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I am responding as my experience is still fresh, having purchased a Boxster three months ago.
1) Patience. The right Boxster will pick you, just like a cat or dog. Listen to them as you test drive, and drive enough but not to many to get confused. I took three months and traveled couple hundred miles on weekends; I am in the San Francisco bay area. Granted the first one you drive is so special you will want to take her home immediately though!
2) Stick to your price. My range was $12-15k. Got a much higher mileage one for $10.5k from a dealer, financed. 125,000 miles at the time. I promised to myself to stick to a low mileage vehicle, but learned again : it is Condition Not Mileage. Say again : condition over mileage. The car just jumped out at me. Drove it back to back against a S version that was 2 years newer and half the mileage and $7k more at a different dealer, then went back to drive the cheaper, higher mileage again (drive it more then once) and took her home. Also turns out these final two cars on my exhaustive journey were both at dealers next to each other, and only a couple miles from me. So, be ready when the right one is there.
3) PPI. This is a first step to developing a relation with a specialist. Pick a local shop that knows the car, and let them go through it. They will find unexpected items, and confirm what you may already know. I now go to mine to have him simply inspect the filter after I change the oil, and ask other questions. He knows he will get the bigger items (my critical item is the power steering leak I would never have found). The relationship is worth the cost of the PPI. Note: the dealer I purchased from had a 3 day return policy, enabling me to get the car, have the PPI and return it if I was not pleased.
4) Drive. Then Drive some more! I feel like a kid with my first car again!
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