I'm an admitted 'Porsche' newbie, but I would take the new Boxster S. How could you go wrong. Full warrantly too, sweet.

I am probably not as good a driver as many on the forum, but I have owned a 911, and now own a 987. I believe the handling capabilities of both of these cars exceed my abilities as a driver, so from my perspective, handling wouldn’t be a factor in the purchase. Maybe it is different for other here.

I would go for the 911... it is just so sickly refined. With the new powerplant and updated interior I couldnt resist. Gotta have a sunroof at least. Cant bring myself to like the Cab though.

997S all the way. That model 911 (997-S) is supposed to be one of the most fun cars to drive of all time. Ask Richard Hammond.

To each his own
 

Really its up to you. And you shouldn't let other people's opinions influence you. Also you asked on a Boxster board so of course, there is a Boxster bias.

If I had 60 large to throw around here are some of the factors I would use to make my decision:

1) Am I a convertible guy? Is open air motoring really important to me
2) How risk averse am I? The 911 is a used car and there is more potential for it to have expensive problems than a new car. If the 911 is a Certified Porsche car then the risk goes down considerably.
3) Which car do I like the looks of more? I would ask someone else to surprise me with this question and whatever first popped into my head would be the right answer.
4) Is the miniscule back seat of the Carrera of any benefit to me?
5) Do I really enjoy fast acceleration or is reasonable power and good handling more important?
6) How long do I plan to keep the car? If a short time (like 1-2 years) then I am going to take a big deprecation hit on a new Boxster and much less on the 911. Even buying new vs new the Boxster depreciates faster.
7) How important is it to get all of the options exactly the way I like them? If you buy used you get what someone else wanted. If you buy new you have the option of ordering a car exactly the way you want it.

I would ignore the comments that implied that the 997 is hard to tame or needed AWD to be safe. If you were looking at a '60s '70s or '80s 911 it would be another story but the 997 has had all of its vices tamed through suspension evolution and electronic gimcrackery. Both the Boxster and the Carrera are great handling cars and as long as you use a little common sense and don't exceed your abilities then they will be very stabile and planted.

Whatever you decide to do, once you make the decision don't look back and there will be no regrets. I am sure you'll be happy!

Regards,
Alan

Personally I'd go with the Boxster S because I NEED to have a convertible.

The only problem is that extra torque and HP of the 911 could be addictive....But in the end it would piss me off too much to see other drivers lower the top on a nice sunny day while I lay inside a ''coffin'' with the AC on....

Top down motoring is just so orgasmic....

If I didn't care for the top down factor I would say 911 S in a flash.

Now with a 911 S Cabriolet, that's a different story, and a different price tag:D

Solution?

Get a slighly used 2007 Boxster S for 50 000$. 300HP in a sub-3000 pound mid-engine roadster is nirvana to me...

Keep in mind I've only driven a 2003 911, not a 2005+ 911 S!

Sorry I shouldn't say that the Boxster is a better car than the 911 (did I?). But its a friendlier/easier drive on normal streets. The 911 puts an insane grin on my face whenever I get in one but I will never take either car to its limits on the streets anyway. With the boxster I tend to drive at a decent but safe pace and enjoy the handling. With a 911 I find that I always tend to go faster than I should and usually take turns much faster tahn I should. I would think in the long run the 911 would cost me more in tickets or even worse.

Sure a GT3 would certainly handle better but thats not even a realistic price range for many of us even when purchasing slightly used.

I totally am in the same boat as you.... however, I am going to lease whichever car I choose. I already have a '08 Boxster S on order due to arrive in about 3 wks. I also have my eye on a private sellers '06 Carrera S coupe (extremely low miles, good price) which I also can lease for "EXACTLY" the same monthly payment.....DILEMMA!!!

go for the new 987S or '06 997S???...

I have to say...that CS power is amazing and addicting, but I probably would miss the convertible option living in Arizona which is pretty much year round top down weather...

I know that I also am asking this on a Boxster Forum......but thought I would get a more objective answer than asking on a 997 Forum...

one (perhaps main) problem or issue I see with the Carrera S would be that the warranty runs out in about 1-1/2 years which would leave me without one for the other 1-1/2... that makes me a little uneasy..especially with a leased car...

your thoughts????