Introduction - I owned 3 997S (05,07 ,09)cars and I curently still have my EVT700 997 Turbo .

I never gave the previous generation Boxster cars a second look . In the past the 911 outcategorized the Boxster but such a huge margin that the two cars simply did not compare .

The new car is different . In fact it's VERY different . Add to this idea that I am not thrilled with the 991 . The 997 is a tough act to follow. In August 2004 (the 997 launch) local dealerships in my area were sold out (unlike with the 991 launch) . I had to beg a dealership to sell me a launch car .
The 997 was that good !! It still is BTW !!!

BUT -
1) The new PDK is improved .
2) The technology is improved
2) The 991 is faster (and more comfortable) but something is missing and every time I looked at it I just couild not put my finger on what .

Then there's the Boxster -- What a huge jump in improvement over the last generation !!

It's nearly as fast as a base 991 . In fact I would like to see a base 991 cab comparison . Plus the GTS versions are soon to come. It's balanced and with its mid engine delivers such amazing precision in handling . It's very close to a 997S in speed but with PASM it feels much more planted. The top up is quiet and almost coupe like in terms of acoustics. Top down has door sills that are the ideal height to produce a gentle breeze in the cabin . The Cabin is spacious and very comfortable . The car has surprising trunk space which makes it more practical than in the past.
Porsche also did something very interesting in their new cars : they actually put nice wheels on them AND they offer amazing stock suspension options.Sport exhaust is amazing sounding too In short the stock car is really nice .

At roughly 72-85K for a nicely speced Boxster S with a 4 year warranty (for a new car) I feel it rivals the 997 used pricing . a new car does offer some perks in terms of peace of mind .

Now I do realize that many first time Porsche shoppers "must" have the 911 . After all it is porsche's muliti decade icon .

BUT .....

I have owned all of the above and this new Boxster is (in my opinion) the real deal .

 

a good review from someone who knows. i enjoy reading your posts.

 

Ditto.

 

december issue of consumer reports
page 64...sports car reliabilty

# 1 porsche boxster
# 2 bmw m3
#3 bmw 1
#4 audi s4
#5 mazda miata
#6 ford mustang v8
#7 honda civic si
#8 ford mustang v6
#9 subaru impreza
#9 chevy camaro
#10 scion fr5
#11 porsche 911

 

is thre specification of what year(s) 911?

 

Thanks guys -- i will add a bit more .

I have noticed recently an evolving mindset . In the past the Boxster and Cayman were viewed as the entry level Porsche with a price point more affordable than a 911 . I never had met a person who bought a 911 who wished he had bought a Boxster .. UNTIL NOW .

Recently I stopped in for service and one of the service writers was admiring my car . He expressed that a woman who bought a 991 C2S Cab told him that she wished she had bought a Boxster S . I asked if it was because of the price and he said "yes" . In short she had buyers remorse. What I find interesting is that in the past the better car erased some of the post purchase doubts but in current times the price of the 991 Cab is so high (it can cost as much as two Boxter S cars ) and it simply is NOT twice as good .

I also would like to make a distinction in this comparison . I feel that a Boxster S ought to be compared to convertible 911 cars (whether its the 997 or 991) . The Cayman ought to be compared to the coupe . I make this distinction to offer more clarrity .

I feel that a Cayman S coupe Vs a 997S Coupe is not the same type of comparison as a Boxster S Vs a 997S Cab . The specifics of wind cabin noise and the structural benefits of a mid engine platform for a convertible (IMO) differs from a coupe . For starters a convertible 911 has more weight than a coupe and it thus detracts from performance . I have NEVER owned a 911 Cab for that specific reason . I feel that if one is buying the iconic 911 it ought to be a coupe (preferrably a Turbo , GT3, GtS , or at least an "S" .. maximizing the attributes of perfomance). However if one is buying a fun car (convertible) whose performance numbers are slightly lower why not pick the one that offers the most balance , at the best price , and with the least amount of cabin wind area ?

Also --if comparing new to used -- this opens another door of multiple comparisons . In one aspect the used car faced the depreciation hit by the first owner but it also comes with miles of driving history doubt. It comes with less warranty and if it is a CPO then its the used car shopper who pays more to have it on an older car .
a 2014 car Vs a 2011 used car is a 3 model year gap . In my opinion thse factors have to be evaluated and considered as part of the decision .

