987 3.4 or 2.7

[Mikey]

Hi Guys, my search continues, I was adamant I wanted an S, but having driven a 2.7, I was suitably impressed so my question is, overall, is a 2.7 a safer and better entry point into Porsche, given this is my first, but most certainly not my last....  I won’t be taking the car on track days and so on, so it’s just for a bit of fun, is the 2.7 immune to bore score and the other 3.4 issues???  Thanks

Edited April 11, 2021 by Mikey

[Tozerman]

Hi Mikey,

I was asking the same question myself a few years ago now.  I went for the 2.7 as the engines are virtually bomb proof. You also get most of the performance (although the 3.4 is obviously faster) the sound track is almost the same, the suspension is virtually the same too.

The thought of spending £15K on a 3.4S that may end up needing an rebuild costing up to £9k or so filled me with terror.  This is mitigated by the fact that only a small percentage of 3.4 engines actually suffered form bore scoring.

 

To me it was a no brainer to go for the 2.7.

What spec are you looking for ?

 

 

 

[GlosRich]

Also consider a 2.9 Gen2 they are from £16k with higher mileage, but it's the later engine without IMS and has the 6 speed gearbox.

Edited April 12, 2021 by GlosRich

[Ben]

All good advice above.

If you did want to track and so on then I would say the S would be the better choice - for fast b road use though the 2.7 is more than enough.  Arguably it's more suited to the road than the 3.4 as you are able to open it further without risking your licence! 

 

 

[Windymiller]

I have an 3.4, which is great on track / big long open road blasts (ie Scotland / euro), but mostly pointless / unusable safely/legally on typical U.K. roads. 
 

Given your intended requirements id go for a gen 2 2.9 if you can afford it, or save a little more till you can (but most modern hot hatches will outpace you, if that kind of thing bothers you... 🤷‍♂️)

[Aaron]

2 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

Given your intended requirements id go for a gen 2 2.9 if you can afford it, or save a little more till you can (but most modern hot hatches will outpace you, if that kind of thing bothers you... 🤷‍♂️)

 

Can echo this.  My CTR is only a touch slower than my CR and that's outputting more than the factory 330 by quite a margin.  It's the turbochargers and the mid range torque...

[Daz]

3 years ago I went out to buy and S. Went to Ashgood to look at grey S  and after speaking with them on my intended use which was Sunday blast and occasional road trips, ended up buying a 2.9 In guards red they had. I believe the 2.9 lacks a bit of torque but when used as intended is fast enough for the road and allows you to ring its neck. I have had cars with a lot more power 400bhp TVR’s but always found you could only put your foot down for a few seconds and you are into getting banned territory.  A really great car that I have really enjoyed including 2000 mls euro tours full of luggage and never felt it lacking. I would recommend but I am bias. Happy hunting.

[zcacogp]

This question comes up time and time again and there is no 'right' answer. 

 

FWIW I intentionally chose the 2.7 non-S when buying my 987.1. The thought of possibly needing to spend nearly £10k on an engine rebuild on a 3.4 put me off. That's not to say that the 3.4's are unreliable as I think that the risk of failure has been hyped up much more than merited, but I preferred to play it safe. I am also aware that I am much less capable a driver than the car is, so increasing the power of the car is not necessarily the way forward. 

 

Bear in mind also that the road tax on the 3.4 is a chunk more than that on the 2.7. And if you have to buy a permit from your local council to park your car then they may hike the price for the S model. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by zcacogp

[Samp4856]

this all depends on your needs, 

 

ive had a 2.7 986, 3.4 987 boxster and now a 2.7 cayman, 

 

i have loved them all, although at 38,000 miles my 987 3.4 boxster with full porsche history decided its engine did not like being an engine any more and its bores sadly gave up, as i do a lot of track days this time around ive gone for a 2.7, in all honesty once its remaped i doubt i will miss the 3.4, truth be told i also quite like the 5 speeds ratios tbh. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Samp4856

[Craiglm68]

Sounds like the 2.7 will fit the bill just right for you, whether 5 or 6 speed. I love my S, do 2-3 track days / yr, give it a spanking once warmed up, and don't lose a nights sleep re IMS/RMS/B Score/getting struck by lightening the sky falling on my head etc. All are great cars, drive a 2.7/2.9/3.4 against each other and you'll likely feel the difference, but not feel shortchanged whichever you decide on. Test drive LOTS.