Reviews, Comparisons and Flying Low

[wanna986]

Hello all,

I should change my user name as "wanna" is in the past. I bought a 2002 S.

I've read this whole thread and my neck hurts from nodding, admittedly I'm also fighting "nodding off" owing to 2:00 a.m. having passed!

Before my S, I test drove a 2002 base model. The salesman had me go to an onramp and was actually encouraging me to go fast- "when you think you're going fast, give it some more- don't worry" I was impressed more by the salesman's confidence in the car than with my own driving ability, so I was rather reserved about pushing the car. The feeling was clearly different, though, as it felt like the car was actually being pivoted rather than being steered through the curve of the ramp.

I found myself saying "I get it" when, without being beckoned by my passenger this time, I changed lanes into the passing lane and gave it more gas. The howl as I entered variocamland! After the test drive, reflecting on what had just happened, I told myself that I shouldn't be impressed merely by an exotic exhaust note. My eyes verified the action of my right foot , though, as the acceleration spurt netted a quick gain in speed from 55 to 80 mph. It wasn't only my imagination, and this was "only" the 2.7.

Clearly a seed was planted. Although I found nothing wrong with the 2.7, (I even thought I'd be o.k. with the 2.5 if the price was right), I can't say I regret being influenced by my son who reminded me I've always bought the biggest engine available. The 3.2 is right for me.

My 60 mile trip home on the highway was an eye-opener. I realize why so many yearn for no speed limit. My previous domestic rides: Corvette, Mustang, 70s muscle, are famous for their torque, clearly, and owing to cam changes, superchargers, etcetera, weren't shy of the upper limits of the speedometer- but this car is just different. Entirely smooth and flexible with the engine being stiff competition with the Bose system for best tunes. Keeping it at a respectable75-80 mph was really a chore (and such a pity). The trip computer was even reporting mileage in the high 20s! In the city, well, why so many gears? Once I'm out of first (giving the engine a little breathing room, of course), it's into 6th if I want to keep a low profile.

This is long, but I can't imagine ending without commenting on the chassis. My corvette, with the targa top removed, feels as though it's going to fall apart. Quite normal, I'm told by other owners. The Boxster, of course, is amazing. I forget there "should" be a difference top up and down. Wow.

I have to go to bed now, although maybe just one quick look in the garage for an inspiration for "sweet dreams". Good night.

[Franco]

Hi, Why do i love my 1997 Boxster.
I can't afford a Ferrari
Love the timeless curves and still looks new.
Daily driving machine.
Overall balance.
Best trunk space compared to other roadsters.
Just can't stop waxing it.
Just can't stop staring at it.
Reliability.
The WOW factor i get from the young kids (Adults that's another Story).
Legitimate excuse to go away for the weekend without the kids.
Best of all my wife telling me if only u would take care of me as u do the Boxster. :troll:

PS. She's been home for the past 16 years. :ah:
The laughs and information i get on this forum.

Owned 1 other sports car, a Camaro Z28 air induction fun at the time but not worth comparing.

[smagerstein]

Hi There,

I have now had my Box for 1 month.

Living on the Adriatic ocean in Slovenia I am blessed with countless windly roads in perfect condition, with some excellent mountain driving only half an hour away and some nice autobahns for the speed demons all within a day trip! This car is just made for these roads. This is truely a smile machile. Where the box misses out on power it sure does make up for in handling ten fold!

Best thing is you can go a couple of weeks without seeing and Pcars on the road in Slovenia so it attracts plenty of attention which is cool.

I bought my first Pcar when I was 24 (928) and bought and rebuilt the 911sc when I was 28.....(cost 2.5 times more to fix up than what I paid for it) and now how my first box at 34.......

Only advise I can give anyone that loves Pcars is to buy one as soon as they can. Keeps you young at heart forever.

Back in Australia I had a nice powerful 928 and a 911 sc, however with the restrictions on speed and the abundant law inforcement officers on the road you just cant appreciate what these cars are made for. I found my 2004 4wd Liberty turbo to be great on the windy roads but no big smile factor, its a fast good handling family car.

For the $$$ you cant beat the boxster.

Now I have to wait for my lease to expire (3 long years) and an S will definitely be considered!!

