The Cayman is the sweet spot of the modern Porsche range for many enthusiasts, offering superior balance to a 911 and more rigidity than a Boxster at a relatively reasonable price, at least by Porsche standards. Indeed, it’s a great car, but you aren’t looking at one here. Instead, you’re viewing something much weirder, something you can put together yourself at home.
See, Porsche launched the first Cayman shortly after the introduction of the second-generation Boxster, and while those early 987 models are now affordable enough to be worth consideration, they aren’t the cheapest flat-six Porsches you can buy today. That would be the original 986 Boxster, a car for which no factory fixed-roof equivalent was ever made. Clearly, this gave the aftermarket an idea, because what you actually see here is a third-party hardtop for an original Boxster.
Alright, so it’s easy to tell that this isn’t a factory job, but from a distance and in photos over the internet, this hatchback hardtop actually seems fairly Cayman-like. Whoever made the positive for the mould clearly worked in the two ridges down the 987 Cayman’s hatch, along with the tapered increase in tumblehome that really accentuates the rear fenders.
There’s more good news here as well. Even though the factory Boxster roof mechanism remains in place, you could theoretically still stuff a few things between the hatch and the factory roll bar, expanding the already excellent-by-segment-standards cargo space of the original Porsche Boxster. It genuinely looks to be enough space for a duffel bag if you don’t care about rearward visibility, and that could make all the difference on a long road trip.’
However, downsides start to appear quite quickly as you take a closer look. For example, because this hardtop replaces the Boxster’s factory tonneau cover and trunk lid, fit and finish isn’t exactly perfect. See, those factory panels, particularly the tonneau cover, have fairly large panel gaps because they’re moving pieces. As a result, this third-party hard top has some weird shut lines and large panel gaps that look a bit funny. This is especially noticeable in lighter colors, as the contrast between something like a silver paint and a dark panel gap is immense.
Then there are the quarter windows, and admittedly, you kind of need them for shoulder check visibility. However, the execution is a bit weird because of the shape of the Boxster’s side windows. so not only do you have curves and frit bands in all sorts of strange places, they don’t form a near-seamless join with the factory side glass because each one is missing a little triangular tip at the top.
Finally, the big killer is price. While these hardtops seem to be mass-produced in China, making and shipping such a large assembly isn’t cheap. If you buy it from eBay, expect a price of around $3,000 plus shipping. Ordering from AliExpress cuts the price roughly in half, with advertised sale prices hovering around $1,600 to $1,700 plus shipping. Add another thousand or so for shipping and duties and customs brokerage fees, and then you arrive at the next big challenge: Having the hardtop painted to match your Boxster. Bust out another thousand on paint and fitting minimum, since fiberglass parts often need some massaging, and you’re looking at a total bill of $3,600 to upwards of $5,000. Add that to the price of a decent 986 Porsche Boxster, and you’re pretty much in early Cayman territory.
So, this Cayman-style hardtop isn’t a tremendous value and it looks a bit janky, but there is something interesting in the aftermarket effectively creating a car that never existed. Would I get one for my Boxster? No, but I see how it could appeal to some people, and the roads are slightly weirder and more delightful place knowing this hardtop exists.
Top graphic image: eBay seller
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
This Add-On Trunk Thing For Fancy Sprinter Vans Hurts My Brain
-
I’ll Never Not Be Fascinated By Add-On Car Trunks Like This One For An Old Mini
-
You Can Buy A Brilliant Porsche Cayman For The Price Of A New Civic
-
Some Geniuses Have Figured Out That A Crapload Of Audi Engines Bolt Right Up To Porsche Boxster Transmissions Including A V8
Please send tips about cool car things to tips@theautopian.com. You could even win a prize!
These have a little bit of a small cult following in the 986 community. I daily my 986 and would like a hard top for winter, but it’s hard to justify the cost for one of these. The owners I’ve seen comment about owning these leave them on full time and advise they are very hard to fit and require a lot of tinkering for them to fit flush. Painting is also expensive. I’d rather just track down a used normal hard top.
I don’t get it. You now have the downsides of both versions of the car without the upsides. For a bunch of money for Chinesium quality.
