[thstone]

Almost every car has its Achilles Heel. My 325i goes through suspension bushings like oil changes. My X5 must have 70's electrics by Lucas and every replacement part costs $400-$600.

The IMS issue is real but somewhat overblown in online forums. The percent of failures is somewhere in the 2-10% range. Even at 10%, that is a 90% chance that your car will be fine.

If the engine does blow, a M96 replacement engine installed is $6K. Of course, you can always spend more but there is no need to.

Otherwise you will find that everyone on this forum absolutely loves their Boxster.