The Boxster or the Boxster S?

[BrantyB]

I think a lot will depend on the type of driving: if its a commuter or cruiser a base will likely suffice; but is its for hard driving, autoX, track, I'd say an S is the better route.

Ours is for a secondary cruiser/commuter and its been great. 6th gear is not missed since we haven't topped 90mph.

[bwdz]

You will never regret having more power as the S will not have enough at times either. Only thing that might be a turn off is the problems many people have with the 6 speed transmission but even that doesn't seem all that common except on the ones that are raced regularly. Typically the S will cost more to purchase initially. Just go with the best condition car you can afford and you will smile everyday you get behind the wheel.

[kk2002s]

When I decided to buy, I was only looking for an S. I just wanted everything that made the S. I don't think the 6 speed is necessarily a deal breaker but the rest of the upgrades were.
Now if you were to look into the 987 Base model, you will find their power levels are comparable to the 986 S. You don't get the brakes, suspension and so on.
So one way is to do a paper comparison, list the differences that make the S different from the Base and determine what things float your boat