I much preferred the 987 base over the 986 S but ended up with a good deal on a certified 987 S, sooooo got the best of all worlds, in MY opinion. That's just like.. well, you know what I mean.
A VERY serious consideration for me was getting into a certified car. With the current economic climate, you should be able to find a certified 06/07 base for a price that is really best, once you figure in the TRUE value of that certification.
You may also want to watch for the Sport Edition base that has the 2.7 engine with the S model 6 speed and PASM. Someone above mentioned one. I was looking seriously at one in Dallas, until my local dealer figured out how few cars they had sold in Nov. '08 and gave me a call, with an offer I couldn't refuse on mine.
Then they economy took a nose dive and I had paid too much, anyway!
I think this entire eco melt-down was my fault....because I finally decided to jump off that Boxser cliff!!
The best advice is still, research your ass off, see if you can get both for weekend test drives and take your time making sure you get the best car for
YOU.
Kurt