Question: Why did you buy a boxster, because of looks or it was the cheapest porsche?

[Sloopy]

Originally Posted by tranquility Actually, this question can easily be turned around and asked "Why did you buy a 911...because it was the priciest Porsche?" I don't have a Porsche so I guess I can state impartially: the 911 is a great car I assume but I agree w/ Clarkson. I just don't 'get it'. It is rear-heavy and you need to be a better-than-avg driver to get the same level of performance vs a reg driver in a mid-engine car. The common understanding is that the Boxster/Cayman had to be underpowered in order not to affect 911 sales, still, the former is already good enough to beat the latter handling-wise. Also, w/ its top-of-the-line CGT being mid-engined, Porsche really has the unenviable task of deciding when to get rid of its key marque 911 or convert it to mid-engine someday. I mean, how much can the 911 be improved upon in its present setup? Why else do you think it doesn't have more than 6 cylinders? It's too rear heavy! I just don't get the deal w/ the 911. Porsche's are one of the best engineered cars on the road with fit and Finnish to match some of the best. Driving dynamics is the key across the entire family of cars. The 911 vs 987 is a matter of preference. While the 911 is very capable it has some idiosyncrasies which need to be adapted to before full enjoyment and performance can be reached. The 987 is superior in ride and handling due to longer wheel base and mid engine design. It is really a matter of choice as both are great and offer different feed back. I chose the RS spider and love it, however I have an eye for the new Turbo.

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[Killer Banana]

Porsche's are one of the best engineered cars on the road with fit and Finnish to match some of the best.

Nice Boxster pun, assuming it was intentional! I wonder if everybody else got it?

Not sure I agree with the overall assessment though... I love my Boxster's handling, but I hate the potential for D-chunk failures, IMS failures, crank/IMS chain tensioner failures, and the likelihood that any attempt to remove the stock exhaust manifolds will result in breaking off multiple bolts in the cylinder heads.

None of the above is enough to make me sell the car (which in itself is a testament to how well it drives), but I'm not exactly singing the praises of its engineers over its build quality.

[Sloopy]

Sadly not intentional, just poor spelling combined with spell check.

As for problems, all cars have them. I am very meticulous about my cars and have been unable to find a single fault in 8K miles.

[rvhpno80]

alot of feedback about this issue, excellent post.... i love the cayman...... beautiful track car.....

[Lead Foot]

My 987 S is the first car that has gives me a grin or smile every time I drive it. The driving experience just can't be described in words. The car excites me! It is very difficult to NOT drive too fast in places that shouldn't be driven that way, too.

[navanod]

I just put a deposit down on a Boxster Spyder... This will be the third Porsche I have owned. Last being a Cayman. I miss it's handling and steering feel. Compared to the competition, Porsche has the steering down perfect! Big factor is that it's mid-engined for more balance. I have to be honest though, I wasn't a fan of the Boxster until the Spyder was released. Not sure why though

[rvhpno80]

Originally Posted by navanod

I just put a deposit down on a Boxster Spyder... This will be the third Porsche I have owned. Last being a Cayman. I miss it's handling and steering feel. Compared to the competition, Porsche has the steering down perfect! Big factor is that it's mid-engined for more balance. I have to be honest though, I wasn't a fan of the Boxster until the Spyder was released. Not sure why though

please post pics, when you get, it, i will look out for them, i heard that there is only a canvass top, what are you going to doing when it rains real hard while your out.... i guess check the weather first.... The car looks really nice though, good luck with it, and let us know how it feels, and handles over 150 mph.....
check this video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3mfViT8qLs

[Macster]

What Killer Banana said. My 02 Boxster best car I ever owned. Mid-engined roadster, fantastic handling, braking and even with 2.7l engine still quite fast to attract attention of the le police if I'm not careful.

Have to say had I not had such a good experience with my Boxster these last 226K miles (that's right, 226K miles) I would not have bought an 08 Cayman S and when it meant its unfortunate demise less than a month after purchase I would not have replaced the Cayman S (declared a total loss by the other driver's insurance company) with an 03 Turbo with 9500 miles.

Oh, I still drive the Boxster. Fantastic car.

And so's the Turbo.

And so was the Cayman S.

Sincerely,

Macster.

