I finally had a chance to take my car out for a good ride - post the Fabspeed muffler transplant. A mix of back roads and highway. Top down and perfect Bay Area CA weather. It was remarkable. The new mufflers completely remake the personality of the car. They seem to open up the breathing of the engine. It seems to spin more easily, jumping ahead when asked instead of just accelerating. It must be a far more modest version of the effect of a LWF. I don't know how much was an actual performance change versus the audible effects playing tricks on me. And these results could be the same for any aftermarket muffler swap, no less a complete exhaust makeover. But I can't recommend it more strongly. Truly transformational. Love bomb #1.
But the reason for the ride was that it ended at my dealer where they were to repair a trim piece around the convertible top locking mechanism that just recently, well, fell off.
In trade, I was given a 2009 Boxster. Plain. No 'S'. Six speed. Low mileage. Hopped in, top down and hit the road. A reverse replay of my prior trip. The engine felt tight, surely down on power of my prior ride and much slower to rev. The smaller wheels with the larger side walls give a very forgiving ride. The seating position is excellent and you really feel like you sit 'in' the car versus 'on' the car. When I got off the highway, it became a truly great experience. I felt like I was back in my kart racing days. The mid-engine magic coupled with absolutely perfect steering feel enabled a rhythm in the back roads unlike anything I've experienced in years. No doubt less capable than a 997S, I could run at saner speeds closer to the edge than a higher performance machine.
I know many people think of the Boxster (no 'S') as a secretary's car (pardon the lack of PC'ness). Down on power, small wheels, a bit awkward in design. But it's actually an incredible drivers car. Really something very special. I wouldn't balk if I had to trade for one of these. Love bomb #2.
I must say that these Porsche engineers know a thing or two about cars. We are a very fortunate group.

 

I had a 01 Boxster 'S' before my 997S. You're absolutely right about Porsche's mid engine Boxster performance & handling. It's was a blast to drive but didn't have the refinement of the 997.

I miss not having a trunk to hold my golf clubs. They have to go as a passenger now.

 

When I lived in the Bay Area, the Boxster was immediately a "chick car" from the first model year. I thought it was unfortunate that so many people dismissed it as such. What a good vehicle!

I would be in one now if I weren't too tall for it; I sure wish they'd just tweak the ergonomics a little so you can be over 6'1' and still drive it, but that might mean moving the engine!

 

And we are especially fortunate to have an aftermarket muffler peddler who knows even more about our cars exhaust system than the Porsche engineers do

 

Joking aside, and as I'm sure you know, it's all about tradeoffs. The Porsche folks are marketing geniuses. I suspect that they have charts of sales projections by geo by model by decibel. They've probably figured out the perfect sound levels and quality to maximize sales for their target demographic.
We're all (6Speed members) statistical outliers for them - the three sigma crowd with Cattman at the head of the pack. He represents the 'it can never be loud enough' contingent. Likely not the center of Porsche's target market!
I'm closer to the mean, but not by much, having spent a decent amount of money making the car match my priorities, including volume level.
It's all amazing to think about it all, and made possible because Porsche has stayed consistent in their goals for so many years.

 

Just moved up to a 06 997 from a Boxster but still have the boxster in my garage. Man, is that a pretty sight seeing both cars in the garage in the morning