poor man's porsche

[velorider]

Like the everwax said -- it all depends on the company. Roll up to a Miata club and you'll be the Exalted One in your 986 Boxster......but shop for a tshirt at the Ferrari dealership and you will be seen as the Errand Boy. From the perspective of "pure driving pleasure" there isn't really a price point -- I'll reference a well setup Miata in this regard. But -- and this is important -- from a "what's in YOUR wallet" perspective we know there is a pecking order and we're very very low. Does an Aston Martin drive better? Is the 911 a better car? What is "better" anyway? In high dollar clubs the cost IS the mark of a good car. People don't buy a Bentley because it drives well; they buy it because they CAN and not worry about the cost.

And it is precisely those circles (in addition to Camaro owners as well, apparently) that the Boxster is poo'd as the Porsche you buy for your wife. We know Porsche holds the power back on purpose to protect their 911, and that alone should tell you the Boxster is imminently capable.

If you need the cool car to feel cool, then I suppose the Boxster is a risky choice based on this thread. I've certainly enjoyed owning many fun cars (M Roadster, street and track Miatas, S2000, TTS) but the 986 Boxster has a hook that I haven't found in others. No one else's opinion could change the feeling I have both owning and driving it, and along those same lines I can say that buying a car that costs 2/3/4x as much wouldn't necessarily offer the same feeling just because it is more expensive. My approach to car buying has always been to find what I like, rather than buy what I think will impress other people. We all know that's not the case for everyone -- which is fine, I can respect another approach to car buying -- but that's where I stand.

[everwax]

Originally Posted by velorider

... and along those same lines I can say that buying a car that costs 2/3/4x as much wouldn't necessarily offer the same feeling just because it is more expensive.

Well said

[jdlmodelt]

I wouldn't consider it a poor man's porche. I'm with others on here who have indicated they prefer it over a 911. I had the option to purchase either model and could not bring myself to get the 911 because I thought the boxster had a sexier look to it. I love the body style and I LOVE the handling. I've owned it for over a year and have put over 20k miles on it. Just oil, air and brakes/rotors. the cheap ceramic brakes and rotors drilled and slotted off of ebay for just over $200...they are working/wearing great. I get compliments from people of all ages and walks. The comments that get me the most are those from some of my redneck buddies who say, "you must get paid the big bucks", and yet they are driving a new diesel pickup that they paid 3-4 times what I paid for my used Porsche and they are still and will be making payments on theirs for years to come. My was low enough in cost that my wife just had me pay in full rather than financing. We love it. I don't really care what anyone else says about it. They don't know what they are talking about.