Porsche 987.1 vs 987.2: What Changed and Which to Buy

01987.1 vs 987.2 at a glance

02Engines: M96/M97 vs the 9A1

987.1. The 2005–06 Boxster used a 2.7 (240 hp, 199 lb-ft) and the Boxster S a 3.2 (280 hp, 236 lb-ft). For 2007, the base 2.7 gained VarioCam Plus (245 hp, 201 lb-ft) and the Boxster S got the Cayman S's 3.4 (295 hp, 251 lb-ft). The base Cayman arrived for 2007 with the 2.7.

987.2. For 2009, a new engine family drives the cams directly off the crankshaft, so there's no IMS bearing. Porsche-rated outputs:

• Boxster 2.9: 255 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 214 lb-ft
• Cayman 2.9: 265 hp @ 7,200 rpm, 221 lb-ft
• Boxster S 3.4 DFI: 310 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 266 lb-ft
• Cayman S 3.4 DFI: 320 hp @ 7,200 rpm, 273 lb-ft

One detail buyers miss: only the 3.4 got direct injection. Porsche's 2009 service-training manual lists the 2.9 as port-injected (MPI).

03IMS bearing risk by year

• 1997–99 (986, for context): dual-row bearing. About 1% failure rate in the Eisen class-action data.
• 2000–2005: smaller single-row bearing. About 8% in the same data, and the one to worry about. Most 2005 987 Boxsters have this bearing, and it can be replaced with the engine in the car. Some late-2005 engines got the larger bearing, so the model year alone won't tell you which one a car has.
• 2006–2008 (all 987.1 Caymans and 2006–08 Boxsters): a larger bearing with about the same load capacity as the old dual-row. LN Engineering estimates about a 1% failure rate. The catch is that it's bigger than the opening in the case, so it can't be replaced without fully disassembling the engine.
• 2009–2012 (987.2): no IMS bearing at all.

Fixes. A 2005 car with the serviceable bearing can be retrofitted with the engine in the car: a ceramic-hybrid IMS Retrofit, a roller kit, or LN's IMS Solution (a pressure-fed plain bearing). Porsche released its own kit in 2017. LN estimates 10–14 hours of labor, plus about $1,000 for a Retrofit kit or $2,000 for the Solution.

On a 2006–08 car, LN and Hagerty both recommend removing the bearing's grease seal whenever the transmission is out for a clutch, so engine oil lubricates the bearing. Pair that with 5,000-mile or 6-month oil changes. Full replacement only makes sense during a rebuild. A factory replacement engine built in 2006 or later carries the newer bearing whatever year the car is, so check the paperwork.

04Bore scoring: the bigger 987.1 risk

On a 987.1 S, bore scoring is the failure we'd worry about more than the IMS. When the piston coating and oil film break down in the M96/M97's Lokasil cylinders, the piston scuffs the bore. The result is oil consumption, a tick mistaken for a lifter, and eventually a rebuild. Flat 6 Innovations calls it the leading cause of misdiagnosed engine failures in 2006–08 Cayman S and 2007–08 Boxster S models. It says the base cars "remain unaffected."

LN Engineering agrees: the 3.4 M97.21/.22 is the exposed engine, the 2.7 rarely scores, and the 3.2 "is not very common," thanks to cast pistons with a tougher skirt coating.

The 987.2's Alusil-bore 2.9 and 3.4 can score too, but LN says at significantly lower rates. Not immune, so still borescope it.

Warning signs (from Flat 6 Innovations): one tailpipe sootier than the other, rising oil consumption, a lifter-like tick, and shiny non-magnetic aluminum in the oil filter.

05Transmissions: manual, Tiptronic, PDK

• 987.1 manual: five-speed on base cars, six-speed on S models. The six-speed was optional on base cars (on the Cayman, in a Sport Package with PASM), and those cars are rare. Many owners fit 911 GT3 shift cables.
• 987.1 Tiptronic S: five-speed torque-converter automatic. Hagerty's price guide knocks about 25% off for it.
• 987.2 manual: six-speed across the range.
• 987.2 PDK: seven-speed dual-clutch, 0.1 sec quicker to 62 mph than the manual per Porsche. Early cars shift with thumb toggles on the wheel spokes rather than paddles. Hagerty takes about 10% off for PDK.

06Styling, interior and electrics

Spot a 987.2 by its new headlights, LED taillights and LED side lights in the front intakes. Inside, the dash carries over with an updated steering wheel and switchgear. PCM 3.0 brought a 6.5-inch touchscreen, hard-drive navigation, and optional iPod/USB/Bluetooth support. Ventilated seats became an option, base cars got the S front brakes, and PSM added brake pre-fill and brake assist.

Boxster 987.1 (left) and 987.2 (right). The 987.2 is easiest to spot by its LED taillights and the LED side lights in the front intakes.

