Opinion 2003 s or 2005 base?
 

I am still trying to find the right car, and stumbled across a great deal on a 2005 Base. I am now not sure which is the way to go. I know I will love a 2003 s, but will i love a 2005 base? Car will be my DD, it will see occasional track time doing DE and autocross. There will be no upgrade money in my budget for at least a year.

I vote for the 2003S

I'd also vote for the '03 S (all other things being equal).

The add'l power is nice to have and the S models have several other nice to have's like sportier suspension and probably 18" wheels which will help in your DE's and autox until you have some money for upgrades.

Regardless of what iteration you're looking at, I strongly recommend the "S" version .
By the way, most people aren't aware of what the "S" actually stands for . Its an abbreviation for "schlypfrig affe".

Whichever has better condition and lower miles.

With 2003S, you can be sure that you can upgrade the IMS cheaply with LN IMS. With 2005 you don't know which bearing that car have (larger one with 3rd revision or smaller same with the 03S). Both car can be affected with IMS issue.

2005/987 has more modern interior design and more refined than 986 cars.

Meanning.....

Going to mean something like greasy monkey
but another website used the word ape and slippery
all things being equal
I'm thinking "Raped Ape" is the slang we would use here
Am I close?

Chris

According to my sources at Porsche Headquarters in Germany, the "S" stands for "saucy monkey" . Apparently, this type of encryption goes back to the early beginnings of the enigma machine .

Back to the topic, drive both and decide which one you like. They're different in a lot of respects - interior being the biggest difference. The 987 is more sophisticated and the 986S is more sporty. As a DD, which is better for you? There's not much difference in HP between a base 987 and a 986S (about 10 HP more in the 986S). Basically it comes down to what you like, which one meets your needs better, and which one has the better history. You're the one forking over the bucks.

Go with the 2003 S and have fun! Wouldn't even think about the standard version...05 or not....

Also, 05's were not so hot on reliability for some reason...

Slippery Monkey?
 

Have no idea where it came from - but kind of catchy.

I thought it was the 06 that had the newer engine.

Thanks, now if I could just find a 2003 for the correct price.

Once I drove an 'S' I knew no matter what year I buy as my second boxster I will always be an 'S' guy, however these are my second cars, not daily if I don't want them to be.

I get the feeling you really like the 2005. I prefer the seat comfort in the 986 2000 to 2003, not as stiff. The interior is much more modern on the 05 but for some reason doesn't excite me, though the 986 is kind of outdated. I have a 2000 's'. What type of mileage are on these, how many more thousand $ is the 05?

Can't go wrong either way! Sure you'll be happy. :cheers:

Here is the quote from LN website:

MY02-05 will need a single row retrofit kit, although depending on how late the build date was, there may be some MY05 vehicles with the updated M97 IMS, which is not serviceable, at least without teardown of the engine.

Actually, i have always been a 986 guy over a 987 guy. I then started to find my car and started to look at the prices. You can find 2005 base models cheaper than a 2003 S. Mileage is between 35k-60k. I never thought I would look at a base model, but you can't help start to question it when you see the prices.

Tru. I do like the exterior on the 05 more...I have to force myself to not look at used 09 'S' ...I cleaned and waxed the 09 benz just so i wouldn't get any crazy ideas.

If you are tall and value your life, first sit in the 2003 "S" and tilt your head back and see if your head would hit the roll bar in an accident. I am 6'-3" and I fit nicely in my 1999 Boxster, but if I moved my head backwards, I discovered that my head would hit directly on the rollbar in case of an accident. This is fairly common with tall guys and I believe it is a major safety issue. As a result, I ended up trading the Boxster for a Cayman, which doesn't have the issue. Likewise, the 2005-up Boxsters have more headroom and taller seats and thus avoid this problem.

I would also check the HP statistics on the two cars -- for example, my base Cayman has more HP than some earlier Boxster "S" models. The 2005-up models also have an upgraded interior. If the HP and the prices are nearly the same, and since you aren't tracking it, I would definitely lean toward the 2005 model.

The '05 was the first year of the "new" 987 model Boxster. I would personally, never buy the first year of a new model -- especially an out-of-warranty Porsche.


As a daily driver, I would absolutely buy an '06 base model over an '03 S. I think in a couple of years you'll be so much better off. (I have an '02S).

2003s
 

I have the 2003S 64,500 miles and the car has not lost any of the zip and feel for the road. I would say that the main difference with the cars besides the obvious power is the braking. With the S you have the same brakes as the 911 which stops on a dime. Another plus is the 18" wheels with the Carrera rims. I can't wait until the weather gets warmer to change the tires.

Drive both
 

I own an '01S and have owned a '99 base and to me as a daily driver there is no difference. I'd even prefer the smaller HP as I can put my foot deeper into it before I have to lift for speed limits, traffic, etc. Even the 201HP '99 had 2x the HP of any of my 3 prior sports cars (Alfa/Alfa/914) from the '60s/'70s.

On the track, I'd have to focus on me the driver and getting the right line and not rely on HP to buy me time. So I'd emerge a better driver.

And I'd rather have the '05 base even though I've owned a wonderful '986 '01S model for 5+ years. Not enough to pay the extra for it from trading my flawless car but enough that, if I were buying and if there was a $3k difference, I'd go for it.

But there are really no bad choices between the two. Be glad you have the choice.

I am a cancer survivor, I am thankful every day that I am alive. This car is my gift to me. Life is too short to drive boring cars. :cheers:

Thanks Everyone for the input. I am going to drive both this weekend and make up my mind.

the 03 04 S is still a better car than the 05 base . motor, tranny and brakes are much better . the 05 looks better and has a really nice interior . if you are stuck on the 05 base try and search out the rare 6 speed with pasm , that's what i would go for.

I went and drove both today. My head touched the roll bar on the 03, pretty scary if you think about it

I went and drove a 2003 S. very nice car, didn't have power seats so I didn't fit well. I am 6'1" 180lbs.

I then drove a 2005 base. First time in a 987. What a nice car. Here are my opinions

2003 S is like going out for Filet's at Outback.
2005 base is like going for Filet's at Flemming's, It's more expensive but so much more enjoyable.

I imagine a 2005 S is like Filet's at Flemming's with a Supermodel :D

I knew an S was for me but couldn't decide on 986 or 987. Decided on 987 and found an 05 S with 20K miles and settled on $26,500. Not sure of your budget but at 26,500 I couldnt turn it down. If you are patient and shop everyday you can find a similar deal.

Too much interior Bling (chrome) on the '05.....I vote for the '03 S as well. :)

I drove a 987 s and base and I prefered the base 5spd gear box over the short ratio 6 speed. I also prefered the interior of the 987 over the 986. Suspension on the 986s is a different animal it really depends what you plan on using the car for. If you are like me and just cruise and want a street machine I'd be in a 987 base, if you plan on tracking then the 986s over any 987 s or base