Are the intake vents on the sides different?
 

I noticed today while getting in the boxster that the drivers side vent protrudes a bit more than the passenger side.

I inspected them a little more closely to see the lip around the passenger side vent is flat but the driver's side is sort of beveled.

Is that right? Or has someone changed one of them over the years?

If I remember correctly on certain MY the drivers side had a lip to deflect rain/water from being sucked into the intake. Not an issue with passenger side.

Same on my MY2000

Yes and mines a 2000, so that explains it. At first I thought the drivers side was loose and coming out.

Yes, the drivers side is different
There are a ton of threads on thus already

It is different but should not be loose. My guess is that your Boxster has been "de-snorked" and the louvered piece may have a broken attachment. They are a PIA to remove and it is easy to break something!:mad:

One sucks the other blows.

More to the point, the passenger side vent is not an intake vent, it is an egress vent.

they added that deflecting lip in 2000 on air intake side only ,to lessen the chance of sucking water into the tract at speed

thanks guys!