986 versus 911
 

Hello-
I am a fairly new owner of a wonderful 2004 special edition Boxster S, and I cant seem to quite understand the whole "poor mans Porsche" label.
If you search my other posts, I am not new to repair, and did my own IMS.
I just don't understand the label as just about everything on on this car is 911 compatible.

My special edition was made in Finland, but it appears to be spot on.

BR

Hey Blackroot. It is easy to understand, the Boxster is not a 911, that is the problem. If there were no 911 then the Boxster would not have the Poor Man's Porsche label given to it sometimes. At times I use to find myself trying to justify to people about the Boxster, but I don't now. The same way other people don't have to justify whatever they drive. I drive and enjoy.

Try driving a 914 or 944 ..... grannies hit you with their unbrellas and school children spit at you :D To the purists the 911 is the only Porsche to own all other models are less than . I always smile and wave as I blow by them in the beast !!!

Enjoy your car! Last summer I went from a 2000 Box S to a 2003 C2 Cab. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity so I’m happy with my decision. That being said, my next car may well be another Boxster S of some sort.

04 special is not slow, and I am proud to drive it after countless working hours.
I want a 911, yes, but this car will never be sold

It depends how you define advantage: Interior- Boxsters are similar to 911s (of similar year); Performance: Mid engine outperforms a rear engine; Price: Boxsters again have the advantage.

Due to its (now) 50 year history, many believe the 911 to be the only proper Porsche (with a passing nod to the 356).

The Boxster is generally given the label of being "the poor man's Porsche" since it was purposefully designed to be the cheapest of the product line and was marketed to those who couldn't afford a 911. Formerly, this title was bestowed upon the 914 during the 70's and the 924/944 (the "Audi" of Porsche's) during 80's.

I have owned both a 986 and a 996 and despite different mechanical layout, I would say that the two cars were similarly built and appointed. Swap a 3.4L engine into a 986 along with equal sized tires and the Boxster could definitely match or possibly outperform the 996. But there is no doubt that the 986 does not share the 911's heritage.

I own both (2002 boxster s and 2001 911). They both have there place.

I drive the Boxster daily as it just feels more alive and fun to drive. In stock form the 911 is a faster car, but wow the Boxsters predictable and rail like handling is hard to beat.

Now add the wife and we always take the 911, it has a slightly more polished ride, better sound system, and seems to be quieter even with the top down.

I have not had the Boxster on the track yet, but the 911 is a blast on the track. With my VERY novice self in the car, the 911 in the straights and boxster in the corners but I was starting to learn the 911 in the corners.

If I could only have one, I don't know which I would keep, probably the 911 due to the 6 year old claiming it "her" car and loving to go for rides.

If the "911" series of cars were the only offering from porsche, I would still be a porsche-hater. They're the camaro of European cars: the "me too" expression in its most obvious form. Why anyone would take that dough and spend it that way is well beyond me.... I can think of DOZENS of cars I'd prefer for the same money. (And I guess I've shown that repeatedly with the other cars I own and have owned)

As someone in another thread said today: it's good we don't all have the same taste, or opinion. Haha

I learned to enjoy porsche as a marque only by experiencing the cheap thrills a boxster offers. There are only a couple of things a man can do with $8k that bring as many smiles as a Boxster S.

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Well said.

Don't let other people affect your mood....
 

With Porsche, it's the 911 folks.

With Ducati, it's the Superbike folks

With Ferrari, it's the V12 folks.

With Corvette, it's the Z06 or ZR1 folks.

Don't worry about what anybody else thinks. They are morons.

Enjoy your wonderful machine.

How many mid-engined, two seat, convertible sports cars have ever been built? And how many of them can we actually afford?

You have a "proper" sports car, with TWO trunks.

Think about this, if you leave out the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder, the Boxster is the LAST sports car Porsche has ever designed from scratch. And it's the car that saved the company.

They have not designed any new sports cars since the Boxster. The Cayman was just a hard top evolution of the Boxster. And the 986 was a "PURE" sports, designed by Porsche when their back was against the wall and they needed a home run to save the company. It was the very best they could do at the time. And they nailed it.

