Newbie being tempted!

[matts1]

Hi all, have been taking a nose around the forum and thought I would say hello.

 

I have been toying with the idea of a Cayman 981, would think a low mile 2.7 at my price range, something around the 2014/2015.

 

One thing I am shocked by is the low number of manuals available, I have had auto/paddle shift boxes before and just don't enjoy them, I can appreciate them but for me, it is just a no. Are manuals just not popular?

 

I am going to look about the forum for a buying guide, see what horrors, if any I need to be aware of.

 

Bye for now.

[Luke]

Welcome to the forum 

 

Do give the PDK a try, it is known for being one of the best auto boxes out there, so is one of the reasons there are less manual examples out there. I was thoroughly impressed with it when I went for a test drive with one, but ultimately didn't stop me going down the manual route in the end!

 

I'm not sure there's really any specific problem areas on a 981, they're well-built cars and left a few of the problems with the previous generations behind. Just make sure that the servicing has been kept up to date, and make sure you're aware of the major service item timescales so you know what you need to replace, when and how much it will set you back.

 

Good luck with your search

Edited May 21, 2017 by Luke

[Tom]

Welcome along! Generally no horrors on the 981 cars, manual are less common though as the PDK has got better.  Worth hunting around a bit though, they're not that rare yet that you won't find the right spec car in manual. 

[matts1]

Thanks for the replies. Is over revving an issue in these? Have seen a few mentions but maybe the older models? Great tip on servicing schedules so will do some research on that. Any tips on where to look for them popping up for sale? Been doing the usual auto trader, eBay, pistonheads. 

[DJMC]

Over revving is recorded by the car so it becomes an issue because it can be detected. Unlike cars of the past where it couldn't be detected but would still have been an issue perhaps?

 

PDK cannot be over revved.

 

Porsche UK have 15 2.7 2014-5 981s of which 5 are manuals. The 981 is becoming rarer in either transmission I would guess.

 

My PDK can be driven as a manual too. It has flappy paddles and a gear lever. Just no clutch to mess things up! A much quicker gear change even if changing from 4th to 2nd say. Throttle blips on down change (if you like that kind of thing). I'd say the main parameter is whether it's going to be a daily driver like mine (go PDK) or "fun" car (consider manual) but PDK is so popular because, unlike others (my TTS "S-Tronic" for example) it reads your mind as to what gear you want to be in. Yes, it really does!

 

I tried it, in manual, back to back with a manual base courtesy car and much preferred the PDK manual mode.

 

But then I'm old.

[briggy]

I've always detested autos with a passion, but the PDK box is something else. It's really an automatically controlled manual, rather than a traditional torque converter. The other thing to consider is that gear changes are so quick that there is no weight transfer, so you can change mid corner. In manual mode, it will NOT change up until you tell it to. Try it before you make your mind up.

 

Cheers,

Bryan