[Lil bastard]

Man... so many Red Flags here I hardly know where to begin.

Your profile - 16-18 yrs., limited funds, living in the snowbelt, etc. just screams that, at this time in your life, a Boxster is the wrong car for you .

Insurance - you're going to pay through the proverbial nose to insure it.

Fuel Costs - Compared to most cars out there, the Boxster gets lousy mileage. I imagine that a young person is probaby looking at 20 MPG Max. due to driving style, etc. If the experts are correct and Gas hits $5/gal., what are you willing to give up to keep driving the car?

Maintenance costs - As mentioned, this car needs, or is soon to need, lots of $$ for upcoming or possibly overdue maintenance. Boxsters, unlike a Toyota or Honda don't react well to putting off scheduled maintenance - the car will bite you, possibly leaving you stranded and incurring tow charges. There are few generic parts available for these cars which means that you're going to pay high prices for parts and consumables. Also, living in the snowbelt, you're really gonna need a 2nd set of wheels w/ snow tires - these cars don't do well in snow/ice w/o them, figure another $2k just for this.

An early Boxster - Lots of unresolved issues in the '97s. Add to that the depreciation which is gonna steadily reduce your investment. I'm assuming that you are including the value of your current Audi in the mix - either by selling it or trading it in on the Boxster. In a very short time, you could find yourself with a car you cannot afford to keep, but which you can't sell for enough $ to get another decent ride.

Best advice is to invest the money you have, keep the Audi, study hard and buy yourself a new, or near-new, Boxster in a few years to reward yourself for all your hard work. In the end, that'd be the smartest thing to do.

But, I was your age once too, and I realize how strong the allure can be, and that this advice is the least attractive option and that little, if any, of this is sinking in. Good Luck!