2006 Porsche Cayman S Problems

TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON A DRY ROAD AT AROUND 65MPH, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE EXPIRED IN A HUGE PLUME OF COOLANT/OIL. FLATBEDDED TO A PORSCHE DEALERSHIP, A TECHNICIAN USING A BOROSCOPE FOUND (ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP) "SCORING TO #5 CYLINDER AND EVIDENCE THAT A VALVE HAD HIT THE TOP OF THE PISTON. THERE WAS ALSO A HUGE AMOUNT OF METAL DEBRIS IN THE OIL FILTER." THIS WAS A RESULT OF SOMETHING FAILING IN THE ENGINE, RATHER THAN THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE PORSCHE DEALERSHIP DID NOT CARE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. I SUSPECT INTERMEDIATE MAIN SHAFT (IMS) FAILURE. ONE YEAR BEYOND CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED (CPO) WARRANTY AND $20K FOR A NEW ENGINE. *TR

THE ENGINE FAILED WHILST TAKING PART IN A DRIVING EVENT AT WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY. OIL STARVATION CAUSED #6 CONROD BIG-END BEARING FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 4000RPM LEADING TO INTERNAL DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE AND AN ENORMOUS PLUME OF WHITE SMOKE OUT THROUGH THE EXHAUST. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON A STRAIGHT PART OF THE TRACK AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO RETAIN CONTROL AND STOP THE CAR SAFELY. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THIS FAILURE HAPPENED ON A RACE TRACK AND AT A SEEMINGLY HIGH SPEED, I AM AN EXPERIENCED RACING DRIVER AND THE CAR WAS NOT BEING UNDULY ABUSED. THIS VEHICLE IS SOLD IN GERMANY WHERE IT IS PERFECTLY LEGAL FOR IT TO ACHIEVE ITS 170MPH TOP SPEED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS ALLOW AND THE COMPANY'S ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOCUS ON ITS SPORTING CAPABILITIES. CLEARLY, HOWEVER, THE CAR SHOULDN'T BE ADVERTISED AS A SPORTS MODEL IF IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN A SPORTING MANNER (IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT) WITHOUT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON 11/2/08 IN A PORSCHE CAYMAN S 2006 WITH THE FACTORY CONTINENTAL TIRES. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON IT. COMING A LOW SPEED CORNER AT ABOUT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND SLID DOWN A DITCH. THE TIRES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED BODY DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR AND OTHER MOLDINGS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A PORSCHE BODY SHOP WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

TIRE FAILED ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH. NO DAMAGE TO THE TIRE OTHER THAN THE SIDE WALL FAILURE. SIDEWALL TOTALLY SEPARATED AT THE BEAD LEAVING THE TIRE ATTACHED ONLY TO THE OUTSIDE RIM EDGE. CONTINENTAL HAS REFUSED WARRANTY REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH THE TIRE IS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD AND LESS THAN 6,000 MILES. AUTO WAS A NEW PORSCHE CAYMAN S. *TR

CAR: 2006 CAYMAN S WITH 34,150 MILES ON IT. I DON'T RACE IT (ON OR OFF THE TRACK). 90% OF MY COMMUTE IS HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 70 MPH, WITH THE OCCASIONAL ACCELERATION (NO DOWNSHIFTING) TO 80-90 MPH. I BOUGHT THE CAR AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WITH 5,000 MILES ON IT. I PUT ~29,000 MILES ON THE CAR OVER AN ~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