I currently track my DD Subaru Legacy, and after 4 years now, the track time has put a toll on the car. So, I'm now in search of a nice car that can fill my track needs (road courses), but is also nice to drive on the weekend with the wife. I don't hit the track often enough (only 6-10 times a year) to justify a dedicated track car, and I'm not interested in one that I have to modify heavily to match my Legacy's lap times at the track (ala Mazda Miata). Thus, the Boxster S has popped up on my radar (not interested in a Spec 2.5 Boxster, as I want a nice car on the weekends).
Based on lap times posted on some PCA events, it looks like the Boxster S runs 2:09 to 2:13 laps out at HPR here in CO, which matches nicely to my Legacy (best is a 2:12). And it looks like you can pick-up some nice 01/02 Boxster S's for around $12k, which is what I've set my budget at for this project (which, btw, looks to be what I'd need to pay for a used Miata and modifications to match a Boxster S performance).
Anyway, all of this is to ask those that track thier Boxster's if I'm asking for trouble picking up one with 80k miles and throwing it on the track. (I would stay mostly stock - probably just good brake pads, filters, and maybe a swap to coilovers in a year or two.) My research says these cars need $2k in maintanance each year, but does that go up if I'm having it do light track duty as well? ($2k is close to what I have to spend on the Legacy just for track maintenance). I've seen several threads on oil starvation and cooling, but I doubt my skills will be hitting the limits of the car (at least for the next couple years).
If anyone has thoughts or recommendations (including saying the Boxster is the wrong car), it would be appreciated. I don't want to drop $12k on a car with 80k miles and find out it'll be killed on my first run at the track
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Thanks!