To 'S' or not to 'S'

[bmx672]

I test drove both... and wound up with a 2000 non-S. I liked the previous owner and the history (that had everything to do with my purchase) I'm not a horsepower guy, I just wanted a third car for top down weekend drives on the country roads. I'm completely happy with it! I figured if I ever wanted a really fast car I'd look at a Corvette etc... I feel guilty though for only driving it 2000 miles it's first year. I need to correct that this summer!

[steve00s]

It really depends on your driving habits and what it is you enjoy. The first Boxster I drove was a 2.5l tiptronic and it just didn't do anything for me. The S put me back in the seat a bit and was like wow. With a few mods its like really wow. But I am more of a g-force junkie. I like the feel of acceleration and the S does that while doing everything else right.

[achtung]

Life is short...get the S

[vincesf]

I would opt for getting an S if it is within your budget. Find a clean Boxster S, and you will be amazed at how great the car this car truly is.
vincesf

[pcar-yvr]

What I am really amazed with is the quality and thoughtfulness of the responses! Thanks (and do keep 'em coming).

Awesome forum you got here - look forward contributing as an owner rather than from the outside looking in.

Purchase is just a few weeks away when my wife is out of town. Pix will be forthcoming.

[Sammy]

If I had the guts I would buy a high mileage, non-S, drop a 3.4 in it and then make the appropriate mods to the suspension and the brakes. The S seems to be an off-the-shelf happy medium of what I wish I could have and what I perceive the base as being (key word being "perceive").

As seen driving with Randall and NickCats, I don't think the difference is as big as I thought it would be. NickCats autocrosses quite a bit with me and he is only a few seconds behind me which I think is primarily the difference between my R compounds and his tires. Randall, and the other base models, held their own at last years Tail of the Dragon trip.

When I originally bought my car I was looking at a base model but fell in love with the white face gauges, six speed (worthless in my opinion) and the bright red calipers.

To sum it up if I can't do what I mention in my first sentence I would probably opt for the S simply due to my perception of having more power, awesome brakes, a few styling cues, and the fact that the S is on the rear trunk.

[PWebRPH]

Thought long and hard about it myself.... went with the S.... couldn't be happier.