What's the exterior and interior differences between a 987 vis-a-vis a 986

[manguasha]

I wish to buy a Boxster 987. There is a seller who claims to have one. He says it is manufactured in Nov.2004. How do I make out that it really is a 987. Will the VIN plate say so? Are there any differences visible in exterior, and interior? Will the purchase invoice state that it is specifically a 987?

This is my first Porsche, so all help will be appreciated. In layman's terms please.

My email address is manguasha@sify.com

[natecooper]

There are 2 very obvious exterior differences between a 986 boxster (1997-2004) and a 987 boxster (2005-current).

1. The 986 has kidney bean shaped front headlights, the 987 has oval shaped headlights.
2. The 986 has almost circular intakes on the side right behind the doors, these intakes are painted the same color as the car. The 987 has intakes in the same spot except they resemble an "upside down shark fin", these intakes are a matte grey finish and do not match the color of the car.

There are many other differences, but these are the 2 easiest to spot (overall the cars look very similar). Just check on ebay for Boxsters anything 2004 and earlier is a 986, anything 2005 and later is a 987, you will quickly become an expert in spotting one or the other.

[threpwood]

The first thing I noticed was the steering wheel. The 987s has a more 'oval look' in the center.