To 'S' or not to 'S'

[dkh]

I debated this same issue over and over in my mind too - and almost just as you have presented it. I was immediately taken in by the additional hp of the S cars I drove so I was leaning toward an S. I ran across a good deal on a 2000S - and with matching hardtop - so I snatched it up. I've been very pleased but I've read others comment that the gearing is a bit long for 250hp and that's made me wonder if the shorter gearing of the 5 speed although with less hp would have been a better combination. I would really like to drive a 2.7L again to compare. However, all these thoughts may change once I've had a chance to autocross the car - or it may confirm it. I suspect in mundane everyday driving it wouldn't have mattered much to me whether it was a 2.7 or a 3.2 but for those rare spirited drives, or on the track, or in an autocross it seemed like the 3.2 would be worth it. I'm also wondering now whether I should have tried to find a car that had the sport suspension upgrade. Either way, I know you're going to have a lot of fun with either car.

[humara]

the gearing may be a touch long, but hey, 97mph in 3rd is quite fun

[blinkwatt]

Go the S you won't regret it!

[rick3000]

It depends. If the car is going to be a daily driver, I would go with lower miles even if that means not having an S. But if it is going to be a weekend car I would spring for the S, because the high miles won't be as big a problem. It is up to you, both cars are great but if the HP is more important than almost 30k miles less on the car, go for it!

Tough decision, there is a great article about this very question on the commentary page of the February Excellence. The article opens with the sentence, "the most thrilling Porsche is not always the sweetest Porsche". I have always wanted the S, bigger brakes and a sixth gear would be nice. However, driven with spirit, my 2.5 will get you a ticket on every outing. Unless you are going to track the car the issue will be how fast do you want to be driving illegally. As someone else noted, when buying used, condition, warranty, options and mileage are more important factors.

[baseball]

Although this is a review of the 987/987S, it may give you some more insight:

http://www.windingroad.com/reviews-page/porsche-boxster-and-boxster-s/

"Over the road, it’s clear the bog-standard Boxster paired with the regular five-speed and seventeen-inch wheels is the enthusiast’s best buy. Not only does the optional six-speed Tiptronic S transmission cost $3210, it also occasionally second-guesses its driver. It’s not that the uplevel S is unreasonably priced—it’s just that standard model’s intrinsic goodness is so total that it’s obviously the best value. In most situations, the S’s horsepower simply isn’t missed, and the base model feels a bit lighter on its feet to boot. Just make sure to go for the DIY cogswapper."

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[dcporsche99]

Either an "S" or "non-S", whichever one you choose I'm quite certain you'll have a "perma-grin" in either case!

Good luck with your choice!

[Flyer]

Great info guys.

Seeing cars like Gary in BR and Randalls make me feel comfortable that a well maintained 986 will make it past 150k

This purchase is for a 3rd car in the family (along with a Ducati Monster) that I expect that will see approx 7k miles a year. I also plan on keeping it till it disolves (LOL) so resale value is not big to me.

I will start a new thread so as not to hijack this one. I am curious about your thoughts on this particular 01'-S

[Perfectlap]

ignore the "unles you are going to drive on the track" talk.
The extra oomph of the 3.2 comes in very handy in daily driving like when passing cars, merging on highway ramps and I'm a big proponent of having the best brakes available (that don't cost $10K to replace).

I could have bought a brand new 986S and a few higher mileage one or two year old S models when I was shopping around, but when I found an extremely low mileage 2000 S that was fresh out of warranty I thought this was a perfect match.
I'm a propenent of getting the lowest mileage S model that has a full service history and ideally one that comes with an extended engine/trans warranty.

[jvmoney]

I went through this same decision a year ago. I test drove regular boxsters in my price range but I ended up coming across an 02 S a few states away. After the PPI, that decision was easy. I would recommend the S bc of many of the same reasons the others have stated...you're going to get the better suspension, the better brakes, the "S" emblem, and more power.

But overall, some other things to consider are things like does it have the right options; Litronics, upgraded sound system, etc. These are all costly things to upgrade if you decide to do it later so try to find one with as many of the options as possible. Whatever you end up with, i'm sure you'll be happy!

Just make sure to have some money left over in case of emergency repairs.

[c4s]

I've owned the box, box s 02 & 05, 911's, 99-996 (dog), 04 C4S rag top... Currently race a Box... single seat to spec... have the C4S... and the 05 BoxS...

By far the most fun car to drive is the Box S... handling, wind up & speed and no bad behavior... The C4S is a great car... but it's twice the price and half the fun... it will be gone soon... maybe a GT3 next... hopefully the same wife...