boxster newb questions
 

So i'm think of buying a boxster... test drove a 2.7 new shape the other day at porche and loved it however i didn't find it inspiring enough to justify the 33k they where asking however i have a couple of questions.

Question 1
I would be prepared to pay 22-23k for a 2.7 but am i right in think some of them may not have 245 bhp? how can i tell? what bhp are they if they arent 245bhp? what year did it change? are they a reliable engine??

Question 2
Also thought about getting and old shape 3.2 instead (prefer the looks of the new shape though) for about 18-19k. Could i buy a second hander with full porche service history and then get porche to wack a warranty back on it for me?? for xx amount of pounds for piece of mind?

How would an old 3.2 compare against a new shape 2.7? for smiles per mile

So lets say i do get a boxster, because now i've test drove the z4 2.5 (interior is rubbish) 350z nice but just feel its too Jap, only thing left is the boxster which does have a special feel, and i get it warrantied by porshe does it cover the shaft thingy engine rebuild and am i covered for basically anything else? See the question is not whether or not i can afford to fix it because that isn't the issue, the issue is, it will annoy me if i am paying out constantly to maintain it to the point where im scared of driving the damn thing for fear of breaking it. frankly like i have with the beemer and the gti before and the type-r before that, i enjoy know i have 2 things to pay for on my car a year, warranty renewal and serivce costs.

final quick question which would you rather 3.2 986 for 19k, 2.7 987 for 23k or just save a bit more cash and go for a 16k 2.7 986 ??? im confused lol im not really on a budget but cars dont mean enough to me to want to waste money on them i just wanna a nice one and the boxster for me at the moment is very agreeable. I like Performance but its not an overwhelming factor, oh and finally i wont keep it long this will be my 11th car in 10 years i get iche feet after a year or so think i'd be looking to keep it 18months to 2 years. My record is a subaru impreza 3 weeks (although i wrapped that up lol) and a honda integra type-r 6 weeks which i just got bored of

Any other advise would be good guys thank you. i've done the wiki boxster thingy and thats cool

Read this
 

Buying a Boxster

Since you have enough money to switch cars at will, what difference does it make which model you choose, you'll get bored with it.

I read this twice, and do not understand it at all. You want a sports car, but are not interested in performance.

You don't mind paying to fix it, but want to buy as old as possible to save money.

You like the 987 body, but are pricing yourself exlusivley into a 986.

What are you asking? Do we 986 2.7 owners love our cars? Yes
Do we pay for maintenance? Yes
Do we 986s want 987s? I do
Would we want a car under warranty? Yes

Just buy as new, fast, and low mileage as you can afford.

Wow, that was tough to read.

First off, it is Porsche, not porshe or porche... you spelled it both ways.


As for your first question (which had a few questions in it): I believe Porsche bhp numbers are pretty spot on. The 987 engines also seem to be pretty damn bullet proof.

The rest of your post is a lot of rambling, but I advise to get a warranty. To know if it covers specific engine failures you'll have to read the warranty paperwork. We can't tell you what you are buying.

Lastly I'll give a +1 to Max. Buy the newest, lowest mileage Boxster you can.

same here...max's advice is A plus

No offense, but did you finish elementary school? I don't think I've had more difficulty reading a paragraph in a very long time. The advice that's been given here is sound- opt for the lowest mileage, newest example you can afford, preferably with service records. If you can get a warranty, I would advise that as well.

Best of luck!

Patrick

Let me take a swing at a couple of your questions.

Yes, it's possible to get a Porsche warranty (called CPO) on a 986S (the name of an "old 3.2"). It's getting harder to find 986S CPO cars because the newest 986s are now 4 yrs old. But they do exist. I traded an 01S in on my LE and the dealer CPO'd it. However, the warranty genereally adds a $2K premium vs a non-CPO car in the same condition.

The CPO warranty is not bumper to bumper coverage. It covers most mechanical things, but not all. Wear and tear items are not covered (tires, brakes, wheel bearings, etc). The dreaded RMS and IMS problems are covered. Based on your admission that you don't keep cars very long, it may not be worth $2k for the CPO. But if it brings you peace of mind, it sounds like you can afford it. If you buy a CPO car and decide to sell it in under 2 yrs, the warranty can transfer (which makes for a nice selling pt).

A 986S has approximately 10HP more than a 987 (the "newer 2.7"), so you probably won't notice much difference in overall performance. However, with an S version you get a 6spd trans instead of a 5spd, bigger disk brakes with slots (and red calipers), an extra oil cooler, dual exhaust tips, and possibly larger wheels. Based on your explanation of needs, the extra equipment on an S is probably not a big deal to you.

Finally, Boxster prices depend a lot on the equipment / options and the mileage. A loaded, very low mileage 03S may be more valuable than a stripper base 05 with normal mileage. It's hard to say all 03s are worth X and all 05s are worth Y. It depends.

Hope that helps and good luck.

C'mon guys.. the OP is from the UK... what language did you expect him to speak ;)

I'd get "the newest one you can afford" and trade it in, in 2 years