Next time some Gucci wearing car snob talks trash about your "...Porsche with panties on it" as they said on the "The Sopranos", just smile and say, "Yeah you're right, I guess that's why Porsche made the new RSR mid-engined, just like my Boxster, to try to win LeMans."

And chuckle as you drive away.

:cheers:

"If the "911" series of cars were the only offering from porsche, I would still be a porsche-hater. "

I would have agreed with you years ago but the 911 kind of grew on me over the last 5 years or so. the 911 was never the car I hoped to own one day...wasn't even that much of a fan of the style. After owning the Boxster for 10 years and finding out that I could maintain it myself, I begin to look at 911's as a viable alternative as I found the 996 variant was as much a 'red headed step child' as the Boxster.
Given the 'unlove' the 996 has endured, it seemed to be worth considering, knowing it would be very Boxster like in terms of feel and maintenance. Why not give one a try?

I am not disappointed.

That being said, a well loved and cared for Box in the ~$10K range cannot be beat. Hands down the most bang for the buck one can find. The Box owes no apologies. I look at used ones every night and would buy one to replace the 911 in a heartbeat if the right opportunity came up. In the mean time, I'll enjoy the heck out of my 'real' Porsche!

agreed. I owned two different 996s and really loved them. The aero kit 99 C2 especially was a beauty; but I sold it and bought a project 99 base Boxster. it's 3/4 the fun of a 996 at 1/2 the price :)

Right!?
We just finished one of these on the JEEP forum..... which jeeps are "real" jeeps. My wife's renegade is so disrespected, you can't even get a "jeep wave".... haha.

To be frank though: porsche owners tend to be (at least in my 9 months of ownership experience) the least snobbish of any group. My first PCA event (intermountain region) the were a couple of 944's that couldn't have been worth more than about $3k, and a couple of nice GT3RS or some- such designation (I honestly can't keep track of all the levels of offerings) in attendance. Nobody seemed to care who had the most or least expensive cars.... they just enjoyed that we were all there. Ferrari people aren't like that.... hell, you show up in a $60k f355 and you'll get ignored and spurned by the 458/488 crowd.... ducatisti all dismiss non-superbikes (until you blow past them on the racetrack on a 2- valve air- cooled, haha).....it's all silly.

Porsche-philes figured this part of it out. It's made me enjoy the experience just that much more.



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The Boxster has always been deliberately de-contented from/by the factory so as not to interfere with the greater profits from selling a 911.

I never wanted a 911. I owned a 986 and 986S for road use, not track. Only bought the S because I totaled the '99 base and the insurance payout was more than enough for the '01 S. I prefer the lighter convertible form and the two trunks for 2 person get-aways.

We are really fortunate to be able to own either.

I suspect that most people who make negative comments about Boxsters have never driven one. When I was in high school someone made a remark about a friend’s girlfriend. My friend turned to him and said “Don’t complain about steak when you are eating Spam.” Maybe I’ll say the same thing next time someone makes a negative assessment of a Boxster.

I'm glad that you've had a great experience thus far. My personal experience was not the same. I had an owner of a 997 tell me to my face that my 996 was a piece of schit.

But as 10/10s stated, not only does this happen in every group, it keeps going and going. The 911 guys quickly group into air-cooled vs water cooled. And then the air cooled guys group into long hoods vs short hoods while the water cooled guys group into GT-3 and not-GT-3.

And you'd think that I'd be one of the cool kids since I daily drive an air-cooled 911, but you'd be surprised at the off hand remarks that I get about driving a 911SC (also known as the poor man's air cooled G-series 911). Its endless!

The best thing to do is to rise above it and be confident in the decisions that you made with your own money and for the experiences that you have had in the car of your choice.

