Hi everyone,

New member here. I had a 2006 Boxster S in the exact same color a few years back an I absolutely loved it, but I traded it in on a C6 corvette to get something with some more power. The Corvette didn't disappoint when it came to power, but the handling couldn't compete (even after I upgraded the suspension) and the interior build quality really is as bad as they say. Everything on the inside rattled, squeaked, was flimsy and the interior bits kept breaking.

The Boxster got way more attention than the Corvette too, but it was because everyone was always mistaking it for a 911. When I corrected people and said it was a Boxster, I always got a very disappointed "Oooh". Stigma aside, the Boxster still was a great car.

The Corvette had it's benefits as well (fast, cheap to mod, easy to maintain) amazing sound with exhaust upgrade but it's stigma about poor interior quality and poor handling is sadly not far off base. Mine had the z51 package was lowered and I added DRM tuned Bilsteins and stiffer bushings but I must have been spoiled by the Boxster because I still had no confidence in the corners. I really wanted to love the Vette as I grew up around them, but I now see why the 911 is considered the ultimate sports car. The looks are timeless, the power of the 911 S is closer to the Corvette, the handling and steering feel is top notch and the interior build quality is as you would expect from a German car. The Bose Audio w/ PCM sounds fantastic as well (at least to my ears). I had upgraded all the audio components in the Corvette, but it just made all the rattles worse. The selling point for my fiance with the 911 was the small back seats. This is why she urged I go with a used 911 over a new Boxster S. The back seats are the perfect size for our two Shelties to harness in to. I'm sure many of you would never dream of hauling dogs around, but they are family to us. They love riding with the top down and they'll each have their own seat when we cruise to the beach.

I patiently hunted until I found a C2S in this shade of grey, MT and with Carrera Classics. The price was really low even though the mileage is only 37k, but I think it was because she desperately needed a clay bar, roof cleaning and full detail but she looks great now. The only option missing I would have liked to see is the Sports Chrono, but I'm not going to sweat it for what I paid. I bought through Carmax as they have very reasonable warranties and I didn't want to have to worry about IMS ($2,400 for 0$ deductible, 72 month, 75,000 mile bumper to bumper coverage). I was very pleased to find an iPod adapter in the glove box knowing what these cost, but a bit perplexed on why the car had an Mobridge bluetooth id, yet a Dension cradle. After tearing my car apart, it appears it has both. After watching a few youtube videos, I got the Dension working with Spotify and my iPhone 5 with the help of a lightning to 30 pin adapter, and the Mobridge gets the hand free phone calls working over bluetooth through the PCMs TEL mode. I was afraid the Nav tech would be pretty dated, but it works very well in its simplicity. Much more user friendly then the Nav in my 2013 Leaf. Now I just need to update the PCM maps and I'll be all set.

Sorry my intro is so long, but here are some pics as I know that's all most of you want to see

 

Congrats ! the car looks great !

I am sure the dogs will enjoy riding top-down as much as u.

and that warranty thru Carmax.. smart move. (hopefully u wont need it tho)

btw, is the top same color as the interior ? in the pic it looks almost like a cocoa..

 

Thanks for the comments.

The dogs appear to love the wind in their face on the few trips out to patio restaurants. We're also looking forward to a weekend beach trip where they can both come along and we'll still plenty of space for a cooler and a travel bag in the frunk. After having a handful of roadsters, the 911 feels down right practical.

Yeah, I went through Carmax again specifically for their warranty offerings. It was half of what my CNA warranty for the Vette cost through another dealer and the coverage time and miles are twice as long. It even allows for you to get the work done through Porsche for a $50 deductible if you prefer (vs free through Carmax). Hopefully I won't need the warranty as you say, but it's nice to have the peace of mind. Every time I read a thread about someone with an engine failure and no warranty, I feel awful for them.

The soft top is one of Porsche's fifty shades of grey and actually appears to match the paint pretty close during the day. At night the flash made the contrast appear greater. I like how the interior is true black, but the top appears to color match the car. The only downside is the grey roof appears to show dirt and creases a little more than black unless it's been freshly cleaned and brushed.

I just realized I don't have any photos with the roof up yet, but the weather has been too nice to drive with it up. There's nothing quite like a convertible during the spring.

 

Congratulations on your gorgeous new-to-you 997. I have the same car, same year, but in black-on-black-in-black. The one thing that would give me nightmares, though, is the thought of your two furry little kids jumping into the back seats after a romp in wet sand at the beach. Pass the Valium, please!

 

Nice! Black would have been my first choice looks wise if it wasn't for how hard it is to keep the clear coat looking perfect. I love how it looks, but I'm too OCD to own another black car. I had one years ago and it by far looked the best when clean, but it was too much work to fully enjoy (at least for me). Grey is my go-to now as it can still look a little sinister but always looks clean.

As far as post beach sand goes, I figure that's the kind of cleaning you save for the professional cleaners. Much like the pollen coating we are getting right now turning my car yellow on yellow when I cruise with the top down

 

Pretty car! Do you know the name of the color? It looks darker than Meteor Gray. Maybe it's a PTS color.

 

OMG! Yet another reason to stay in Southern California

 

Thank you. The gas cap shows meteor grey. It's very similar to Porsche's other grey colors, but the good amount of metallic flakes allows this shade to play tricks with light. These photos were shot near sunset.

 

Great looking car, enjoy.

 

Great looking cab and intro Ion. Looks like the pups approve.

 

You have a very nice looking car! Grey is a classy color that looks fantastic on your car. Great results for a long hunt.

 

Congrats on your beautiful Cab!! My 911 is Seal Gray and my Cayenne is Meteor Gray or Grey. Both great colors. Enjoy the new Ride