Cheers,

Steven.

[GSRP]

Many of you have a lot of experience with sexy cars. Me, I am now driving my very first German car -- and sporty at that.

My experience with speed has been limited to motorcycles -- and even those were not the sport bikes. Yet my 2003 Goldwing will probably take most every car on the road from the light. I looks like it belongs to the older generation -- and it does have all the creature comforts -- but don't let that fool you -- it will leave my Boxster standing still.

However, all that said -- I enjoy the Boxster more than the Wing. In fact, I'm selling the Wing. I can honestly say, I've never driven anything that was more fun than the Boxster.

I'm not a race fan -- and I seldom take risks -- but the Boxster has the power, the handling, the sound and the looks that make it a pure pleasure to drive -- fast or slow.

To put things in perspective -- my other rides include the LS430 and RX300 Lexus, the Wing (of course) and my faithful F-150. You can now see why I look forward to getting behind the wheel of my Boxster!

-gene

[eqs]

Here's my summary of the cars I've driven before buying a couple of months ago.

996 cab4 - nice unit with good directional stability, rear seats very tight
996 cab2 - nice unit but rear end looks big, handling ok
996 targa - looks balanced, rear seat area is way too small - no headroom at all

986S - good power, good handling, good balance
987 - needs to be revved above 4k to generate power, nice interior
987S - better power, good first gear pull, better looking headlights and bumpers
987S 295hp - better midrange power, more aggresive (rougher) sound

The 280hp and 295hp are very close to 60 due to lower gearing in the 280hp, then the 295 pulls a bit harder in higher gears as the ratios are the same third and up

Z4 - solid car with nice sound but I felt too isolated and car felt bigger than what it was, felt like a quality unit

Elise - very fun car with great sound but gearshift felt flimsy and top takes longer to put up and take off - high end power was intoxicating, the 08sc should pull even better, probably similar to the Exige. Handling and steering feel were excellent.

Overall the 987S was the best choice for me. Found a well optioned unit with a clean DME bill of health. 2 PPIs showed no problems, but after a month brought it in for warrantied part replacements missed in the PPIs. The warranty is important imo especially when buying used. 2 dealers tried to sell lemons but I found issues before going too far - be careful, buyer beware.

I wouldn't trade my 987S for a more expensive 997 cab as the 987S just handles better and top end isn't that important to me. The 987S is the best droptop overall with the best handling and more than enough power. Buy a good specimen and you will be very very happy. Keeping it pegged will keep you smiling and smiling. Have fun but be careful.

[oriley]

It will be a very interesting summer for me. I replaced my year-round car this winter with a 2003 Audi TT 225 Quattro Coupe.
I'm having the same feelings as I did when I purchased my 01 Boxster 3 years ago: Huge grin while driving.
The Boxster will be coming out of storage first Saturday of May. I suspect the Boxster will be driven on the sunny days and the TT when the clouds appear.
One thing I've noticed: I drive 160k per day and through 4 months of owning the TT I've only seen 2 on the road at the same time as myself.
In the last 3 weeks (with the amazing weather in Toronto) I've seen probably 20 Boxsters.

Andy

[Frodo]

You drive 160k per day!? Man, you must be exhausted.

[donx]

I think he probably meant 160 km, and not miles. So it is like 100 miles, but still a lot.

Maybe my Boxster is one of the 20 ones you saw in Toronto . I could not miss any single sunny day to take out my baby for a spin.

[oriley]

Sometimes the journey feels like 4 x around the world!!

[myfirstporsche]

Originally Posted by Mantis

I got busted doing the same thing, how funny. Grigio or Noir?

I just got my 1999 Boxster on Monday. It has 30K miles and is in showroom condition. My friends had it and stored it in a heated / air conditioned garage. All maintenace was done at the Porsche dealer. I have put both kids to bed and then walked to the garage to pull the car cover up to about mid hood and stare at the front badge....my wife laughs at me every night. Will it ever wear off??????? LOL

[eightsandaces]

Originally Posted by myfirstporsche

I just got my 1999 Boxster on Monday. It has 30K miles and is in showroom condition. My friends had it and stored it in a heated / air conditioned garage. All maintenace was done at the Porsche dealer. I have put both kids to bed and then walked to the garage to pull the car cover up to about mid hood and stare at the front badge....my wife laughs at me every night. Will it ever wear off??????? LOL

No it only gets deeper into your blood but since we all are mortal, go look at the badge and celebrate being privileged enough to have one to drive, the hell with what year it is, it's a Porsche!!!