Well after reading a few post, My .02 I've owned a few 914 (have a 1973 2.0 now)
and a 2000 Boxster 3.4 FUN FUN FUN.
of all the cars I've owned the 914 was the only one I missed driving.
But now that I have the boxster....WOW!
Love it.
and yes some people kid me...:D

Good reading. I am an ex Corvette Z06 guy that did a lot of time trials. Time to think about retiring so I sold the Z06. I started missing not owning a sports car. Initially I was looking at 1998-2002 911's. This past November I purchased a 2000 S 986. Very nice condition with IMS already replaced in October of 2018. Got to say, I really enjoyed driving to work, (I live in outside Athens GA so nice country rds). Ill keep the 986.. It was the best deal for the $ I wanted to spend. I am proud Porsche owner now!

As the owner of a 1966 912 and a 1999 Boxster base, I thought the 912 was labeled as the "poor mans Porsche". Try buying parts for the 912, cant be a poor man to afford anything 912 related, i.e. $450 for a crappy looking hood badge. Serious?

Blackroot you can hold your head up that your not driving a Base, the poor man's Boxster, or the basic 'S' the poor man's 'S'
I'm always grounded about this debate when I think that new my 02 was $65k+. That ain't no poor man's car.
But as said before, this tendency is not restricted to cars, Porsches, it's with so many material things.
I just bought the poor man's Adventure motorcycle, Kawasaki KLR650. when I meet up for a trail ride, there's a bit of getting looked up and down. This includes the riding gear one wears

By the way I have been known to Pee 12 feet from where I stand. 911 owners eat that
By the way I would move to a 911 from my Boxster if I could justify it.

I think it is better to at least own these "poor man's" things and experience the ride then to not experience the ride because you can't afford the high end and therefore won't consider the poor man's version.

I own a 993TT, just recently sold a 997TT, and have my 99 boxster 3.2 and to be frank, the boxster is just such a fun car to drive. Its a perfect blend of power, handling, useability, etc. I don't find the car to be attractive looks wise, especially compared to a 993, but its truly a toss up when it comes to what keys to grab.

a 986 with a beefed up 3.4/3.6 is an absolute blast at the track and you'll catch more expensive hardware no problem.

Our local PCA chapter is rather small but even here there is a pecking order. 911's rule the roost but all in all even the GT3 owners show interest and respect for the lowly Boxsters if they are well maintained and presentable. We only have 180 or so members and a good number are Boxster owners of all vintages but the vast majority are 911 owners.

The track is a major equalizer. My club is full of GT3s, GT3RSs, Turbos and other high end cars. Many times I have been complimented on how fast I am (excuse my seeming lack of humility). Ironically, I have one of the least powerful cars at the track! :)

I think one of the advantages of the Boxster on track is the price...

I find I'm willing the thrash the Boxster until the bleeding edge...
Where a nicer 911 -- with the $$ to back it up -- I wouldn't have the heart to drive it that
level of disregard.

It also helps that the Boxster is a very responsive and forgiving platform.

Of course I learned to track/race a 944... So your mileage and track times may vary...

Mike

These comments, and the time everyone made to make them, are very much appreciated.
Many thank yous
BR

Here she is. All back together

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1546980974.jpg

I have both a 04 Boxster S and a 04 996

While I love the extra power of the 996, for pure driving enjoyment, my Boxster is the one.

I have to agree. I have owned a lot of fast cars, gt500's, corvettes(driven),Mercedes AMG.
I keep telling my wife this car is something special.
Its on rails

I always thought the car got it's name from being the cheapest Porsche available at the that time of production.

As for the 911.... I can honestly say my Boxster S is a lot faster than my father's 911 ever was :p Dad's 912 ..... Well yeah.... it looked fast.... but I think a stock VW beetle of the same era had the same 1/4 mile time :p

I must be hanging around the wrong people because I never get grief about driving a Boxster. I know quite a few VERY VERY rich people who own a 986 boxster for racing and pleasure. I do look forward the day someone tries telling me the boxster is a poor man's porsche.

The other car in my garage is an 06 Gallardo. I had 4 911 all air cooled. when it came time to hit the track I chose to buy a 986 - simply put mid engine and bang for the buck. Mid engine is simply better - if they only gave us 911 power.

I rather call the Boxster/Cayman the smart man's Porsche!

