1. Which Porsche Cayman holds its value best?

2. Price trends by generation

3. The GT models

4. The mileage “Sweet spot”

5. Best buys for the value-conscious

6. Conclusion

Which Porsche Cayman holds its value best?

You love the idea of owning a Porsche Cayman.
But you also want to be smart with your money.

Perhaps you’re wondering:

• Which model depreciates the least?

• Where does the depreciation curve flatten?

• Is there a mileage “sweet spot” that offers the best value?

Paying attention to these details can save you thousands of euros over the life of your car. Let’s dive into the latest Cayman market data to find out which models give you the best bang for your buck.

Price trends by generation

We’ll start with older models and work our way forward.

Porsche Cayman 987.1 (Base & S)

• Prices have remained remarkably stable despite the dip after the 2022 pandemic peak.

• Base models: down 2.4% year-on-year.

• S models: up 0.3% (not statistically significant).

Porsche Cayman 987.2 & R

• 987.2 median prices hover just under €37,000 and are down 4.9% from last year.

• Cayman R prices have fallen 7.6% since the pandemic high, but with such low supply, the change may not be statistically meaningful.

Porsche Cayman 981 (Base, S, GTS)

• Adjusting for big swings in average mileage, we see:

  • Base: down 4.4%

  • S: down 1.5%

  • GTS: up 1.2%

• The market is relatively flat compared to the steep drop after 2020.

Porsche Cayman 718 (Base, S, GTS 4-cylinder)

• Prices have declined slightly more than older generations:

  • Base: -3.4%

  • S: -2.4%

  • GTS: -4.7%

• Many of these cars are nearly new, especially from 2024–2025, and they carry higher depreciation rates of 8–10% annually.

The GT models

• 718 GT4: Long stable prices turned slightly downward last year (-4.8%).

• 981 GT4: Prices remain near their pandemic peak, an exceptional case in today’s market.

• 4.0L GTS: up 0.2% over the past year.

• 718 GT4 RS: The depreciation outlier — down 13.6% last year, about €30,500 in value.

The mileage “Sweet spot”

Depreciation doesn’t just depend on age — mileage matters too.

987.1

• Minimal mileage sensitivity:

  • 0.6–0.7% loss per 1,600 km (1,000 mi).

  • Curve flattens slightly above 160,000 km (100,000 mi).

981

• Slightly lower mileage sensitivity:

  • 0.4–0.5% per 1,600 km.

  • Best value is around 112,000 km (70,000 mi) or more — depreciation slows here.

718

• Steeper depreciation early on:

  • 1–1.1% per 1,600 km until about 48,000 km (30,000 mi).

  • Avoid ultra-low-mileage examples unless you plan to keep them that way.

GT4 & 4.0L GTS

• Avoid under 13,000 km (8,000 mi) for the 718 models — the drop-off is sharp.

• 981 GT4 flattens after about 16,000 km (10,000 mi), reflecting its older age and stable demand.

Best buys for the value-conscious

If you want minimal depreciation:

• 981 models (Base, S, GTS) offer the best mix of age, price stability, and driving enjoyment.

• 987 models are also a solid choice if you avoid ultra-low mileage examples.

• In the 718 range, be selective — older, higher-mileage examples can be good buys, but newer ones lose value faster.

• Avoid the 718 GT4 RS unless you’re prepared for rapid depreciation.

Mileage targets:

• Base/S (718): ~48,000 km (30,000 mi).

• 4.0L GTS / GT4: 16,000–24,000 km (10–15,000 mi).

Conclusion

If you buy the Cayman you love and choose a well-priced example with sensible mileage, you can enjoy Porsche ownership with relatively little financial pain.
While no Cayman is depreciation-proof, the data suggests that — compared to most cars — it’s a smart sports car to own.

Inspired by the analysis of our friend @fourwheeltrader. Make sure you check his other videos https://www.youtube.com/@fourwheeltrader/featured.

 

Are you already a proud owner of a Porsche Cayman? If so, check out our selection of parts for this car at the following link:

https://octoclassic.com/product-category/porsche/cayman

 

Photos sources: scanautomotive.com, stuttcars.com, autoevolution.com, autoo.com.br, pcarmarket.com