Hey all, new guy here. Been browsing through the forums for a few weeks now as I'm in the market for a Boxster. Trying to learn as much as I can so that once I get into this I'll be somewhat prepared. Just spent the last 3 months doing the same thing to get my wife into an 05' BMW 325xiT that she's in love with, so now it's my turn to upgrade.
Anyway, I've been reading about common issues and performance specs and all that, but I was wondering if you guys could help point me down the correct path? I can't decide which route is better to take at the moment, and I haven't had a chance to test drive what I'm looking for. So here's my thoughts and where my confusion starts....
I'm looking to move up from an '03 C230k to a used Boxster. Looking at the 2000-2002 range for several reasons...price, engine choices, reliability and small upgrades makes this seem like the best bang for the buck. Whichever car I end up with has to be an automatic. Yes, I am aware that it will remove a portion of the man/machine connection, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to deal with...Just too much traffic for me to deal with shifting 5 days a week. Plus I have the manumatic tranny now have grown quite fond of it. This car will be my daily driver 12 months per year, so a second set of rims and snows tires will be acquired for the winter. Ofcourse I'd like it to be optioned out nicely as well. OK, all pretty basic stuff there. So that leaves only 2 choices then...Boxster or Boxster S?
My immediate thought goes to the S. The larger engine with more hp would ofcourse be the correct choice, right? But I can get into a standard version for considerably cheaper, which makes me feel less guilty about the upgrade. I also wonder if the extra power in the S would ever be used by me. I do like to drive fast, but I'm not a drag racer. Most of the acceleration I'm concerned with would be the 30-50mph or 50-70mph numbers. I drive a lot of highway to/from work, so it's very common to accelerate hard to pass the sleepy left lane drivers that torture me on a daily basis, as well as get up to speed quickly on the ramps. Would the S with it's larger displacement and more torque be the logical choice for me? Or would I be better off picking up a nice standard version, then add a few engine mods as I go a long? Can you turn a 2.7l into an S competitor for a reasonable price? If so, do you lose drivability and reliability? Or am I being a lunatic in thinking that 217hp in a lightweight sportscar isn't enough power for daily driving? In all fairness the C230k has 190hp and the BMW has 187hp, both weigh more than the Boxster, and both are completely fine for my needs. But who doesn't want the S on their Boxster?
Well, if anyone actually read all of that and has an opinion, I'd love to hear it.
Thanks
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