if it's a primary car.

This will not be a primary car. I plan to keep driving the GTI as my daily. So, no need for practicality. The car will be used for AX and fun drives. Maybe a road trip here and there. Maybe some track time?

I get that the PDK has its advantages, but as long as I have two functional feet and two functional hands, I will go with three pedals and a stick. I like to be competitive at AX, but the most important thing for me is to have fun with the car. For me, that means having a clutch pedal.

According to the Porsche web site, I can get a straight up base Cayman for about $60K. The T package has the car lowered with PASM, and a limited slip diff, which are very attractive options. I have to put a limit somewhere, but if I am going for a new car, I'll stretch it to the T for just over $70K.

Getting the GR86 would allow more money for other things. For example, if I spring on a new 718, then I likely won't have much of a budget for track weekends. I could go on making a logical case for why the Toyota makes more sense. Then there is the emotional argument . . .

And to another of Peter's points, it does look like the prices I'm seeing for used cars are making the used car market much less attractive than usual. I keep seeing base 981 Caymans with 20K or more miles priced around $50K. If I can get a base 718 for just over $60K, why the heck would I pay $50K for one that is 5 or 6 years old???