The wife and I are still searching for a "fun car" to complement my Mercedes C63 and a to-be-determined SUV.

Today, we had a great day of test driving which included an M3 sedan, M3 convertible, 911 S cab, and Boxster S RS60. Conclusions?

- The M3 is great, but too similar to the C63, and lacking a certain something that only Porsche has.

- We definitely want a convertible. That adds to the fun in a way nothing else can.

- Neither the wife nor I have driven a stick in more than a decade, but the dealer only had Porsches with sticks, so we decided to give it a try. It came back right away, and we love the stick! On a sports car, I now think a stick is a must, which is pretty crazy given that I was previously totally sold on double-clutch transmissions.

So we're looking for a Porsche convertible with a stick, which means either the Boxster or 911, and that leads to my question. The dealer has a stunningly beautiful 2008 Boxster S RS60 with about 6K miles and in mint condition, and which he's offering for $53K. What do you guys think of the car? How does it compare with the current Boxster S (which seems to have more power)? Is the price good?

 

I think the price is on the high-side, considering I picked up a new '08 Boxster S for just under $46k in Aug 2009 (my deal is a fring deal and not the norm). Suggest checking out the going price on ebay and see what they're selling for. On avg, a 3 yr old boxster S with low miles are going for high 30's to low 40's now. The Boxster's (esp. S) are under-appreciated and that allows many of us to enjoy them at very reasonable prices. Your car though, is priced much higher - IMO. You may be able to find a tiptronic and that may not be bad.

Performance wise, I would get at least a '07/'08 with 3.4L and 295 hp. The '07/08 S' are 15hp less than the current model, but numbers are pretty much on-par (0-60 and 1/4 mi). Both are very balanced from factory. And contrary to believe, tiptronic performance is pretty darn good. I mean, look at the 0-60 for a 996TT (tip vs. manual).

They are great cars... there are plenty of cars on the/coming to the market. If you can afford to wait, don't make this an impulse buy. Good luck with your search!

BTW, look on Cars.com. Hennessy Porsche has a 2010 Boxster S CPO'ed for $49k. Another dealer in WA has a '08 RS60 with 6k miles for $49k.

 

price is too high. Don't get tiptronic. Add sport shifter if it doesn't already have one. It will be stiff at first but ease up as you use it. Stock throws are too long.

 

The RS 60 is a beautiful car, but at $53K you are spending a lot. Look at a regular Boxster S from 2008 and drive it. You won't notice the small difference in HP.

 

Here is an option in Oregon: http://portland.craigslist.org/nco/cto/2471740065.html

 

They dropped their price to $49K without my having to push. I guess that means they might go even lower.

I did drive a Boxster S today, but not the RS60 today, so I haven't tried them back to back. But I do think the RS60 is really beautiful, to the extent that I'm comfortable paying $5K to $7K extra for the appearance ove a "regular" Boxster S.

The other option on the list is the Boxster Spyder, which looks amazing and seems great on paper, but I have yet to drive one. Might get a chance tommorow.

 

Spyder is cool, but the erect-a-top CAN be a pain vs hitting a power switch on the other cars.

 

Go with the Spyder - the top really is not an issue at all. I have been driving with primary top and not putting on the piece that attached behind the headrests. If someone wants to get in this car, or any car, they can whether or not the extra piece is on and the car has a really unique look when it is not on and the windows are down. I live in Houston and driving the car with the windows down in our summer heat and humidity is more than adequate due to the excellent ac.