986 or 987?? help please.

[Rail26]

987...987...987...987....987....987....987....987. ...987....987....987

[Brucelee]

I think it is premature to talk about the Cayman S until we actually have some ON THE ROAD.

The 997 is a sweet ride, drove one recently.

[lexuspilot]

Why is the 987 the superior car? Don't forget to include the money to paint the side intakes, cause they look like $hit. And so do the cheap plastic silver interior parts. But I guess all that goes with the japanese transmission.

[longislander1]

Methinks I hear sour grapes, LexusPilot. Just about every auto writer on the face of the earth agrees that the 987 is better. And the Japanese transmission, by the way, is great (Does your name mean that you're also a Lexus owner. Has it got a German transmission?). That doesn't mean the (Finnish-built) 986 is a bad car by any stretch of the imagination. There'll always be something better coming along and the 987 owners will someday find that a new version is passing us by. Some may say that day is almost here with the Cayman. Few of us would be surprised if the Cayman engine ends up in the '07 987S. When that happens, I'm not gonna cry over 15 more horsepower. Hell, I turned down 120 more by not choosing the Corvette.

Over 10 years, I enjoyed every day of my 968 even as other cars began to surpass it in 0-60 and other measures. I say enjoy what you have instead of criticizing what you don't.

[lexuspilot]

I don't have sour grapes. I was just replying to the blanket statement above that the 987 is the superior car. I can buy one right now, but I didn't feel compelled to because it didn't feel that superior. I think superior was just the wrong word. Different? Updated? Those would be more apt. I am not stabbing at 987 owners either. I love 987's but that post above had a tone like the 986 was $hit.

[lexuspilot]

Over 10 years, I enjoyed every day of my 968 even as other cars began to surpass it in 0-60 and other measures. I say enjoy what you have instead of criticizing what you don't.


Thats what I say too. Why didn't you reply like that to the post above? I don't have 987 envy as you imply. If I did, I would just buy it. I just can't can't get over the silver plastic. I did ask if the sport wheel gets rid of the silver plastic but never found out. I got a new 986 because I like the all black interior, I mean all black. If that was available in a 987 I would have one I guess.

This is the post I replied about:
The 987 looks better, and is generally the superior car from sd987.

Superior is just not the right word.

What do you mean finnish built? Weren't only some built in Fin?

[Perfectlap]

Superior is a loaded word in comparing the 987 to the 986.
On performance I can accept that readily. A great argument for best
handling Porsche ever built?
But on design/looks/aestetics/etc. I would have to say its different but
ceratinly not better. That design isn't going to be on any top 10 lists in Excellence.

The 986 design went essentially unchanged for 8 YEARS and was still a great seller.
Will the 987 look last 8 years? We'll see...

[longislander1]

Originally Posted by lexuspilot

[i]
What do you mean finnish built? Weren't only some built in Fin?

If you have U in your VIN, the car was built in Finland. S means Stuttgart. From what I've read, most Boxsters are built in Finland today. There have been stories that the quality control is better in Finland.

One reason why the 986 was a big seller is that it put a lot of people (many non-Porsche owners) into a Porsche convertible for an amount lower than they had seen in years. As I recall, the first 986s had a starting MSRP of $39,900, or something like that. The last 968 cabs were $51,900, excluding options, and at this price, there were few takers for a 4-cylinder. For the lower price, you got a six, but with 40 less horsepower, and they cheapened the interior even more (especially the seats). If I remember right, the lower horsepower and less aggressive looks are what led some people to label the Boxster a "chick car."

The 987 interior, at least in quality of materials, is a vast improvement over the miscellaneous black plastic bits in the 986. And for all the criticism of the 987's silver pieces, an awful lot of 986 owners have changed their interior trim to silver to give the car a richer look.