That 06 is a beauty! What color is your ride?

Giallo Midas - Pearl Yellow - it is really stunning

Last year when our PCA group did a drive and dine I was placed right in the middle of the 911 guys and we all were getting pretty crazy on the Ohio country roads and I can tell you my 00S Box hung right in there with those 911's and I was not holding anybody up. My car was probably the cheapest one there but it was performing as the cost of a 911 : )

I’ve driven versions of air cooled 911’s as well as water cooled ones and a few Boxsters except more recent generation. Also, I own a 993 turbo and a 986S 550 SE.

A few months ago a drove a 996 cabriolet for a friend and used the Boxster that same day and the more fun car is without question the 986. It is such a useful car I’m thinking of keeping it for many years. Done a three weeks trip in the summer of 2017 from northern Europe to France and Italy including Corsica and Elba. I could not think of any better car to do that trip. The Boxster is low key enough to park it anywhere. Exceptionally fun to drive but comfortable enough for many hours behind the wheel.

I too used to rate the 986 when new as a hair dressers car more or less. Too easy to drive, a bite tame. Not as raw as I might have hoped. Too high expectations in hindsight.

I remembered how well-balanced the Boxster where overall after all those years. A few years ago I thought to myself I should find one for a test drive. See if my opinion had change as I got older. I could not think of any better road car at that price point new or secondhand. Still, an analog car, manual gearbox, Mid engine, nice sound, low key and practical enough for daily duty as well as road trips. The car has not disappointed so far. What used to be it’s weakness is now it strengths.

I bought my '10 VW TDI the same time my Cousin bought his '03 S. He took me for a tour of the VERY winding San Dimas Canyon. From that point, I coveted that car.
Now retired, I wanted an interim car that I could take out now and then and enjoy driving. I decided I wanted a roadster. While there were no Box's in my budget, I surfed CarGurus and focused on Audi TT Quatro. Then this car came available. I got it cheap, but going in with eyes wide open because of some articles, the 986 would require some money put into it, and this one was no exception.
I never heard the phrase "poor man's Porsche", nor do I care.
Bottom line: Put the top down, turn the radio off and get on it. The sound of the flat six is really what I wanted.

I thought I wanted a 996 and just took another one for a test ride with 33k on it. I think they are beautiful with the aero kit. Don't really like the 997's on. I wanted a back seat, that was the main driver. Well the two stock that I have driven were just so bland. Felt like I was driving an accord. My son came along and said the ride was a bore. Now my 00 S has a sportier exhaust, lowered suspension and sport exhaust so definitely changes the sensory stuff. I also have a short shifter so the 996 felt way long and super smooth. The 996 definitely feels heavier. Better on the highway but not as a fun car IMO. I think porsche miss the boat on the 996 with making it too soft. I did drive one with a sport exhaust and sports seats. It did hit a lot of buttons but again, just felt too heavy.
Oh the back seat, useless. I didn't even fit.
My point, don't let the prestige or price of the boxster fool ya, it's a great car no matter the price. The 986 is a true Porsche as any. Wasn't the 1st on a convertible?
It is the "smart" Porsche.
Oh owned a 77 carrerA 3.0. Still prefer the box.

Maybe others were really bad drivers and the event organizers knew your supreme motoring skills; thus they placed a bunch of 911s on either side to keep you corralled? :)

In reality, ALL Porsches including SUVs are great specimens of the good Dr. If I could have one of each in my stable I certainly would. Regardless, you shouldn't give a rat's arse about what anyone says and thinks. Enjoy what you drive and own... otherwise it'll own you in very short order.

So, if anyone needs me I'll out for a spin in my Weissach Ed. 918 ;)

I haven’t driven a Porsche sport car, and I’ve been very fortunate to drive many, I don’t like and the last I checked most Porsches when new were relatively expensive cars. I guess poor man Porsche is relative but I think the whole idea is stupid. Someone that prescribes to this idea is making up for something missing in their life.

I just helped my daughter buy her first Porsche and partially due to my influence it is a 6 speed Boxster. :)