Hi Blatallic,
I also had an SRT-4 that I sold to buy my Boxster. I would definately get the S. My SRT was highly moded, so as far as balls-to-the-wall speed (in a straigt line) the Box dosen't come close. The engineering and handling of the Boxster is far beyond what a turbo charged Neon will ever be. You will NOT be disapointed!!

I'm a new member and first post. I just got a '02 Boxster S from David in Houston on 12/22. I drove it around 1500 miles to get it home. They did have about six and from what I remember about 3 were Boxster S.

By chance was the one red? There was a guy there to pick up a red one with a hard top and I was told there were some bearing issues with it???

Ahh... the SRT-4... proof that you can't polish a turd, but apparently you can make it go real fast.

I'd wager the SRT-4 heavily modded would be considerably faster (in a straight line) than a Boxster S. But it's NOWHERE near the same quality automobile.


I'm about to go from a Hyundai Tiburon (which honestly is a pretty nice car for it's price) to a Boxster. The base Boxster probably has 50hp and maybe 20-30ft-lb on the stock Tiburon V6, but probably only about 20hp and little if any torque over mine with the few mods I have on it. I don't really care if the Boxster isn't quicker... I'll like the quality.

And it will go nicely with my 1969 911 Targa!

Thanks guys for keep ing thread full of info...Actually I've been reading this forum a whole lot and getting all the info that I can...

My SRT was putting down about 350ish to the wheels, yes it was heavily modded and I did enjoy the car....I know that the Boxster wont be no where as fast as my SRT but Im not going for all out straight away performance....Even though I had a complete suspension upgrade on my SRT, Im sure the Boxster is going to handle better and yes, quality is a WHOLE lot better then the SRT...expecially the interior....I dont plan on modding the Porsche, mainly I'll be in Law school and wont be able to afford it....But I do plan on adding some 19's, I've always wanted rims with a nice lip....Im aiming for and Boxster S but they seem a couple grand out of the price range so I have to shop around....OH by the way the insurance is cheaper then my SRT..... :dance:

The Neons aren't bad at all in the handling department either. The EVO Autocross Schools Chief is a national champion who did most racing in a Neon.
I hope they continue to develop it and making something on par with the STI or Mitsu EVO, but allot less cheaper. The evo is creaking over $35K!
and there should be at least one American car in that class of performance. An SRT World Rally Car would be great, if Ford can do it with a Focus I see no reason why Dodge can't also do it.

you can always trade up to a S model, the prices are coming down each year.
I'd stick with 18" wheels like the Carrera Replicas for a mere $1000 and slap on some side skirting. Big transformation for less than 2 grand.

Lap, I think the Neon/SRT-4 has been discontinued...

Wow, that's funny! I'm using it.

The SRT-4 neon base has been discontinued....05 was the last year..Now they have the Caliber which replaced the Neon....

Going tommorrow to go and look at some Cars....we'll see what happens...

Forgive my ignorance, I'm not exactly trying to keep up with the latest in Neon technology, but how, pray tell, can you do anything with 350hp in a front wheel drive car? Or is it real wheel? Reminds me of people who used to soup up Gremlins and Pacers. Polished turd indeed....

1) How's the insurance? Call your agent. They can give you a quote (which is more helpful than knowing what people in other age groups/locations/marital status/driving record will tell you) Since you asked, I pay about $500/year, full coverage and low deductible. In NJ, I paid about $2k/year for a 20 year old "standard performance" 911. NJ Insurance sucks. Enough said ;)

2) Don't expect the Porsche necessarily be as "FAST" as your SRT-4, especially if you've been hitting the boost bong. The best way to improve a Porsche's performance is by improving the drivers skill level. Learn to drive the car. If you want 350-400hp, you'd better off looking for a detroit V-8 or keeping your SRT-4

3) Most of the maintenance and usual wear items are not too expensive. What makes a Porsche expensive is avoiding proper maintenance and paying shops (dealer or independent) $100/hr.

Traction was a huge issue with the car....I had a full suspension setup inlcuding traction bars and motor mounts in the car....First and second gear were gone from a launch.....With a boost controller I could lower the boost for the lower gears and go all balls to the wall 3rd gear and on...I didnt do this on a stock turbo by the way...Looked stock but only because it was ported/clipped and a bigger wheel installed in it.....I had every supporting mod as well but to be honest..I NEVER raced the car on the highway....very rare the time that I did.....car is completely stock now...and it drives so much smoother but its not as fast.....Im not looking to getting 300+ with a porsche....I want the porsche because Ive always loved them and why not get one...the racing scene is nice but always tuning to keep a/f's in check got to me especially with school....with the Boxster I want to go for looks...comfortable ride and have that porsche luxory....

Ive done pleny fo research on this car and I like everything...MUCH more PRICEY to mod then a SRT but Im not in it for that....Insurance is going to be cheaper on the porsche too.... :cheers: