I hate air-cpoleds and inflated 924's (mini rant inside regarding 986's)
 

From PCA.org

Five vastly underrated Porsches
Monday, June 11, 2018

Photos courtesy Porsche unless noted

Most people agree on what the undeniably great Porsches are—they gather crowds at Werks Reunion and enthusiastic bidders at fancy auctions. It’s the merits of the hidden gems of the Porsche world that are the bones of contention among enthusiasts. They’re often cars that were overshadowed by what came next or were underappreciated back in the day. Here are five Porsches that are much better cars than most people realize:

928S


Note: The 928S pictured above is a 1985 model year.

Most of the action in the 928 world at the moment is at the beginning and the end. 928 geeks go nuts over an early car with phone dial wheels, no body side rub-strips, and a Pasha interior. They go equally crazy for the wide-body GTS that was the 928’s swan song. Lost are the mid-year cars, in particular, the 928S, which in the US gained a slightly more powerful, 234-horsepower 4.7-liter engine for 1983 and 1984. Fortunately for model years 1985 and 1986, US-market 928Ss received a version of the new 5.0-liter V8 with 288 hp, making the car an even more capable grand tourer and a much closer match to the more powerful European 928S.

924S

To the extent that most people remember the 924S at all, they confuse it with the earlier Audi-engined car. In actuality, the 150-horsepower 924S was a true sleeper, combining the 944’s Porsche-designed, balance-shaft 2.5-liter four-cylinder with the lighter, simpler 924 body and interior. The car handled brilliantly and was reasonably quick, particularly in its last year, 1988, when it got a horsepower bump up to nearly 160 hp.

1973.5 911T

Every iteration of the 911T was underrated. It was always the lowest horsepower variant of the T/E/S lineup, which sometimes made enthusiasts obsessed with bragging rights sneer. The buff books of the day knew better, almost always pegging the 911T as the best daily driver of the three. To a modern owner, carbs and then the mechanical fuel injection that the T had from 1972 through mid-1973 can present an occasional challenge. The Bosch K-Jetronic CIS-injected 1973.5 car might be the most underrated 911T of them all. The CIS system meant that the car always started quickly even from cold and ran sweetly, with no flat spots. And since the injection system was similar to the one used all of the way through 1983, it’s a relatively known quantity.

1969 912


Photo by Niels de Wit from Lunteren, The Netherlands. CC BY 2.0 (link is external) via Wikimedia Commons

Most of the attention given to the 912 centers on the early short-wheelbase cars with their green-faced, chrome-ringed gauges and unflared fenders. The unique, final-year 1969 car is generally overlooked in spite of the fact that its numerous refinements likely make it a better car to drive, with slightly better weight distribution and handling from the wheelbase stretch and the ability to accommodate wider tires.

996 Carrera

For reasons that have largely been explained/debunked at this point, the 996 has been a consistently underrated car. And while its days in the woods are behind it, most of the attention has been given to the Carrera 4S and Turbo variants, which ignores what an accessible and pleasurable driver’s car the base Carrera 2 is, much like the 911T was 30 years earlier.


My response

OK...I've got to ask.

How in the world did the 986 Boxster not make this article?

Suddenly the 924S is getting press it hasn't received in 30 years, the 928 is the next "it" Porsche, somehow you managed to sneak in a longhood 911, the 912 is not underrated by looking at the prices they are commanding these days, and last but not least, the 996 I can agree with but the photo depicts the more desirable 996.2..."true Porsche enthusiast" would never buy the underdog 996.1.

How does the much better handling, better performing, with heritage styling back to the 550 and 356/1 always elude Porsche conversations?

Can we get over the air-cooled hysteria already? The facts show the air-cooled 964, ancient 928, and refreshed for the 4th time 924, err I mean 968 almost killed Porsche. The Boxster saved it but that somehow gets glossed over time and time again.

It's time the 986 gets the credit it deserves...or wait!
Don't let anyone else know how much of a great daily driver and modern car it is. We wouldn't want the 986 to catch "911 hysteria" having retirees, baby boomers with a fat 401K, and Silicon Valley titans inflate the values of Stuttgart's best bang for the buck.

Kind regards,
Underdog 986 owner.

Part of it is that the 986s are really common. They are everywhere, whereas the cars mentioned in the article (with the exception of the 996) are pretty rare these days.

I agree with RB, not where I live but in general the number production number of 986 porsches was really high.

I never liked the 924, would like a 928S. I missed a purchase of one with the 5 speed 320HP motor,when I moved to Germany for $7500.

If and when the 986 becomes more collectable I beleive the S will hold more value in the long run. But probably take another 15 years, as more 986 cars die off. Now as to being on a list of great driving cars they better be there.

The 986 is a point blank street legal go cart. In another 10 years the fine examples will be sought after and then valued and appreciated. When I think back, I had a half dozen VW buses that were considered spartan slugs and a FJ 40 that rode like a buckboard. Now they are like gold.....who would have thought... In the meantime enjoy the secrecy and the drive.

I owned a 88 944S na.loved it.Moved to a 99 986 tip love it. Two completely different feels.

I always like the 944S, i drive my friends on the autobahn was really fun, topped out at 145MPH. Lol

Same day rode in A TT Gt3, 188 MPH roughly. Lol

Just like to point out that they also jumped past the 914...which if you squint really, really hard at a great distance *could* (ahem, cough-cough) be seen as the predecessor of the Boxster. Keeping with the "squinting-at-distance", all of the cars listed in the article *could* be seen by the uninformed as some version of the 911. Here is where I feel the issue lies...if it's not the "shape of" a 911, it's not really a Porsche...which is why I would guess that in the future the Cayenne, the Macan, the Panamara and yes, any version of the Boxster will be overlooked. Strangely enough, the Cayman *might* be spared this fate.

As a disclaimer, I don't subscribe to this view, it's only an opinion...and quite probably an incorrect one. ;)

Porsche sold a lot of 944s, so it took 30 yrs to thin the herd down. Probably have another 10 yrs to go before the Boxster is in the same boat and starts to appreciate.

Last mo I saw an 81 928 w/ manual trans for sale in KC. Not rusty, needed some dash / int work, didn't run but sounded like a simple fix based on the symptoms and Internet searches. $2500. I still had the 09 Boxster and didn't have the funds or the storage for another project. I keep a list of "next potential Wheeler Dealer cars" and this one was on the top of my list. Sadly, it sold before I sold the 09. Think if I had gotten it to run and put the dash back together, there would have been a lot of meat on that bone. Oh well...

I also missed out by 2 wks on a very nice 83 Datsun 280ZX - 60K mi, 5spd, 2 seater, brown 2 tone for $5K. That one was gone in 3 days.

I may have my next W-D car in a few days. Stay tuned...

I just bought my first Boxster last month, but I've been into air-cooled cars for a while before that, and I've owned a couple 914's over the years. What the OP said is EXACTLY what almost every 914 owner has been saying for decades until about 2 years ago when they finally started getting recognized. Go over to 914world.com and you'll find thread and after thread of how under appreciated the 914 is. About how it's a better car than its contemporary 911. About how it always gets crapped on by automotive journalists. And how if it had been given the engine that its contemporary 911 had, it would've outperformed Porsche's "favorite son" due to better handling and balance. Sound familiar? :)

And you know what, I miss the days when the 914 was under appreciated, because I love them! My first one I sold for $5k a while back. My 2nd one I sold for $15k two years ago. They're getting beyond what I'm willing to spend on a toy now for a decent one, which is what led me to the Boxster. Enjoy the low prices and under appreciated status while it lasts! People in the know are aware these are great cars. Who cares what anyone else thinks!

Well, the 986 looks just like a 996 with a smaller ass... I think the reality is these cars, in good examples are going away quite fast. I was just in the Sportcar Together Rally here and of AT LEAST 120 cars, only 5 or 6 986’s were present. Looking at my local sales stuff there were only 7 986’s listed and a year and a half ago there where more than 30... either it’s a glitch, or something is happening. At the end, doesn’t really matter, I’m just gonna drive my car and keep it in as good a shape as possible and it will reward that effort, one way or another!

I went to my first Porsche meet up and was the only Boxster there. The rest were 911's of varying vintages and Cayman's. Everyone gravitated to the 964's, Cayman, GT3's, Turbos, while my "half a 996" sat alone.
It currently is the red headed step child and I prefer that it stays that way. People who know Boxsters will appreciate it for what it is, a great performing car with a reasonable cost of entry (we won't discuss maintenance costs)
Let's keep it Porsche's dirty secret.

The 914-6 would like to have a word with you. ;)

I've owned several 924s since 1977 and have enjoyed driving them as much as any of my other Porsches. I have abused them thoroughly including using them as daily drivers during winters with great success and while enjoying low costs.

It takes 30-40 years for a car to find its place in history. Some cars find long-term acclaim and others are left to be forgotten.

The Boxster's legacy is yet to be written.

So be sure to check back here around 2030 or so to see what has become of the 986 Boxster. I'm pretty sure that I'll still be posting here. :)

I suggest the OP just grow some thicker skin and enjoy the hell out of his 986.

Just sayin'.............

TO

Well, I'm happy to see the 924S getting some recognition. I love mine, and I definitely think it's one of those cars that looks better in person than it does in photos. I probably get more comments from strangers on that car than the Boxster.

Nice fleet Kirk. I passed a 924 for sale on Friday at a gas station for 5k. I should have stopped. Very cool indeed.

I had a 924 Turbo that I really loved. I also had a 924S that was a very willing car. Need to see if I can scrape up some pics.

I agree that we’re a decade or more away from seeing where the 986 fits in Porsche history and value.

I’m quite happy with my 986 but more and more I’m looking at picking up a 996 Carrera 4S with the turbo body while they’re still relatively cheap. Who knows what the future holds in store.

If you saw the article/video, Porsche put out it’s most iconic cars of the decades and the 986 was the 90’s. Their perspective is this is the car that allowed the company to be what it is today...

http://www.thedrive.com/news/21103/porsche-picks-its-seven-most-iconic-cars-in-seven-decades

The 70-72 914-6 had the 2.0 from the '69 911T. In the 70 model year when the 914-6 was introduced, the same year 911T became a 2.2 so that even the least powerful 911 still had more power than the most powerful 914.
Again, no version of the 914 had the same engine as it's contemporary 911. It was kept a few tenths of a liter smaller, and that tradition continued with the Boxster.
There's a reason that a large number of 914 owners regard the Boxster as the modern 914 ;)

I’m a lifelong PCA member who’s owned Porsche’s for years. I’m daily driving my 986 as much as possible you big jerk 😂 The other cars in the garage aren’t getting driven nearly enough.

My rant is in jest, picking on the PCA elitist who look down on us, treating us as the Rodney Dangerfield of Porsche

The Boxster will get it's due in due time. As for the large 401K comment...all I can say is invest as much as you are allowed and don't touch it. When you get older you will be surprized at how much you have. Then buy what you want.

And I've owned eight Porsches (not Porsche's) since 1974, each one of them a daily driver.

I've also felt the "elitist" attitude you refer to. Just get over it, you big jerk.

Just sayin' ............

TO

p.s. For all his ranting, Rodney Dangerfield was a huge success.

At the risk of reigniting the fisticuffs (please don't), PCA just released an article about the Boxster being underrated. Maybe it won't take 30 yrs for it to be appreciated.

https://www.pca.org/news/2018-06-26/why-986-boxster-porsche-we-should-all-be-shopping

Values of 996s starting to appreciate doesn't hurt either. A rising tide lifts all boats, as they say.

Keep in mind as well, the prices of the air cooled cars are getting silly... There aren't many models left to chose from in the reasonable realm. Even though there is the lust of the air cooled cars, many still want something more modern... that leaves the 996/986 era pretty much. Also, with plug ins becoming more and more the "thing" as time goes on, cars that have "normal" engines will start to become more desirable. If nothing else, it will be a fun ride! Still miss my '84 911 though!!!!

Not if they legislate them out of existence first. If we are lucky they will grant permits so they can be driven X days a month, with they accompanying environmental levy of course.
On those blessed days where you are allowed to drive, you will need to deal with the general public. A public that will brow beat you at every turn for murdering mother earth.
Enjoy them while you can. I'm going out to piss off a Prius driver.

I'm not saying I stirred the pot at PCA, but this article did come out within a few weeks of my email to them

:cheers:

That's what I'm saying! Air-cooleds have gotten out of control at an alarming rate.

Funny you say that. We're looking at a Tesla 3 when the daily drivers lease is up.

There's nothing like the sound of that air-cooled flat 6! I can't agree more. Miss the Slantnose we use to have.