Boxster – fun in the sun, but more flexible, worse handling, and less luggage space and less refinement.
Cayman – more rigid, handles better, quieter and more refined, but cramped and no sun.
This abomination – no sun, no added rigidity, cramped, extra squeaks and rattles guaranteed.
I dig it. At three grand, it’s expensive to me, but people spend wild amounts of money on automotive personalization and justify it. At least this isn’t a pointless lift kit that makes the car worse to drive and more dangerous for pedestrians.
So wait, it’s easily removable and you just to install your original trunk if you want to have the soft top again? I mean Jeep guys deal with about the same pain it looks like.
I can’t imagine it’s awfully comfortable with no headliner and fiberglass squeaking all around you. I’d love to see the window fitment too!
Boxster dork here. I’ll take a pass, thanks. I can almost hear it groaning and squeaking where it contacts the rest of the car.
“So, this Cayman-style hardtop isn’t a tremendous value and it looks a bit janky“
So, it is a Porsche product after all
Love my Cayman. I can see where this might be a potential for someone who got the Boxter, just like my putting a hard top on my Bronco that came from the factory with the soft top. With the panel fit, my question would be how much it actually cuts down on wind noise, which was one of the driving factors on fitting my Bronco with a hard top.
If there was space in my real garage, I’d rock this. Hardtop for fall/spring driving and convertible for summer. Rig a lift system like the hardtop Jeep guys do for storage.
What’s the point of a Cayman look, without the structural rigidity?
More weather-proof, more secure, maybe slightly less noise, and honestly, if you’re not driving it on a track, how many drivers would even notice the difference in stiffness?
You will notice it when this thing squeaks and rattles like a cat toy.
I have this in my AliExpress cart right now. I really want a Cayman, but even with buying this and getting it painted/wrapped, it’s still cheaper to get a Boxster.
If that makes the Boxster as slippery as I think it will, totally worth it. Not only will you have a lighter car than a Cayman, but the Boxster lacks the Cayman’s subtle downforce tweaks which add significant drag to the otherwise greatly more slippery Cayman, allowing a stock Boxster to achieve a 0.30 Cd value with the convertible top up, the Cayman getting only a marginally better 0.28-0.29 in spite of having a much more slippery rear.
This modified Boxster with the fastback, minus the Cayman’s downforce crap, could possibly be at a 0.26 or below, approaching 1st gen Honda Insight territory regarding overall CdA.
Take a 1st gen Boxster and put this fastback on it. Now you have a donor with which to make a sub-3,000 lb EV sports car that gets a 200+ mile highway range, lugging around a 40 kWh battery of Panasonic NCR21700s. You’ll have to delete the transmission and go single speed to achieve this weight, but damn would it be NICE to have a 2,800-ish lb sports car with like 300+ electric horses motivating it, mid-engine configuration, and instant torque on tap.
What a horrible waste of a good convertible
Does it have a headliner?
While I agree, not perfect, I have considered this idea. I possess a strong dislike for convertibles. They’ve never been my taste. But where I live, Cayman’s start around $19K, while Boxters can be found starting at $7K. That is a huge premium just to put a roof on. So considering I would do the install and paint myself, the potential to do this for $3 means I could be in something relatively Caymanesque for half the price of a Cayman. That is slightly tempting. But since I’m too cheap to spend even $7K on a Boxter, there is no way I would spend $3 on a roof for it.
I also wildly dislike convertibles!
After 7 years with an MX5 and 9 years with an Elise, both with hard tops, one of the reasons I now have two coupes is because members of the public won’t shut up about what I choose to do with my own roof.
Driving without a roof isn’t better, it’s louder, distracting and more cancery.
About ten years ago, I owned a 986 Boxster and did consider sourcing one of these tops. I thought of it as best of both worlds. Cayman look-alike in colder months, Boxster drop top fun in warmer months. I ultimately never pulled the trigger, but I do still like how they look – mostly.
Looks like putting the thing on requires removing the original trunk lid (at least)
Miata’s and Z3s have aftermarket stuff like this available but without the need to change trunk lids.