To all the people saying nice things about this car... Could you please shut up so that we can keep the prices low 😊

I bought a 2010 987.2 base Boxster in 2013 with 27k miles.    Added full SOUL exhaust, Softronics map, Numerics shifter w/cables, Spyder-type taillights and a few other bobbles.   Now with 139k miles on the odometer and as expected routine maintenance over the years still loving this car.    The mileage should convince you that I drive this car everyday (and have done two X-country runs, one from SOCAL to VA) plus I and save thousands $$$ on unnecessary mental health expenses.    Now at age 70, I may just spend my final moments in this car (happily)!    
PS: Trust me the SOUL exhaust with comp headers and two way valve cutbacks makes a huge difference in mid power and torque plus the sound and attitude boost are incredible).    Adding GT3 master brake cylinder and SS Goodridge brake lines soon.

I bought a 987.2 S and probably wouldn’t consider a 987.1

The .2 has the performance and reliability of the 981 with the classic looks and incredible steering of the 987

Great video!  I love my 09 987.2 Base, I took a slightly different approach when shopping for mine (I was afraid of the bore scoring on the 987.1 S and the 987.2S was out of my price range).  I first drove a 987.1 base and thought "ok, this is fun but it would be spot on with another gear and a little more juice," once I drove a 987.2 it was a done deal.  Another big difference on the 9A1 vs M97 is 8 main bearings vs. 7, it really is a tough little engine that loves to be driven hard.

the chief downside to the 987.2 is there's a lot less aftermarket support.

Had to make this decision a few months ago, and ended up buying a 987.2 base. As a daily driver it's a sweet spot of power and reliability.

daily driven my 987.2 since 2018, got it with 70k miles shes at 150k now :) amazing car.

I have a 987.2 Cayman S and after 60k+ miles I agree with the observations on the 987 platform. Some of the issues can be addressed fairy easily, but it will take a little money.

Suspension - The stock struts are lacking sufficient rebound damping. A set of decent coil overs (Bilstein PSS9 or better) set to position 2 or 3 brings proper body control for the street without any harshness. Get a proper alignment. Find a good Porsche race shop and let them do their corner balance and alignment magic. I prefer 0 front toe, -0.7 front camber, +0.16 total rear toe, -1.5 rear camber. When lowering the car with coil overs, adjustable rear toe links and adjustable rear lower control arms will be needed. I got a used set of GT3 LCA and my race shop machined a small amount off the adjustment face of the control arm to achieve the slightly shorter length needed to get the correct camber. Without adjustable rear toe links and LCA you will have more rear toe and sig more rear negative camber than the numbers above. It will be ok, but not magic. Front suspension is fine as is. Stock front and rear sway bars are fine. Add a good set of tires (Michelin PS4S) and the suspension is done. It's balanced, controlled, agile, pretty near perfection for a street car.

Shifter - Numeric Racing cables and shifter. This removes all rubber from the shifter to the transmission. There is zero shifter flex with this setup. This combination is absolutely bullet proof but does introduce a little noise into the cabin. It does give total piece of mind that there will never be a shifter failure.

Brakes - Rather than take the inevitable compromise that always comes with using aftermarket pads on the street, I find a inexpensive compromise is to just keep very fresh stock brake parts and fluid in the car. The stock brake feel and performance is ok when all the pieces are new. Once the pads have worn past about 35% the pedal starts to feel unacceptably soft. Many people have gone down the path of a GT3 master cylinder, larger diameter rotors, aftermarket pads but that gets into significant money quickly.

Motor - As others have mentioned a good tune makes a big difference on these motors. The 9A1 3.4 liter can approach 350hp just with a tune such as Softronic. With 350hp, a limited slip diff starts to come more to the forefront. A Wavetrack torque biasing diff is a fantastic addition which greatly improves the driving refinement as the PSM isn't braking the inside rear wheel at every 2nd gear corner exit.

Road noise - yup, it's a loud car. No question. I haven't been willing to tear apart the interior to install dynomat. Nor do I want to accept the added weight. I just live with the noise. The Michelin PS4S is a pretty quiet summer tire.

Great video.  I have a 987.2 base, but I added the "sport" muffler from the S model.  It has an on/off button, so I can keep peace with my neighbors around home, but open up and let it roar on back roads.  And thanks for the tip about a cheap fix for my sagging headliner.

IMS is not an issue w/ these motors....

I’ve been waiting for this comparison from someone like you!!!

.1 with coilovers, numeric shifter/cables and you’re good. You want to go next level get a Hartech engine rebuild 👌🏾😃👌🏾

Without the worries of engine issues with the 987 it would have been my first choice.  The 987 engine is a little more raw stock than a base 987.2.  With that said my base 987.2 has an FVD tune and FVD longtube catless equal length headers.  It makes considerably more power everywhere in the powerband, sounds fantastic and provides the extra rawness I prefer.  If at some point you decide to start tracking your base 987.2 you won't have the worries like you would with the 987.  The motor in a 987.2 base can be found around 5k for a reasonably low mileage replacement if the worse was to happen.

Nice review. I've test driven a 987.1 S Cayman and own a 987.2 Boxster and your review is spot on. I picked up my '11 987.2 two years ago with 22,000 miles, stock but spec'd with S wheels and exhaust tips - 6 speed manual. I'm now at 60,000 miles via daily driving and weekend playing. The car is great to drive and super solid, only issue so far being a snapped shifter cable. After losing my previous 986 Boxster base to IMS failure (with well known aftermarket "fix"), searched for a year to find a 987.2 local to me - not easy to find, especially with a manual - not getting bit again with IMS issue. I've test driven every era of Boxster/Cayman and to me, the 987.2 is the sweet spot. Still a bit analog, feels smaller, hydraulic steering, less electronics, great deal for money.

I'm curious to try the FVD or Softronic tune which bumps it to 280 HP and more torque, with better throttle response. Also on my want list is the Carnewal exhaust mod and H&R sport springs, both keeping the low budget fun in mind.

This link/story interesting, base 987.2 Boxster modified for track use. I've gawked at it many times: https://porscheforum.com.au/topic/16765-9872-boxster-track-build-the-little-29-that-could/

The unreliability of the 987.1 is a dealbreaker for me.
I got a 987.2 base manual and never looked back. Old school sports car with a stick, exciting enough for a daily.

I think the base model Cayman in either generation really epitomises Ferry Porsche’s original vision for his dream sports car. That car was originally the 356; a lightweight, simple and relatively accessible sports car. In modern times the Cayman is that car far more so than the 911.

This is one of the better comparison videos I've seen. It addresses all the things that I wanted to know with specifics. Other videos are a lot of generalities. Thank you!

All the key points are at the very beginning of the video. The entire case for the .2 base over the .1 S is pretty much the improved engine design. Whether or not that’s worth the trade off in power is up to the individual.

I've been working for Porsche for several years back in the late 80ies and early 90ies and I've owned and driven many different models throughout the years, including 500+hp Turbos, etc...
The 987.1 Cayman "S" is in my opinion the most fun to drive. Ok, it might be my very own personal, limited driving skills (best I ever made was a #6 in a Porsche Owners Cup race), but this car means just about the right amount of manageability and fun to me. I own too many cars and some of them actually scare me to a degree where I don't really enjoy driving them.
The Cayman instead is a car where I can still floor it. work it and get something back from it. It's just a lot of fun!

Have a 987.1 S, Absolutely love it. Perfect weekend car, just maintain and drive, it’s worth it