In 2016, everyone is smitten with Porsche's new Cayman GT4. By taking the most expensive Cayman model, putting in a more powerful engine and taking out weight, Porsche has created the Cayman of our dreams. But wait! Hasn't Porsche already done this before? Back in 2011, Porsche released the lightweight track-oriented Cayman R. Based on the Cayman S, the R featured a more powerful engine and lighter materials to reduce weight.
If all you want is the fastest Cayman available, why waste money on the new GT4 when the R is much less expensive? Many people forget about the Cayman R because of some stiff competition that it faced back in 2011. That year, BMW released the (now legendary) 1 Series M.
Just over 6000 1Ms were built, and values quickly skyrocketed. Everyone was quick to praise one of BMW's rarest M cars, and the Cayman R was cast aside and forgotten. The Cayman R has a base price of $67,250 in 2011. By the time you went crazy with the Porsche option list, the car could easily push to over $80,000. The BMW on the other hand had a base price of just $47,010 and only had a handful of options. When the BMW was quickly sold out, prices ballooned and 1Ms were suddenly worth other $70,000 to lucky owners who made a smart investment. Fast forward to 2016, and the BMW M2 and Porsche Cayman GT4 look to resume the sports car battle where their predecessors left off.
So the question today is which of the old cars will be the best future classic? While the BMW enjoyed a quick inflation of prices, the Porsche may be the better long term car to own. Cayman Rs can be found for around $55,000 to $65,000 depending on mileage. 1 Series Ms on the other hand have fallen down to earth, but are still hovering above the original base price. Both cars are special, but the Cayman R is less likely to be outdated by time. Low volume Porsches have a knack for appreciating, and the Cayman R definitely fits this bill. Porsche removed the radio, storage compartments, air-conditioning, and door handles to lighten the Cayman by 121 pounds.
The car was further enhanced with lighter aluminum doors from the 997 911 GT3, 19 inch lightweight wheels, and fiberglass bucket seats with carbon fiber backing from the 997 911 GT2. Cosmetic changes on the exterior completed the hardcore transformation. The engine was a 3.4-liter flat six boxer unit that produced 330 hp. The car can achieve 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and with the optional 7-speed PDK dual clutch transmission and Sport Chrono package, 0-60 mph drops to 4.4 seconds. No production numbers were released for the Cayman R, but estimates predict that just over 3500 were ever produced.
That makes it rarer than the 1 Series and more track focused as well. We suggest finding a manual model. As manuals begin to die off, the car will continue to grow in rarity. However, the PDK was faster and wouldn't be a bad choice at all. Before you get ready to spend almost six figures on a new GT4, remember that the Cayman R is still out there, at almost half the cost.
