People ask me all the time, what can I buy for under 20k with a drop top, a ton of look, great performance, and ice cold air. There are tons of choices out there, but for my money there's really only one affordable high performance choice: the Boxster S. The regular Boxster and the S sort of don't compare with one another. With the S specification you get a higher horsepower engine, plus a ton of extras, and luckily for you Boxster S owners tended to option them up a good deal as well. Figure the original owner spent 20% over the base msrp for options like full leather, or hifi sound, or trick lit-tronic lights. On the used market, those don't matter, so you reap the rewards of that long list and 60k sticker. Now, like then, a Boxster is still less money than a Carrera, and for a 30% mark off from a 996 of the same vintage, you get the look, a great mid engine package, and a true performance car.
To me these drive, at least with regards to acceleration, more like the older Carreras than 996 Carreras, its a more pure performance car, and they'll out handle both any day. What competes with it? A Z3, well not really Boxsters really handle much better, and it's a different feel, M roadster, sure they're a blast too, but there's a premium on that car that usually pushes you over 20k for the best ones. A Mercedes CLK? No again, they're not performance oriented in the least, and MB-Chrysler styling is bland and boring. So for the cost of a 2 year old Mitsubishi go a couple years back for the Porsche, you'll thank yourself. The best part is, the newly designed 07 Boxster looks the same as the original from 1998 for 98% of the driving public. Oh you didn't know there was a new one? Neither does anyone else. Get the look, keep the cash.
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