What drew you to the Boxster?
 

What drew you to the Boxster?
 

3 things:

#1, It is a Porsche!
#2, It was clearly designed for those who love to drive and delivers.
#3, It is beautiful without being flashy, while being eye catching enough to be noticed at every turn.

Bonus for me, it actually fits in my garage:) My daily driver, a Dodge RAM Sport 5.9 liter Magnum V8 is far too wide to even try squeezing into my garage.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1500615855.jpg

My parents used to have a 2003 S, which was brilliant. They have since replaced it with a 997 C4 and are currently considering a 991 Cabriolet.

Two years ago I was actually looking for a 944. I used to have an old 924, that broke down on me, but I've always been partial to that layout with a four cylinder engine at the front and rear wheel drive. When I was looking, I discovered that the cars I found were either mechanically sound, but in need of cosmetic repairs (interior and exterior), or it was the other way around.

My dad asked why I didn't look at a Boxster, so I did. There was one in particular that caught my eye. Not only because it was yellow, but also because it was extremely well kept and had only 62000 kms (~38500 miles) on the clock.

The moment I drove it, I discovered that this was the car I had been looking for.

I'm new here so I suppose this post can be my intro as well. My path to the Boxster:

About 7 years ago I stumbled over a barn-find AC Cobra replica. Had a lot of fun with the car but there's no way I can use it as a daily. No security, no weather protection, thirsty, etc. So I needed to find something similar a bit more practical.

3 years ago I decided on a 2002 MG TF. For those in countries where this car isn't sold, it's a small sporty 4 cylinder 2 seater, similar to the MX5. But it's mid-rear engined (basically a FWD setup at the rear of the car) so it handles well. It's got the usual HVAC, sound, electric everything. The roof is manual but no real hardship as it stays open 99% of the time. Being in Africa I could use it as a daily drive and only really needed to close it when parking it in a dodgy area, or in winter in case there was a shower when I was away from it. All was good in the world so I had to screw that up.

Late last year I decided I wanted a fun 4 seater because my BMW 330d econobox was too bland, and circumstance was pushing me into the 4 seater too often for my liking. So I bought a Subaru WRX. Still fairly new to me but a good move. The law of unintended consequences however kicked in and once the novelty of the Scooby had worn off I jumped into the MG for a drive and found it to be suddenly very very slow and not much fun to drive any more.

So here I was shopping for another toy. The Boxster kind of became an obvious choice. All the pros of the MG- practical, not too crazy running costs, mid engine, handling. Also nice to have a boxer engine like the Scooby, and an automatic roof didn't hurt. Similar power to the WRX albeit delivered differently.

I've had her for a month- 2000 Boxster S in dark blue (midnight?) with full tan leather interior. Same colour scheme as my soon-to-be-sold MG. Stock so far but my short shifter is on the way and I'm sure more upgrades will follow. Still in the honeymoon phase but I'm sure I'll be a Porsche owner for a long time.

At various times in my 20s I owned both 1.7L and 2.0L 914s. During that time I always thought, man when I'm pulling down serious money, I'm going to have a 914/6. Never did come to fruition however. Many sports cars, including some other Porsches, graced my garage over the decades but never a 914/6.

In late 2016, I started looking for a car to replace my recently departed Jaguar XKR and, frankly, owning another Porsche never entered my mind. Was mostly considering an Aston Martin Vantage v8 coupe or Lotus Evora. Happened across a couple of Boxsters while doing some random 'what other cars might be interesting' perusing and I remembered my promise to myself about the long forgotten 914/6. For me, the Boxster was a modern day version of the car I thought I would someday own, and it was a circle of life kind of thing that brought me back to the marque that started me on my long and satisfying sports car journey. Started looking for a 2009 or 2010 PDK Boxster S then came across the ad for my 2004 986 550 SE. Love at first sight and the rest is history :)

Simply, a Porsche, convertible, in great shape, and at a price I can afford!

I was going to upgrade the daily but then I'd only be moving to a newer 2.0 litre turbo diesel and just thought what's the point. I do large work miles and lets face it any tool for that purpose is going to be boring.

So I decided I'd go looking for a fun weekend summer toy. Two seats, convertible, good performance and capable of track work.

So Z4, SLK, S2000 were on the shortlist. So it had come down to the S2000 and was about to buy. Savage engine, chassis and gearbox. Brilliant when the Vtec comes on song.

However I had been thinking about the Boxster and wasn't sure. Always wanted one but thought it was a step too far but decided I should test drive one to rule it out.

