^ I had to buy a car for my mum on short notice unexpectedly while out of state. Decided to finance with the dealer. When I walk into the finance guy's office he's got the special factory offers lined up to boost the monthly payment. I don't think this guy had ever heard someone say "nope" so many times. With each "no thanks" he kept lowering the price on everything he was offering. He must have some really aggresive pay arrangement with the dealership because he was not going to let me walk unless I said yes to something. So like you, I started asking for them to raise the price on the trade in and lower that dealer fee crap. By my math they said yes to much higher trade in price -- no time to sell it so it was a win either way, lowered dealer fee (couldn't negotiate it away completely..grrrr) and extra factory coverage for another 4 years for a lousy extra $10 a month. It was also a late Friday afternoon and they just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Wow! Thank you all for all the good advise. You guys are AWESOME!
First one clarification: I am not looking at buying a new car, I have my eye on a used 2009 C4S. Actually two: One at a dealer and one is private sale.

But in any case: You guys got me convinced that I keep the car and wait for the right opportunity to sell. As I said I don't need to trade it in, I just wanted to avoid the hassle. But I am looking at my list of options that the car has and I agree that $10k is a joke for that. I rather keep it and have it as my weekend driver (or something like that)

To answer the questions:
@WhipE350: The ride is OK. everything (swaybars and PSS9) are at "full soft" and it rides a little hard, but not like the stagecoach-like ride when the car is setup for the track)
@Topless: Great idea with the PCA-GGR trackday but
a) it's gonna rain tomorrow
b) I can't take off from work (just started a new job)

Thanks again Y'all :cheers:

09 C4S. That's a nice ride. It's on my list in fact!

If it makes you feel any better, I've got north of 40k sunk into my 97 boxster, worth no more than $9,500 to someone who would probably turn it into a spec box.

If I never sell it, I do not have to realize the loss.

I just need to raise enough money to raise the boxster in the garage on a lift so I can park a newer Porsche under it for my DD :)

replacing your nimble/mid-engine roadster for a pendulus 4WD GT seems like its going to be quiet an adjustment if you're a track-oriented driver.

I considered adding a C4S to the stable to give the Boxster a rest during winter but I doubt I could replace it for the Boxster. It would be like giving up Megan Fox for Jennifer Aniston. Not bad but you know... very different.

The 986S has surprised me that way. I never expected to own it this long but the more I drove the newer rear-engined Porsches the less urgent the switch has become. Now that they've gone electronic steering and more plush, I've got no rush at all. At this point it would have to be .2 GT3 or maybe look at another brand entirely. But a GT3 would not be practical for me right now unless I moved to a warmer climate. If I lived in a warm climate the 997 GT3 wouold be perfect since its one of the few track cars that many daily drive.

CA charges sales tax on the full price of the new car regardless of any trade-in. Varies with the county you live in but averages 8%

I am with you, and I might just hang on to the Boxster for much longer just for fun. I am just looking for the perfect mix between daily driver and weekend track car.
The Boxster is totally up there, but with only 250 hp, it's really hard to keep up with the high hp cars in the advanced run groups (Yes I am fastest Boxster there, but it's not much fun when you get permanently passed by 350+ hp cars). Yes, GT3 would be the ideal answer to that, but it has too many disadvantages on the DD side. So let's see how this pans out.
By the way the two cars I am looking at are on the opposite sides of the C4S spectrum:
Car a) has: SportChrono Plus, PDK, Navi, CarbonFiber GT2 seats (great for the track, bad for DD)
Car b) is a Targa, also with SportChrono Plus, PDK, Navi, and pretty much every (meaningful) option that a Porsche connoisseur would select, like heated/ventilated seats, dynamic cornering lights and the list goes on...

Both are in the same price range and have about the same miles.

Which one would you choose?

Keep the car !!!!! It would a shame to see it go for only 10K; especially after all of the work you've put into it ! :(

Go with a Cayman S. There's a really nice one in the classifieds. ;)

Which ever one you pick! :). Hard to go from a convertible to a hardtop, unless maybe as a dd you don't take the top down much anyway.

Honestly if i'm from california the only 4WD porsche i would consider would be a turbo. Definitely if im going to be putting down some track miles since you get the bulletproof racing engine. Otherwise i stick with 986 until the turbo prices come down. But it sounds like youre looking at right years...post-ims.
Btw, if i lived in socal I'd get the Boxster Spyder...the TC klein BS without any engine or exhaust work out-lapped a modified 997 GT3 at Laguna.

A 997 C4S is a very comfortable Grand Touring car. Excellent daily driver or for extended road trips in all weather. It is much less interesting as a track car. Too much weight. I don't think I have ever seen one outrun a pair of 2.5L Boxsters from SoCal at the track. YMMV

Of the two cars you are looking at I like Car "A" but might switch out the seats for DD. Totally love the PDK. Car "B" is nicely appointed but... it's a Targa. A 997 Targa is a hairdressers car. :p

After spending 30 hrs in the right seat of 12 different Porsche models last year, I'd say a 997C2S PDK might give you what you are looking for: More room and comfort, more power, still reasonably light and nimble, and capable of very fast laps in stock trim with quality tires.

Good hunting!

Ouch that hurt ;-) (I am leaning towards the Targa)
I just loooooove the extra wide stance of the 4S and don't forget that the Targa is still lighter than a Carrera Convertible....
Man, I hope you still talk to me when/if I show up in Buttonwillow in a 4S let alone a Targa :-)

1- my hairdresser drives a 997 Cabriolet
2-his sugar daddy husband drives a Panamera
3- two of my former girlfriends drove Cayennes (both in white)
4-my boss drives a Cayenne Turbo
5-my doctor drives a Carrera Turbo
6- the only male, straight, under 50 Porsche owner I know (me) drives the Boxster.

ROFL. :cheers:

People and their car perceptions! Through out history, 914? Under powered, not a real Porsche. 944? Same label, 986? Well a true flat six but still maligned for not having stupid Hp/ torque figures. Even today, I read articles about how Porsche should put five or six hundred hp into a Boxster. I say, "sure that's a good idea if you want lousy gas mileage and would like to only legally be able to use the first three gears". It's not just Porsche either, the Ferrari 308 has been dogged as a POS, no go showboat but in reality, I'll bet it was quick in it's day, it's still a @%*&ing Ferrari!

it was a nightmare trying to sell my 02 Boxster S with 64k miles on it (and a LN IMS and new clutch!!!), lots of lowballers. Ended up getting 13k in trade for it towards an 04 CLK500 coupe with 72k miles.

Wow that is a low price! When did you sell it...during a snow storm :).

trade in prices can be misleading. "I'll give you $10K" but when you read the paperwork on the new car you find all of these hidden fees that most never ask about when they slide the pen across the desk. Their favorite trick is to say "tax, title and drive". Or on paper to write three plus signs under the price you're negotiating. Which leads me to believe that its worked enough times in the past that it's worth repeating, in other words most people never question the meaning of "drive" or what that third plus sign means.And then there are all the other fees that many never question but look perplexed about why the negotiated price is so much higher thant the after tax and fees price on the paperwork. It's their way of getting back what they payed you on your trade in

You always lose on any trade, I tried to trade a flawless handgun in today on a .380 and the guy says "we already got two, I don't want it". OK well one is consignment, one is yours, neither have the case and both your pieces look like someone used them as a shovel, whereas mine doesn't. Screw em, I'll carry my full frame handgun.

A .380 ! What are you going to do with that ? You'd have more stopping power if you were to give someone a monkey bite !