[TEX]

Hi All,
First time Owner of a Porsche!!
Very pleased with it ,has done 93,000 kms and is a Forest Green Colour.
Having owned other sports cars through the years , i am very impressed with the handeling and performance.
Also have owned a Lotus Elan S4 , a Austin Healey Sprite and Nissan Sports 1600.
Service seems to be the number one issue with this car, is it all that expensive compared to other modern day Cars?
Cheers to all ,
Tex ps a great web site ,Love IT!!

[sd_boxster]

I have never before owned a car the valets leave in front of the restaurant with the Bentleys...

The Boxster is a wonderful piece of machinery.

[jaykay]

A 986 done right has got to be one best looking cars ever made. I think the original curves especially MY 2000 look much better than even the 987 (a very fine car). 986 full leather int is on par with the 987 int

The 986 has a certain sixties sports car look that is kind of lost on newer model P cars

[dbw]

Got my 2004 Boxster (my 1st!) last may and have out 22000 km on it since then. Age is 56. Should have done it years ago. One of the best mental health tools out there.

[jcb986]

Enjoy it now. At 64 and after having 2 Austin Healeys, 1 MG, 1 MGA, 1 Fiat, 1 Alfa, 2 Corvette's, I found this one owner 2000 S with 64,000 K. This baby has all the options including a Valentine 1 installed in the mirror. Sticker was $69,000. It's an incredible car and the most fun one to drive. I wonder what VW has planned for them. Jerry

[FMThayer]

I absolutely love mine & in my opinion the 986 Boxster is one of the prettiest cars, Porsche or otherwise, ever made & will never grow old on me.

I would've been content without the S, but am enjoying all the extra S bits. If you're on the fence on buying a Boxster...don't hesitate, find a clean, well maintained one & you'll not regret it.

Some misc thoughts -The interior actually smells just like my '83 911 SC, the 6spd shifts flawlessly, the 3-spoke wheel looks tight, & I'm quite happy with the factory DSP stereo. The Connelly Hide Food has also made the seats very supple again & they're very comfy for my 6'2" frame. Porsche just did a phenomenal job setting up this car & you can tell it only weighs 2,850 lbs. And 250 HP is plenty for this rig on public roads.

The maintenance I've done so far was very straigtforward too; Oil & filter change, new spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter & cabin air filter. I ran some BG44K through the gas tank to help clean up the injectors, valves, etc. It just flat rips now & I'll see what she'll do up at Laguna Seca next month.

Best of all, my insurance hardly increased and there are some excellent deals on Boxsters out there, so good luck to anyone searching for their next one.

[eightsandaces]

Do you guys know who Navin R Johnson is? Well I was him in real life at an Esso station, I always loved cars, especially the one 911 that gassed there; ugly brown automatic or not. I like Porsche cars for many reasons, racing heritage is phenomenal, the passion the company puts into it's products is evident and backed with performance that matches the legendary swagger,


remember this one?




. Unlike say Pontiac (rest their souls) who used to slap vinyl and a spoiler on anything and deem it a "sports" version, wait for it............... sunbird...


The cars themselves are so crisp and fun, that every spring is just as fresh as opening a new Christmas gift.

[jetty1]

Originally Posted by dbw

Got my 2004 Boxster (my 1st!) last may and have out 22000 km on it since then. Age is 56. Should have done it years ago. One of the best mental health tools out there.

Just purchased an 06 987, social worker by trade, hoping that this will also provide some much needed decompression times for me as well!

[Pierre]

I got my first Porsche in 2003 it was a beatifull 2001 Lapis Blue Boxster and i fell in love with it.
Now i own a 2003 Speed Yellow Boxster S with 24,000 km on it.
I like the driving pleasure given by that piece of art.
Porsche for me is the summum of what a car must be, pure pleasure.
That's the car i dreaming of for many years.