Found an S in a garage and took it out. Could not stop grinning, the torque, the noise of the flat 6. It was an occasion and that was it. The quest for an S started.

Eventually found one and I must say I still can't stop grinning. Every drive is an occasion and as a touring car it's far more comfortable than the S2000 which is a fantastic machine also.

So I'm now hooked on flat sixes, funny the way things take a turn.


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It was in 1997, I gazed at a new Arena Red over Savannah, top down at a marina. Sold me right then and there.

Why Boxster?
 

Noise. Poise. Pose. Goes.

cheap track car.

Price value for a Porsche. The more I read the more impressed I was with what made it so popular. Of course there are the negatives in some of the engineering and I went into it with the full knowledge.
I can say that having driven it 45k miles for the last 5 years, I am not disappointed.
It's showing signs it needs the RMS, which of course is the slippery slope of Clutch, Flywheel, IMSB.
I would like a 911 or Cayman but this car sits quite a bit in the last year+ so what's the point of changing

I was making noises about wanting another sports car (haven't had one for 10 years or so). I wanted something with good performance, good looks, good reliability (I didn't know about ISB, AOS, etc.) as I'm not mechanical. My son told me his neighbor had put his up for sale. I drove it, liked the way it drove (986 S) but didn't like the color (black and showing lots of little scratches, swirl marks, dings) but that started me looking. A few weeks later I came across an ad in cars.com for the car I bought. It was a color I liked (arctic silver), had lo miles (10.8k) perfect - no dings, no marks, no curb rash), had maintenance record showing it was maintained "by the book," and while a higher price than most @ 17.5k, I felt it was well worth the price. That was a little over 3 years ago and I'm still in bliss every time I drive it which is almost every day from April through October.
Larry (The Bald Eagle)

+1 These cars are great fun/value

Brother in Law wanted to unload it and offered a great deal

Porsche. Roadster.

And depreciation (which allowed me to finally buy one).

I wanted something that handled well and was considering a Miata for a long time. That was until I realized that for the same price I could get a Boxster and it would be faster and more comfortable. Maintenance is more but honestly its been pretty reliable so far!

I wanted to but an early air cooled 911 in 2005. I spent several years trying to find one That I could afford and still drove. During my search I started to realize that the cost of a Boxster was the same as a poorly running 911.
It was to be a weekend spare car so I did not have any reason to settle for any particular car. After nearly 4 years of driving Boxsters and 996s I came across a 1974 911 that I was able to buy.

Then in 2013 I decided to rebuild the 74 and I bought a non running 2003 to get working and use for PCA events in the mean time. I will forever love the 74 but the Boxster top down is such a fun car and the wife loves to go places in it. The Boxster is our empty nest just us car.

During the 20 years I was in the Navy I had always wanted to own a two-seater convertible sports car. There were a thousand reasons (and being custodial single-parent to two kids) why it never happened. In the years after I left the service, once my kids were out of the house, the dream was still alive. I tried to satisfy the craving with a few other cars, of which a Miata came closest to what I wanted. It didn't work out.

And then, while surfing around online one day, I discovered this '02 S that caught my eye. Price was good, car seemed right, and the budget allowed me to buy it. The rest is history. I really, really like this car. I'm in this for the long haul. :cool:

Dave

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1500680936.jpg

Hit my early 50s (with all the baggage that carries with it!)...wanted a sporty convertible...it's a Porsche...it's (kind of) affordable...a no-brainer!!!

When I was about 5 years old I had one of my first video games. Full of anything and everything exciting that was out in the late 90s early 2000s (sadly no boxster though).

As I grew up I'd spend hours driving virtual XKRs, 911 turbos, Diablos, and even the rare mclaren f1 or Mercedes clk gtr.

However, two cars really caught my fancy. The BMW z8 and the carrera gt concept.

Fast forward 10 years and I was 16 all I knew is that I wanted a roadster. I knew it'd be my first car. I'd happily settle for a cheap Miata or z3 but upon searching I quickly realized that objectively in ever way the boxster was the best 1995 through 2008 roadster on the market. I had a huge affinity for the Porsche brand and I was amazed to see the value for money a 2.5 could be had for. I had grown accustomed to simulators like gran turismo and saw the benefit to a car with fantastic driving dynamics (and I also wanted something classy for date night ;) almost 4 years later and soon to be a teenager no more I can say porsches have served me very well for making for a spectacular date night car)


It helped that my dad worked as service advisor for a dealer network that had a Porsche dealer.

