986 2.5L vs 996 3.4L Comparison

[southernstar]

I agree that as a group the potential buyers for the 911 and Boxster/Cayman are not identical, but there is obviously some overlap as thstone, the OP in this thread shows. I also believe that he is not merely the exception that proves the rule, as others here have opined that they would have purchased the 996 over the 986 if prices had been similar at the time of purchase. Indeed, prior to my purchase of a 986 I also tested a couple of 996's to see which I preferred.

I suspect that while some people would only consider a 911 (whether for status, rear jump seats, or increased comfort), and while others would only consider the Boxster/Cayman (lower price, or a preference for a mid-engined car with better transient response and turn-in), there are others who are interested in purchasing a sports car and, in many cases, a Porsche sports car specifically. For those, recent tests and the comments of Walter Rohrl and others cannot help but move some in the direction of the Boxster/Cayman. The extent to which this will bleed away sales from the 911 is yet to be determined, but we cannot overlook the fact that at one time the Boxster alone (without the hardtop Cayman version) outsold the 911.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by southernstar

I also believe that he is not merely the exception that proves the rule, as others here have opined that they would have purchased the 996 over the 986 if prices had been similar at the time of purchase..

Which is why most Boxster owners do not repeat, they really weren't 'roadster' drivers at heart. They were either A) curious, as most people are about convertibles in general, or B) in the second hand market, they made the flawed assumption that buying the Boxster itself was cheaper without taking into account the maintenance and repairs -- running a Boxster is not really any cheaper than running a water-cooled non-GT/Turbo Carrera. The Boxster requires nearly the exact same or very similar over-priced parts, expensive oil changes and specialized labor just the same. As far as convertibles, the Boxster design itself brought in customers who had thought about Porsches and finally buying a convertible merged the two dreams.

The 996 didn't have that draw, so it didn't have the 'untapped market' element of the convertible. As a result in the begining the Boxster cast a much wider sales net than the 996. Many other brands have done this with convertibles as well. Put it this way if the Cayman had been launched years before the Boxster it would not have outsold the 996. Afterall the Boxster was the first ever purpose built roadster by Porsche. Just like the Cayenne (long overdue) also had the untapped market element of the first Porsche SUV. Both Boxster and Cayenne brought in many looking for that specific vehicle type first, brand second. On the other hand the 996 draw was more about mechanical practicality. The potential for building Carrera sales numbers was better in the long term, once reliablity relative to the 'antique' Carreras, was proven. Once the convertible itch was scratched the sales figures didn't really build the same way, if they increased at all. Also why Carrera owners are much more likely to be repeat Carrera buyers than Boxster owners. And the enormous supply of 996/997 means that even if the new 991 Carreras are not to the coupe drivers' liking they have plenty, really endless variations, of water-cooled Carrera options at significant discounts. And as we know, most of those are recreational drivers who arent' really interested in the performance advantages of a mid-engine car. Certainly not if means being in a less comfortable, less practical car.

[southernstar]

Interesting analysis and you may be right. On the other hand, I still believe that many purchasers of the 986 Boxster did so not just because it was a Porsche and a roadster (there were also Miatas and BMW's and by 2000, Honda roadsters), but because it was a mid-engined Porsche roadster with styling cues that referred back to the great mid-engined racing Porsches of the 50's; and. because it was very close in appearance and performance to the pre-2002 996. If it was merely a matter of merging the desire for a Porsche and a roadster, then one would have expected the 944 S2 roadster to have sold in much larger numbers than it did. Yes, I know that the 944 was originally released as a hardtop, but does anyone really believe that most customers care whether a particular roadster was designed that way from the outset?

I tend to agree that some of the people who purchase roadsters are not really 'roadster' people. More commonly, however, we see people who have a change in circumstance over time that makes them no longer interested in/capable of owning a roadster (children, relocation to a cold climate, spouses who do not enjoy top-down motoring, etc.). It is not that they weren't 'roadster' people, but rather that a change in circumstance rendered them unable to continue owning one. I was one such person.

In my late teens through early thirties I owned a seiries of sports cars including, in no particular order, a Fiat 850 Spyder, two Fiat X-19's, a Porsche 356B, a Porsche 944 and two Datsun Z's - a 240 and a 260. I loved owning and driving sports cars and having owned both roadsters and hardtops, I can say that I preferred open-air motoring. Please understand that at no time did I lose the desire to own such a car (in fact, I seriously lusted after the 986 upon its introduction); however, circumstances meant that until my children were grown, I was unable to justify the expense of owning one.

Now that my children are grown (essentially - a couple still return home to live from time to time - lol) I was able to justify buying a Boxster as my own toy. I know of many similar stories - of people in their 40's, 50's and 60's who are finally able to either satisfy an urge that they were unable to fulfill when younger, or to buy their first roadster/2 seat hardtop sportscar in many years. So yes, I believe that many who do not/cannot replace a roadster/2 seat sports car with another, will eventually do so down the road. I also believe that the number of people who actually want to buy such a car remains relatively constant.

If I am right and the improvements to the 981 Boxster and Cayman siphon off some sales from the 991, then we should see that reflected in sales over the next couple of years. If you are right, then the relative proportion of sales as between the new Boxster/Cayman and the new 911 should remain roughly constant. Regardless of who turns out to be right, a fun discussion! Thanks.


Brad