 

Actually i think it is quite simple. What Porsche has missed is that with price should come exclusivity. Now that the competition, including boxster, have moved the bar while a still benchmark automobile the 911 price gap is giving people pause. I for one do not think the base 911 cars(ie non GT cars) are worth the money and will stay in the used market for the foreseeable future. However great the boxster is it would not be on my list though.

 

Great Posts, I was dead set on ordering a 2013 Boxster S, but after I test drove it several times back to back with a 997.2 S I decided to go with the 911. HOWEVER much of that decision had to do with the 911 being a Coupe, if I were going for a Convertible I would have bought the Boxster. I do not understand what parts of the 911 make it almost twice the price of the Boxster??? I would not buy a New 911, not a chance.

 

Good to read from someone who has both models.

I really like the new Boxster. With all due respect to everyone, the newer Boxster is now masculine compared to the prior ones (not mentioning the internal improvements).

I test drove the Cayman, Boxster and the 997 repeatedly. In the end, I ended up with the 997 bcoz of one category: "I felt at home inside the 911"

I might just get the Boxster as a 2nd queen someday. .

Btw, the speedster looked pretty cool. Dealer couldn't keep inventory.

 

I think VW is trying to push Porsche more upscale for the global market and our opinion matters less to Porsche than it once did. The new 911 is more of a luxury GT car than a small precise nimble sports car, for that you need the boxster or cayman.

I spec'd out a modest 991S build online for giggles but was shocked at what the end result was. I would essential have to trade my car in with almost $100k. Sorry, I've driven the 991 and it's not worth that at all. In fact, when I got back in my 997s I smiled. The interior is simple, traditional, it feels purpose built where as the 991 feels like a smaller adaptation of the Panamera.

I would seriously consider the Boxster or Cayman in the future.
They're "Fun" and isn't that what these toys are for?

 

I read one time that Porsche will never ever make the Boxster and Cayaman better than the 911. Doing so will destroy the company--- after all, the 911 has been the flagship.

But then again, that was before VW.

 

i just went back and checked.

both the boxster,and the 911 had asterisks.
their explantion was this.
"if a model was new or redesignded in the past year,or if we lacked sufficent data for some years,we might derive a score using only one year's data. "

 

thank you! the data looks inconclusive if its really just one year.

cannot agree more with the current generation boxter/cayman. Porsche really really killed it with the newer boxter/cayman... ive even started taking a serious liking to the cayannnes.

 

Interesting thread. I have always loved 911's but had to take a break from Porsche for a while. I decided to return to the fold a little more than 2 years ago. I headed down to my local dealership with cash in hand to buy their 2008 997.1 base 6spd. I ended up driving home in a 2010 Cayman S. The Cayman was much more exhilarating to drive. The 911 had grown larger and more GT than the cars I enjoyed in the past. The Cayman S was the truer sports car.

Fast forward to today and I am looking around at a new car. I do not like the 981 Cayman S. It has moved towards the GT class like the 911 before it but at 325hp vs. the 320 in the 987.2, didn't get a bump in power. Combine that with the hard creases over every formerly supple curve, split tail lights, and the loss of direct feel through the servo assisted steering and the 981 just isn't as fun to drive as the 987.2 was. I like the more aggressive side intakes but, that alone won't sell me on the new Cayman S.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Was recently in the market for a 911. Could have afforded anything. I drove a new Cayman S and was very impressed, but... I choose a 2012 997.2. I found it to be much more in spirit of a true sports car. The 991 and Cayman S that I drove felt soul-less, something was lacking. Or, should I say...they added too much to both of them to make them really fun to drive.

I really prefer a base model 911 over the S or 4. I think its truly a drivers car. A car that has the least amount of computer controlled suspension gizmo's. A car that you REALLY have to drive.

And yes, every time I get in my 997.2 it puts a smile on my face as well. I do sometimes look at all the new 991's driven around LA (lots of them) and wonder if I made the right choice...Then I think of the electronic parking brake controller thingy under the dash on the left and know that when I feel the ratcheting of the p brake on my car (which is in the proper place-next to the stick shift ****), I know its a real sports car (yeah, its the little things).