[nein86]

There will always be a faster car and a better looking car no matter what you buy but there aren't very many cars that out handle a Boxster and that is what I'm into. I also wanted my first sports car to be a roadster with some heritage. Not many sports cars from Japan have the heritage and lines back to a car like the 550 Spyder. Vette owners may laugh at us in the 1/4 mile but they do a lot of foot shuffling when my 201 hp Boxster beats their AX times. Comparatively inexpensive to purchase (especially used) and keep up compared to other Porsches is a plus but the real deciding factor was when I put the top down, wound through the gears and heard that 2.5 L exhaust and my face hurt from the big grin on it the whole time I drove it and still does.

[atlshaver]

2003 986S. Ordered new and built it exactly how I wanted it with a sticker of mid-$70's. So no, the "cheap" price isn't what attracted me. I bought it for my wife and it is one of the few cars that I have kept over the years and probably will never sell. I spent a small fortune on my 996 Turbo to get it to handle anywhere near the level of the 986S with 030 suspension.

I rarely drive it but I when I do it still amazes me as one of the best overall cars I have ever owned or driven.

[Samir]

Originally Posted by atlshaver

2003 986S. Ordered new and built it exactly how I wanted it with a sticker of mid-$70's. So no, the "cheap" price isn't what attracted me. I bought it for my wife and it is one of the few cars that I have kept over the years and probably will never sell. I spent a small fortune on my 996 Turbo to get it to handle anywhere near the level of the 986S with 030 suspension.

I rarely drive it but I when I do it still amazes me as one of the best overall cars I have ever owned or driven.

Love the black and red. Subtle but sporty.

[wind in ur hair]

Originally Posted by epicjon

i have never been a fan of the boxster and want to know why people buy them ?

Have you ever noticed that the majority of famous porsches are mid engined . Thats because they are a better balanced more rounded packages that may well not be the fastest but are most definately the best drivers cars ,
The answer to why i bought a boxster and then pulled the motor and gearbox as well as brakes out of it so that it could be the car it should have been while it was still under new car warranty and replaced them with a 911 motor and 6sp gearbox was because after driving a 911 i realised that even with people telling me I was stupid and should have just bought the 911 that the boxster is a much better and more balanced package that was designed from the ground up .
I have had porsche trained instructors often tell me that my car with 360hp is the best porsche they have driven for a long long time .
yes i can afford a more expensive porsche but im not about to compromise my driving pleasure because someone who doesnt know any better puts up post like this .
i have had my boxster for 12 yrs and it still puts a serious smile on my face regularly .
you know you could always try to form an opinion on your own and drive one back to back with a 911 of the same age over a serious road as i did
you may well find that you may want to become the owner of a peasant porsche

[Sloopy]

Originally Posted by wind in ur hair

Have you ever noticed that the majority of famous porsches are mid engined . Thats because they are a better balanced more rounded packages that may well not be the fastest but are most definately the best drivers cars ,
The answer to why i bought a boxster and then pulled the motor and gearbox as well as brakes out of it so that it could be the car it should have been while it was still under new car warranty and replaced them with a 911 motor and 6sp gearbox was because after driving a 911 i realised that even with people telling me I was stupid and should have just bought the 911 that the boxster is a much better and more balanced package that was designed from the ground up .
I have had porsche trained instructors often tell me that my car with 360hp is the best porsche they have driven for a long long time .
yes i can afford a more expensive porsche but im not about to compromise my driving pleasure because someone who doesnt know any better puts up post like this .
i have had my boxster for 12 yrs and it still puts a serious smile on my face regularly .
you know you could always try to form an opinion on your own and drive one back to back with a 911 of the same age over a serious road as i did
you may well find that you may want to become the owner of a peasant porsche

Well said. Can't drive mine enough.

[mwy23]

my wife wishes we got a 911 for two reasons: 1 - the rear looks better (than a cayman) and 2 - she could recline her seat back further to nap better on the longer drives.

[solrac6262]

Originally Posted by mwy23

my wife wishes we got a 911 for two reasons: 1 - the rear looks better (than a cayman) and 2 - she could recline her seat back further to nap better on the longer drives.

she is right, a lot of people before I bought my 08 cayman S.. told me it was a girls car, don't want to ofend anyone, it wasnt me