07Handling options: PASM, LSD, Sport Chrono

• PASM adaptive dampers were optional on both generations. On the 987.1 Boxster S it lowered the car 10 mm.
• Limited-slip differential: new for the 987.2 as an option with 18- or 19-inch wheels. It locks 22% under power and 27% on overrun. The 987.1 didn't offer one from the factory. It's standard on the Boxster Spyder and Cayman R.
• Sport Chrono: on the 987.1 it adds a Sport button for a sharper throttle map and later PSM intervention, plus the dash stopwatch. Sport Chrono Package Plus requires PCM. On a 987.2 with PDK, Sport Chrono Plus adds Launch Control and a race-track shift strategy.

08Special models worth knowing

• Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 (2007–08): 777 black cars, standard 295 hp, sold with a Porsche Design accessory case.
• Boxster RS 60 Spyder (2008): 1,960 cars in GT Silver with red leather and a red top, 303 hp, PASM standard.
• Cayman S Sport (Porsche lists it as 2009, on the 987.1 3.4): 700 cars in GT3 RS Orange or Green, 303 hp, Sport Chrono standard.
• Boxster Spyder (2011–12): 320 hp, 2,811 lb with the manual, 80 kg lighter than a Boxster S, 20 mm lower, manual-folding top, LSD standard.
• Cayman R (2011–12): 330 hp, 55 kg lighter than a Cayman S, 20 mm lower, LSD standard. Radio and air conditioning were deleted to save weight.
• Black Editions: Boxster S (987 cars, 320 hp) and Cayman S (500 cars, 330 hp), all black with extra standard equipment.

09What to check on each generation

Both: water pump (LN's Navarro recommends a genuine or OE-quality pump at least every four years), power-steering reservoir leaks, air-oil separator, oil and coolant leaks, aging interior trim, and the Boxster's top mechanism.

987.1: bore scoring on the 3.4, IMS status (which bearing, and whether the seal was removed or a retrofit was installed, with its serial number), rear main seal and IMS flange leaks, and Tiptronic cooling if it's an automatic.

987.2: borescope it anyway, and check PDK behavior and records on automatics.

10What a good 987 pre-purchase inspection includes

1. PIWIS or equivalent scan: stored faults, plus the DME over-rev ranges. Not every DME records them (the ME7.8 in the 987.1 may show none in a standard scan), so on those cars a blank over-rev page isn't proof of a clean history. Where the DME records them, the PCA tech-Q&A ranges for the 987 3.4 run from Range 1 (7,200–7,500 rpm, normally just the rev limiter) to Range 6 (above 9,500). Ranges 4–6 point to a missed shift and possible internal damage, and per that PCA advisor, Porsche won't certify a car with Range 4 or higher as pre-owned. Compare the last event's engine hours with current hours, and ask whether the DME was ever replaced, since a new unit starts with a clean history.
2. Borescope all six cylinders. Flat 6 Innovations warns that early scoring starts low in the bore and can hide behind the piston, so ask how the inspector does it.
3. Oil filter inspection: magnetic silver "glitter" points to the IMS, and non-magnetic aluminum points to bore scoring.
4. Crankcase vacuum test for the air-oil separator. Don't just replace it on a hunch.
5. Cam deviation and fuel trims (both are on LN's IMS pre-qualification list), cooling system, leaks, and the records.

11What 987s are worth right now

Two sources, measured differently, so treat them as a guide rather than a price tag for any one car:

• Hagerty Price Guide (Cayman only, Sept 2025): these are condition-graded values, not averages. In #3 (good) condition, figure $29,900 for a base car and $35,000–$45,000 for an S. In #2 (excellent) condition, Hagerty lists $35,400 for a base car, $42,700 for a 987.1 S, $48,800 for a 987.2 S and $90,300 for a Cayman R. So a base Cayman runs about $29,900–$35,400 from good to excellent.
• CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark (manual cars, Oct 2026): a market average across every condition it tracks, including driven, high-mile and project cars.

Because those benchmarks average in tired and project cars, clean, documented, low-mile manuals often trade above them. Use them as the floor of the conversation, not the ceiling.

Both sources agree on the pattern: a 987.2 S costs noticeably more than a 987.1 S, manuals beat automatics, and the Spyder and R are a market of their own.

12Which should you buy?

• Best first Porsche, or the lowest-risk daily: a 987.2 base Cayman or Boxster. It has no IMS, a standard six-speed, and the port-injected 2.9. LN's Charles Navarro named the base 987.2 Cayman his number-one pick.
• Most performance per dollar with a stick: a 987.2 Cayman S or Boxster S manual, ideally with the LSD.
• Tightest budget, still a manual: a 987.1 base 2.7. Low bore-scoring risk, and the 2006–08 IMS bearing is the stronger design. Plan the grease-seal job at the next clutch.
• You want a 987.1 S: only with a clean borescope, records, and a clean PIWIS scan, including the over-rev ranges wherever the DME records them. Walk away from a sooty tailpipe or a "lifter tick."
• Collector or track-day buyer: a Boxster Spyder or Cayman R, or an RS 60 or Design Edition 1 if originality matters more than speed.