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Byprodiriver, while I suspect that the prices for 986's have now just about bottomed out, I'm not sure that in future they will go 'way' up. Too many were produced and they will always have the stigma of being the 'entry level Porsche' of their time.
Having said that, I do expect to see the prices rise over time for well-maintained examples and further, expect that they will ultimately be more valuable than some of the other entry level Porshce's, such as the 914, the 924 and the 944. The 914 (except the rather rare 914-6) had unmodified Volkswagen engines, pedestrian performance, dubious build quality (including flat seats, dashboard covers that were susceptible to warping and rips, etc.), useless HVAC systems and a body design that - well, let's just say it was and is an acquired taste. The 924 was boring, albeit not ugly, and made ues of an uninspiring engine from Audi. Both the 914 and 924 have the additional stigma of being VW-Porsches, as they were initially a joint project. The 944 had much more interesting and aggressive styling (to my eye) and much better performance. The handling, with a 49/51% fore/aft weight balance was exceptional for the time (I know, I owned one). However, even with all that, it has the engine in the 'wrong' place for most Porsche enthusiasts- and this is especially true since they have moved away from front engines for all of their sports cars in the last 25 years.
The 986 Boxster was purely an in-house Porsche design. Its engine is not derived from a VW or an Audi. Its body design harkens back to the famous (and in James Dean's case, infamous) Porsche 550 Spyder and with that, instant recognition as a Porsche. It is still known for one of the best engine sounds of any production sports car and I can virtually guarantee that any new 4 cylinder Baby-Boxster, or 4 cylinder Turbo Boxsters will have a very hard time equalling it.
The handling is still incredibly nimble and precise and it does so without a bone-rattling ride. The braking is still tremendous ( 4 piston calipers over front and rear vented discs and better fore/aft balance than front engine, or rear engined cars).
Road trips are more pleasurable than in many sports cars as there is decent trunk space, decent seats, better than decent HVAC and, as already mentioned, a decent ride. And its acceleration and top speed, while never breath-taking, was certainly fun and sporting. It was for many people who grew up around the millenium, the car of their dreams. And some day I believe that all of these things (and the likelihood of reasonable parts availability due to the numbers produced) will make them sought-after, if not extraordinarily valuable, collector's cars.
So yes, I plan on keeping mine. And while waiting for prices to go back up, I'll maintain her well and continue to experience pure joy every time I take her on the open road.
Brad
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