Buying my first porsche advice
 

Hi all,

I am currently 19 years old. At age 16 I started a mobile detailing company and had some great success. Since getting my license i have had 9 cars: a BMW 330ci, BMW 635csi, B5 A4 big turbo, 2 b5 S4's, a c5 A6 stage 3, BMW 540i, Triumph Spitfire, and Jaguar S Type R. I just received an amazing job offer to be a real estate broker at a luxury agency. needless to say, I'm ready for a Porsche. As far back as i can remember i have wanted a Porsche and I am excited for my dream to come true. I just have a few questions for the seasoned Porsche owners..

Between a 997 base 911, or a late model 986 Boxster S, which would you prefer? My budget is around 15k. I found a beautiful '03 Boxster S with 50k miles which i am strongly considering, here is the link: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/667939134/overview/

I'm curious to hear any advice you would recommend for a young kid looking for their first Porsche.

I am excited to be a part of the Porsche community!

Dimitri

Good for you on your business success.

This is a Boxster forum, so most will tell you to buy a Boxster. The best advice is for you to drive both and decide for yourself. They're very different cars, so one will light your fire and the other one may not. Each has pluses and minuses that will be obvious to you. You're the one who will know which to buy.

Are you familiar with IMS? If not, do a search and you'll find TONS of info on it here. The trimmed down version is this: a 986 will have the IMS that is more prone to fail vs a 997 (or 987). However, the 986 IMS can be easily replaced with a version that is quite reliable while the 997's IMS requires a total engine tear-down to replace. There are no reliable numbers but estimates are the 986 IMS fails at a 10% rate while the updated IMS fails at a 1% rate.

I'm sorry to bring IMS up and I hope my quick description is enough to end the discussion here. I don't want this thread to become another IMS thread, but wanted you to be aware of the situation. No need to be scared of it, just be informed.

Good luck with your decision and hopefully you'll find the right Porsche for you. There are no wrong answers when joining the Porsche family.

Congrats on being in this position, particularly at your age! It really depends on what you want. Many will say buy the newest Porsche you can afford, just make sure you leave something in the bank for initial/future repairs. No matter what you get, be sure to have a PPI done at a shop that specializes in Porsches. The car you linked to "looks" nice but without driving it and seeing it in person, it is hard to tell. I would definitely get an S all things being equal, more HP, better brakes, all around just a little more robust and usually not much more expensive than a base. The price on this one seems a little high, but I am sure there is negotiation wiggle room. My advice is be patient and drive several cars. When you find "the one", you will know. Good luck in your search and keep us up to date!

r u using the car for real estate work? If so the car might not work for passengers. I used mine for work for sales but I was always alone.

Welcome and congrats.

I'm young myself, if you care at all about street cred go 911

As for driving pleasure a clean well cared for and well optioned Boxster S is a way to never go wrong. The kind of 911 you can get with your budget is likely to be a lot more rough around the edges as apposed to a well cared for boxster.

You could get a 996 though. Maintenance on the two cars is the same, it's all down to which has better driving characteristics for you and if you like the 911 more is it worth paying more and or getting a car with more miles then a comparable Boxster.