Why did you buy - your - Boxster?

[FTD]

I saw a BMW Z4 at a Porsche dealer in the color combo that I like, so I took it for a test drive. My Honda was 8 years old then and I was looking at my life. I bought the Honda as a four door family car that was an excellent investment, and now I have no family and being practical had become boring. I had always always always wanted a little, sporty convertible. So, after driving the Z4 I became diligent about researching price, value, and who had what for how much. The one at the dealer was the 3.2 with power booster [or something like that - a button you push to get more power and less fuel efficiency]. During my research I tripped across a Boxster 2.7 that was 1 year younger at about the same price. Plus I was surprised to see the price tags on new Boxsters and discovering they weren't the price of a house, so it opened my mind to Boxster land. I test drove the used Boxster - it was two years old and still under full warranty. The test drive made up my mind. The Z4 was too much like driving my Honda; the Boxster was FUN. And it has more cabin space. And it has more of the roadster body design that I like. In fact, I love just looking at the profile of the Box. So, I prayed for some kind of indication if I was being a fool or if I should go for it. The next morning at work I parked my car, prayed, and as I was getting out of the car I realized I had parked behind a Carrera. Maybe it was 'a sign' to buy a Carrera, but I bought the Boxster, probably in less than 24 hours after the test drive. No regrets.

[gball]

I became aware of Porsches in the '70's, simply by observation. They were mesmerizing to me - exotic and foreign, organic, beautiful, and they made glorious noises unlike anything else. I fell in love with them as a kid just by seeing them on the road. In the early 1980's I was in high school and was obsessed with car magazines and driving, even though I didn't have my license yet. Every new model of Porsche that came out was exciting to me - I wasn't a purist; 924, 944, 928, 911, I loved them all. AND Porsche engines started dominating Formula 1, which made them all the cooler.

I promised myself during those years that one day I would have one.

Well, then life happened, and one day took over 20 years. I never lost my love for Porsches, and it always remained the marque that I judged all other cars by. My wife and I had been in the process of buying a new house, but the deal went south and we decided we were not going to buy after all. The wife knew I wanted a Porsche, like bad, and one evening after dinner she casually said "why don't you just go buy your Porsche?" The car was mine within the week.

When the time came the choice seemed obvious: despite the 911 being the "flagship" I always felt the Boxster was a better looking, better handling car.
I thought it through and was honest with myself about my real-life driving situation and I decided that the extra power of the Boxster S was not much use to me in LA traffic - on back to back test drives I really couldn't tell much difference on my normal routes and the Boxster has more than adequate power for my weekend meanderings. I couldn't be happier with the car, it has fulfilled a lifelong dream.

[dj1]

Never thought about buying a Porsche my whole life. In fact I'm embarrassed(and likely to be exiled from here) to admit I thought Boxsters were a "poor mans Porsche". Then late one night after a couple of beers I somehow ended up on the Boxster listing at e-bay. One 2001S caught my eye strictly because of the wheels. Next thing I know I clicked on "make an offer" and almost instantly regretted it. Especially after I started reading about RMS and engine failures on this forum. OK...long and short of it is I can't believe how much I love this car. I'm the guy Porsche made that promotional video about(see "Cartagena) post). In between driving it I sit in the garage alone with a beer and just look at it. It really is a thing of beauty. I can afford a 911, but the only upgrade I think I would make is to buy a newer model....and I can't even think of a legitimate reason to do that. Buying this car was one of the best things I've done for myself ever!

[Hops]

Buying my Boxster was a 20 year plan... quite the opposite of some of the spontaneous buyers here.

I recall hearing about Porsches in grade school, say about 1979. Every kid knew what a 911 was. Then, after getting my driver's license in 1986, my dad and I used to go out and visit my uncle at Tom Moser Porsche in Cincinnati (now called Beechmont). He took us for rides in some of the cars on the lot, including the 911 Turbo (a 1987 I believe, with 282 HP). That was the most exhilerating ride I had ever had, so I was determined to get a Porsche one day.

I recall during college having the Car and Driver issue with the 911 Slant Nose on the cover and thinking that was the sexiest car I had ever seen. I also submitted about 150 entries in a contest they ran... first prize was a 968. To no avail...

A friend and I were in England on a business trip in about 1997, and we saw a really smoking hot roadster with no badge on a highway west of London. We followed it for a while and wondered what the car with the single exhaust pipe was. Learned it was the new Boxster. On my next trip to Cincinnati with my wife, we visited my uncle and drove a white 986. Loved it. Could have bought it on the spot, but we were saving to buy our second house.

Fast forward to 2007... earning over 4x what I was in 1993 just out of college, stock market doing quite well, living in N. California (among the best places on earth to own a convertable), kids getting to the weight where they can all legally ride in a front seat (with an airbag). The time was right, so I picked up a 2005 987S... 280 HP, almost identical to the 911 Turbo from 20 years earlier. (Technology has sure changed.)

In some ways the testosterone-driven car lust of my teenage years is gone... but now is a great time to own. I can afford it. I don't expect to take it sideways into a tree (as I might have 20 years ago - I did some crazy things in cars back then). After owning many other cars, the Boxster brings satisfaction, enthusiasm, and mostly appreciation. Most importantly, this is the car I want... didn't buy this expecting to "upgrade" (no desire to own a 911 or Ferrari or some other "exotic" ride). My first track day will be this Fall... Hooked on Porsches at Thunderhill (anyone else going?). I'm sure it will be a blast.