The 987.1 Porsche Cayman Drives Like a 993 — For 1/5 the Price

In this episode of ElevenAfterNine, Derek sits down with Jeff Lehman, author of

"A Porsche Enthusiast's Guide to the 987.1 2.7 Boxster and Cayman" and the

guy people actually trust on first-generation base Boxsters and Caymans.

Jeff recently drove a 993, his own 987.1 Cayman, and a 997.1 back-to-back —

and his takeaway flips conventional wisdom on its head. We get into why the

base 2.7 motor is more fun than people give it credit for, why the IMS and

bore scoring panic on 2007-2008 cars is overblown, and why the .1 cars

might be the last honest value play left in the Porsche lineup.

If you've ever talked yourself out of a Boxster or Cayman because it wasn't

an S — this one's for you.

📖 Grab Jeff's book on Amazon (proceeds go to car-related charities):

A Porsche Enthusiast's Guide to the 987.1 2.7 Boxster and Cayman

GIVEAWAY: Drop a comment and STAR rating for the podcast and we'll pick one listener to receive

a signed copy of Jeff's book, courtesy of Jeff himself.

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Hook & Intro: Meet Jeff Lehman, the 987.1 savant

02:25 — Why focus on just one generation? The case for the 2.7

04:36 — Jeff's first Porsche: the 1976 912E

06:03 — Porsche history nugget: the original 356 was mid-engine

08:04 — Confessions of a reformed "S" guy

10:29 — Why base cars sound better (engine, induction, exhaust)

13:30 — IMS bearing & bore scoring on 2007-2008 cars: the real data

16:36 — The Blackstone Labs 3% figure & forum misinformation

18:36 — DIY-friendly? What you can (and shouldn't) tackle yourself

24:17 — Why these cars are still actually affordable

26:00 — 981 vs 987.1: hydraulic vs electric steering

28:30 — The big test: 993 vs 987.1 Cayman vs 997.1 back-to-back

32:06 — Power-to-weight: why the Cayman feels closer to the 993

35:00 — Do you really need more than 325hp?

39:50 — Why the .1 beats the .2: aesthetics, scarcity, and DFI concerns

43:01 — The perfect second Porsche

45:09 — Buying advice: spec, options, and the rear wiper

47:30 — PPI red flags and the importance of receipts

50:00 — Importing a Cayman from Canada (and the TPMS gotcha)

52:43 — Carrera GT design DNA in the 987.1 headlights

53:38 — Mods worth doing (and the Carniwal exhaust trick)

57:04 — Final verdict & the signed book giveaway

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🎙️ ABOUT ELEVENAFTERNINE

ElevenAfterNine is a Porsche podcast for people who actually drive their

cars.

Website: www.ElevenAfterNine.com

YouTube: @ElevenAfterNine

Instagram: @TheElevenAfterNine

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere podcasts live.

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