To 'S' or not to 'S'

[pcar-yvr]

To the 986 enthusiasts on this board:

I'm about to take the plunge into my first p-car. I've had a blast (read "perma-grin") test driving a few great boxster examples so far. BUT, I haven't spent enough miles in any one of them to uncover those little nuances you get by driving hours behind the wheel. Plus, the dorky sales guys yapping beside me hasn't helped either - but that's another story.

So....my question to those who have logged a few hours:

If you had the funds for either a 2000-S OR a newer 2002 2.7L, which do you choose?

The valuation on these two are about the same and although I'm hearing "buy the newest Porsche you can afford" - the extra performance of the 'S' is pretty attractive.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience to a newb....