In the last 12 months the Porsche 987 Cayman sold for a median $30,250 (62 U.S.-dollar auction sales) and the Porsche 981 Cayman for $63,000 (30 sales), so the 981 Cayman costs $32,750 (108%) more. As of Nov 2, 2026, the 12-month trend is -14%/yr for the 987 Cayman and — for the 981 Cayman. Below: ranges, trend, manual share, mileage and a like-for-like trim comparison, all from real sold auctions.
987 Cayman vs 981 Cayman side by side
| 987 Cayman | 981 Cayman | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years | 2006–2012 | 2014–2016 |
| Median sold price | $30,250 | $63,000 |
| Middle 50% range | $23,200–$35,600 | $49,800–$80,500 |
| Low – high | $11,500 – $117,000 | $32,000 – $142,000 |
| USD sales (12 months) | 62 | 30 |
| 12-month trend (mix-adjusted) | -14%/yr | — |
| Last 3 months vs prior 3 | too few sales | too few sales |
| Market signal | No signal | No signal |
| Manual share (known gearbox) | 85% of 55 | 77% of 22 |
| Manual / automatic median | $30,500 / $21,653 | $55,001 / $64,574 |
| Median mileage (where stated) | 75,000 mi of 27 | 17,000 mi of 17 |
| Median model year sold | 2008 | 2016 |
U.S.-dollar sold auctions in the last 12 months. Manual / automatic medians need 5+ sales of each; mileage is taken from the listing where stated. Not an appraisal.
987 Cayman vs 981 Cayman price chart
Quarterly median USD sold price at online auctions (quarters with 3+ sales; bigger dot = more sales). The latest quarter is to date. Hover a dot for the figures.
Like for like: 987 Cayman vs 981 Cayman by trim
| Trim | 987 Cayman | 981 Cayman | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman S | $30,375 34 sales | $54,500 8 sales | +79% |
| Cayman (base) | $24,375 18 sales | $49,050 8 sales | +101% |
Trims read from listing titles, with at least 5 sales on each side. Difference = 981 Cayman median against the 987 Cayman median.
Which should you buy?
- Price. At the median, the Porsche 981 Cayman costs $32,750 (108%) more than the Porsche 987 Cayman.
- Little overlap. The cheapest quarter of 981 Cayman sales ends at $49,800, above the top of the 987 Cayman's middle half ($35,600): a typical 981 Cayman costs more than three in four 987 Caymans.
- Want a manual? 47 of 55 987 Cayman sales with a known gearbox were manual (85%), against 17 of 22 for the 981 Cayman (77%).
- Mileage. The median 987 Cayman sold with 75,000 miles and the median 981 Cayman with 17,000 (sales with a stated mileage).
- Trim matters. Like for like, the gap is widest for the Cayman (base) (+101%) and narrowest for the Cayman S (+79%).
- Choice. The 987 Cayman had more sales in our sample (62 against 30), so there are more comparables to price a car against.
In short: on budget alone the Porsche 987 Cayman is the cheaper way in, and the Porsche 981 Cayman costs about 108% more at the median. The numbers can't tell you which car you'll enjoy more; a pre-purchase inspection and the individual car's history matter more than either median.
What to check before buying
Porsche Cayman: Early 987.1 Caymans can have IMS and bore-scoring concerns; the 987.2 (2009+) DFI engines dropped the IMS. The GT4 and Cayman R sit well above S and base cars. Look for documented services and a clean pre-purchase inspection.
Full price guides
More Porsche comparisons
- Porsche 996 vs 997
- Porsche 997 vs 991
- Porsche 991 vs 992
- Porsche 993 vs 996
- Porsche 964 vs 993
- Porsche 996.1 vs 996.2
- Porsche 997.1 vs 997.2
- Porsche 991.1 vs 991.2
- Porsche 986 Boxster vs 987 Boxster
- Porsche 987 Boxster vs 981 Boxster
- Porsche Cayman vs Boxster
- Porsche 718 Cayman vs 981 Cayman
- Porsche 718 Boxster vs 981 Boxster
- Porsche Macan vs Cayenne
- All comparisons
Method
Every figure on this page is computed from our sample of completed, sold public auctions after removing parts, replicas, restomods and other non-car lots. Medians use U.S.-dollar sales only; we don't convert currencies. The window is the last 12 months unless a row says otherwise. Sub-generations are assigned by model year (see the methodology). Trend and signal use online-auction sales only, adjusted for trim and model year. It is a sample, not every sale, and not an appraisal. Sold-price data from Old Cars Data auction records. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Porsche 981 Cayman more expensive than the 987 Cayman?
Yes, in our sample: the 981 Cayman median was $63,000 against $30,250 for the 987 Cayman, a 108% difference, from 30 and 62 U.S.-dollar auction sales in the last 12 months.
Which has more manual cars, the 987 Cayman or the 981 Cayman?
Of sales with a known gearbox in the last 12 months, 85% of 987 Caymans (47 of 55) and 77% of 981 Caymans (17 of 22) were manual.
Published Nov 2, 2026. Figures as of Nov 2, 2026, rebuilt weekly from the latest sample.