I started making the case to my parents about how it would cost no more than the average one or two generation back mustang that every other kid my age asked for.

We found a mechanically sound but with bad paint 2.5 that was struggling to sell in winter 2013. After a few test drives. I was sold. (And so we're my parents.)

Ultimate goal
 

Hi everyone,

at the age of 76 I bought my 2003 2.7, I have owned a lot of sportscast over the years, Morgan 3-wheelers, prewar M.G P type , Austin 7 special, MG TD , MGB and more recently 1997 MGF, and a Caterham super 7.

When it came to deciding on my (probably) last car I wanted a car with the handling and performance of the Super 7 with the practicality of the mid-engined MGF.

Only open car that meets all these needs is the Boxster, I wish I had been able to buy one a few years ago,http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1500693363.jpg

Reason for me is it is a classic mid engine layout and a lot of bang for the buck . I had built a 1975 914 chassis into a /6 GT clone complete with 3.0 911 SC engine . Did the welded flares , complete suspension makeover with 911 calipers/rotors she was a great running car . But it lacked creature comfort that is needed ( in my opinion ) when living in the Southeast . It is just too hot/humid to drive without AC . Either that or you lose too much driving time saying it's too hot out.
Enter the Boxster with all modern amenities , excellent handling , good storage space and affordable . Then throw in fantastic braking , nice 6 cylinder sound and the crash safety designed into the car what is not to like ? I traded the 914 to get the Boxster and have never missed it . My Boxster S GT3 clone is EVERYTHING i need and want , it does it all .

I ran a Chrysler-Jeep-Kia dealership for 33 years. About 5 years ago a customer comes in to trade a 98 stick Boxster. I go out to appraise it and after driving I thought to myself, this is fun to drive. Normally my appraisals lasted a few minutes. I drove in around for about 10 minutes. When you are around cars everyday and have driven almost everything you get to the point that you really dont get excited about many cars. They are just something to sell. That car really left an impression on me.
I used to be into restoring old Mustangs, one of the few cars that did excited me, but the older you get it becomes too hard. I retired and I sold my Mustangs but I kept thinking about that little red Boxster. Started looking for one, not knowing if Id really actually buy one, it had to be exactly what I wanted. Six months later I found this. Love it!http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1500733625.jpg

First time I saw one, I stopped and watched it go by, When I saw the central exhaust, I was sold.
How sexy is that car??????

It took a long time to get one, but I love it now.

Same for me. And more power than a Miata.

Loved Porsches ever since I was little, but the release of the Boxster 1998...the beauty of that car struck me...I was in love...2 years later I bought mine cash without test driving one before (picked it up in Zuffenhausen Nov2000).
I used EA's Porsche unleashed PC game to configure the color in their virtual show room (no car maker would offer anything like that at that time, so I had to improvise). I was pretty fast sure, it had to be a racing gray. Seal gray was just offered with MY01...bingo!

In my 20s I had owned 2 Alfa roadsters (1.3 and 1.5) and a '70 914-4. I got serious, got married, drove boring cars. After all the bills were paid my wife asked me "you have been looking in the classifieds for years, why don't you go buy one". So I started out sitting in and driving any sports car available. Many I dismissed within a few miles, some in a few blocks. I was looking for something I could enjoy every day and traffic had gotten to the point where, to do that, an automatic was needed.

I saw an ad for a Boxster in the next state over and drove over to see it. 2 miles and I knew. '99, first one I drove. Put a deposit down and went home to get a driver to transfer the car. Came back to pay and found her kids had driven their bikes against the side and seemingly scratched the side. Settled on an amount to fix it. I took it home, polished out the scratches and pocketed the "professionals" estimate. Loved it. 4 months later I totaled it and the insurance company paid me more than they knew I paid for it. I bought a '01S with snow on the ground. Drove it as a DD for several years until I retired and found it getting maybe 500 miles a year and me living 50 miles from any P-car mechanic. Time to sell. Sold in 3 hours from posting on CL. I've tracked it since through its 4th and 5th owner and about 95k last I heard.

Both of the cars were stunningly reliable and tremendous fun. If I had a three car garage, I'd buy another.

It was this episode of "COPS" which first attracted me. Ever since I saw it, I thought to myself; Damn that is a great car, but I could never afford one. Then looking for a car for my wife (Mazda MX-5), I saw one for sale and had to have it after test driving it!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84L-XRgSto0