Difference between 2000 and 2005 Boxster S

[Jacques79]

Just curious.

What are the differences in low RPM power, power after 4000RPMs, sound, shifter, steering feel-feedback, steering response-quickness, ride quality, how does the back end break loose, etc...

Basically the things mags don't talk about. I want to know how the car feels-drives, not it's lateral accel numbers or 0-60....

I can't test drive a 987S because in winter here in Quebec dealers don't allow test drives.


thanks

[husker boxster]

I traded an 01S in on my LE S, so I've owned both a 986S & 987S. Didn't track the 01S and not planning to track the LE, so I can't give you data on the outskirts of their limits. I do drive in a spirited mode and hopefully can give you some insight in the differences as I see them.

HP
I went from 255 to 295 and the butt dyno can feel the difference. An 05S would be 285, but what's 10hp? Going from a 986S to a 987S is basically the same jump as the difference between a base 986 to a 986S.

Shifter
1000x better in a 987S. If you haven't done anything to your shifter, you know it's vague and sloppy. While the 987S isn't up to Honda level crispness, you feel way more confident that you're going to land in the proper gear. Tremendous improvement here.

Ride
The ride seems a bit harsher in the 987S, even with my 18" snows on. My 01S had 18's and my LE came with 19's but I think it's more suspension than tires. It's certainly not bone jarring, but a bit harsher.

Steering
I can't tell much difference in steering feel between the two. My 01S would occasionally snap sideways but I was always able to catch it. The LE has traction control which has eliminated that. When you feel a bit of sideways motion in the LE, the TC steps in and kicks it back in line.

Brakes
No discernable difference to me.

Exhaust
The 01S' exhaust was OK but left me wanting more. The LE has Porsche Sport Exhaust and it sounds GREAT. The only problem was you had to activate it every time you started the car. I fixed that with a simple hack to permanently leave it on.

Thought I might miss my 01S but the LE has virtually erased the memory it.

Hope this helps. Others can certainly chime in with their opinions.

[vincesf]

Husker Boxster actually did a far better job than I would have, but I too wish to share a few observations.

First of all, I had a 2002 Boxster S and now own a 2008 Boxster S.

Horsepower: A significant difference that you can feel in all powerbands, especially over 4,000 rpm's, where the 3.4 litre engine both sounds, feels, and just is much stronger. I know that you don't care about 0 to 60, but Porsche is overly conservative in their performance specs, and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Shift: My 2008 has a factory sport shifter and I would say that I prefer it over the benchmark Honda S2000's. In fact, I had a 2006 Boxster S without the sport shifter and still preferred it to the Honda S2000's, albeit the throws are a bit longer.

Ride: I had 19" wheels on my 2008 and stored the 19" wheels in favor of OEM 18" wheels, making the ride comparable to the 2002 Boxster S, with even greater grip. Agreed the 19" wheels are not harsh and they look fantastic, but I sometimes drive over City streets and the road can be quite rough for which the 18" wheels are better suited, and I have PASM, which is known to smooth out harsh surfaces in normal mode. In Sport mode PASM is harsh on any irregular surface, but is incredible at high speeds on the freeway. (Don't confuse PASM, equipped on some 987's, versus PSM which is equipped on all 987's).

Price: The price differential between a 2000 and a 2005 is approximately $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the condition of the car(s). Is the 2005 worth the differential? Yes.

vincesf

[Jacques79]

Originally Posted by vincesf

Husker Boxster actually did a far better job than I would have, but I too wish to share a few observations.

First of all, I had a 2002 Boxster S and now own a 2008 Boxster S.

Horsepower: A significant difference that you can feel in all powerbands, especially over 4,000 rpm's, where the 3.4 litre engine both sounds, feels, and just is much stronger. I know that you don't care about 0 to 60, but Porsche is overly conservative in their performance specs, and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Shift: My 2008 has a factory sport shifter and I would say that I prefer it over the benchmark Honda S2000's. In fact, I had a 2006 Boxster S without the sport shifter and still preferred it to the Honda S2000's, albeit the throws are a bit longer.

Ride: I had 19" wheels on my 2008 and stored the 19" wheels in favor of OEM 18" wheels, making the ride comparable to the 2002 Boxster S, with even greater grip. Agreed the 19" wheels are not harsh and they look fantastic, but I sometimes drive over City streets and the road can be quite rough for which the 18" wheels are better suited, and I have PASM, which is known to smooth out harsh surfaces in normal mode. In Sport mode PASM is harsh on any irregular surface, but is incredible at high speeds on the freeway. (Don't confuse PASM, equipped on some 987's, versus PSM which is equipped on all 987's).

Price: The price differential between a 2000 and a 2005 is approximately $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the condition of the car(s). Is the 2005 worth the differential? Yes.

vincesf

It's 25 000$ price difference up here in Canada

Compared to a 15 000$ difference with a 2006 M Roadster with like 5000 miles but at least I get an 80HP bump compared to my current Boxster S....


I'm really debating 2005 or 2007 Boxster S vs 2006 M Roadster...But the 2007 Boxster S sells for 60 000$+ here in Canada compared to 40 000$ for a mint practically brand new 2006 M Roadster...

I'd have to spend 40 000$ and sell my current Boxster S to get a 2007 Boxster S. Instead I could just keep my 986S AND buy a Z4M Coupe for the same price.

This sucks... In Europe the Boxster S is actually cheaper than the M Roadster. I guess it's because the Z4M is built in the USA and the Boxster S in Finland?

[mikefocke]

The road feel of a 19" equipped car is gonna be different than that of a car with 18"s.

The sound of a car with the Sports Exhaust is different from stock.

A used car is priced differently than a new car.

Would I rather have a 987 than my 986? Yes. But I'd be just as happy having my (totaled) '99 986. Especially at the differences in price. All the cars were better cars than I was a driver.

In the states, I see 2007 S models with very low miles for less than $40k asking and nobody pays asking in this market.

Husker and Vincesf have given you great advice and feedback. I would also add that the 987 has increased head room and leg room for the taller driver.

[ekam]

As said many times, 986 to 987 is just a progressive evolution. 987.2 is the major revision since introduction of 986S.

Power - you already know about 3.6/3.8 swaps.

Shifter - you can buy 9x7 shifter assembly.

Handling - get RoW M030 suspension if you want to go stiffer

More leg room - get GT3 console delete

I'd wait until you can afford a 2009 and up 987S. At least that's what I'm going to do anyway.

Not sure about Quebec but in Ontario we pay taxes whenever you purchase a new or used vehicle.

[vincesf]

Originally Posted by ekam

As said many times, 986 to 987 is just a progressive evolution. 987.2 is the major revision since introduction of 986S.

I'd wait until you can afford a 2009 and up 987S. At least that's what I'm going to do anyway.

The 987.2 will be the better car, and the 988 in a few years, better yet, but for the additional $30,000 outlay over a 987S or $50,000 over a 986S, is it worth it? Depends on your budget if you ask me. And while the 986 and 987 have its known problems, I would much rather have version 2.0 or 3.0 of its iteration than version 1.0 of the new. In my over 30 years of Porsche ownership the more enjoyable/less troublesome cars have been the Porsches that evolved progressively, rather than those that were majorly revised.
vincesf