Porsche spent fifteen years building a car it wasn't allowed to let win. Mid-engine, lighter than the 911, better balanced than anything else on the lot — and detuned every single time so the guys in the showroom didn't stop buying rear-engine cars. Here's how the generations actually stack up. 1. 987 (2006-2012). The "Boxster with a roof" era, and the joke was half true — but it was a stiffer shell with a real trunk. Early 2.7 is slow-ish, 3.4 S is the one. 2009 refresh brings direct injection and PDK, and that's the split that matters on the used lot. 2. 981 (2013-2016). Peak. Longer wheelbase, wider track, electric steering that Porsche actually got right, and the last naturally aspirated flat-six in a standard Cayman. GTS at 340hp is the sweet spot for people who drive them. GT4 3.8 at 385hp, manual only, is the collector car and priced like it. 3. 718 flat-four (2017+). Faster on paper, quicker out of a corner, and it sounds like a Subaru shopping cart. That's the whole argumen...