for the price of a nice set of wheels and tires for the Boxster you can buy a reliable Miata which you can race with total abandon.
I would totally buy one and use it only for autox/track, stick in storage.
Can't wait until those Mazdaspeed (turbo'd from factory) Miata's start getting dirt cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda-MX-5-Miata-Mazdaspeed-Turbo-Convertible-6-Speed_W0QQitemZ320105043050QQihZ011QQcategoryZ6324 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I never actually owned a miata myself, but my g/f back then did. I loved driving that car. So much in fact that I bought a z3. Owned 2 z3s before buying into the boxster world and haven't looked back! Lovin' every second of owning this car!

miata
 

Well, I didn't own A miata before getting a box. I actually owned 3 of them (concurrently).

1990 "b" package (top of the line back then)
white. acquired with 117k on it. sold with 210k on it. owned 1997-2004

1993
(almost identical to the 1990) white. only had that one for about a year.

1999 10ae.
first miata with a 6 speed. jackson racing super charger, full suspension get up. brands are eluding me. bought with 5000 miles. sold with 11000 miles. owned 1 year.

had a 3 year break from convertibles with a 2004 wrx wagon.

driven my boxster about 50 miles so far.
the miata shifter is substantially better than the boxster.
the rest of the boxster is substantially better than the miata.(miatas)

Grizzly, you don't know what you're missing (Miata). I do love the look of the older MG's though.

When I was 17 I wanted a 69 MGB, but Lord of Darkness scared me away... :p My buddy had a Midget, and my other friend had a Fiat. Head aches all around! So I got a Datsun roadster 2000 :dance:

two Miatas- nice car
 

Having owned 2 Miatas and great luck with both, I can say with-out a doubt they are extremely reliable, fun to drive, cheap to keep-they are however not even close, in my opinion, to the Boxster's overall handling charateristics. Long distance comfort definetly goes to the Porsche, as well as the confidence inspired at higher speeds.
For the money the early Miatas' were a lot of bang for the buck, that's changed as the price is inching closer to the 30k range for this little 4cylinder.

One thing comes to mind when I see a Miata, isn't this a girls/chicks car? :p

ALL (Boxster and 911 included) Sub $100,000 convertibles get the chick car label.

Anyone who sees a miata or Boxster or S2000 and thinks (not saying this is you 986spyder) and immediately thinks "chick car" is someone who has not spent very much time at a track or autocross. These are cars are fixtures at both.
Really when you think about it with all the "sporty" cars being made today there are only really about a dozen true sports cars in the sub $100K realm that are mass produced. The Boxster and Miata are definitely in that group
Porsche: 911, Boxster, Cayman
BMW: M3, z4, mini cooper
Merc: none
Audi: s4
Saab/volvo: none
Honda: S2000
Toyota: MR2
VW: GTI? weight is all on top...
Acura: None (RSX no longer being made, NSX too expensive)
Subaru: STI
Mitsubishi: EVO
Mazda: Miata (Rx8? mmmm nope)
Ford: Mustang
Chevy: Corvette
Dodge: SRT
Cadillac: none
Pontiac: Solstice

I know I was just giving this thread a hard time. People tell me that our Boxsters are chick cars too. ;) I hate when people tell me that. But after looking at the demographic sales of the Miata I can see why someone might think that. The majority are bought by women. Same can be said about our Boxsters. :cool:

You forgot the Saturn SKY. It's the same as the Solstice, who are they kidding? :cheers:

Hi,

For whom did you buy your car? You, or them?

If you bought it for you, was image more important than the actual car?

Seems that is what you're saying...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

hah.. ya meant to respond a long time ago. When I did research to find the curb weight of the new model, all the sites I went to either didn't have a weight or listed the GVWR for curb weight... I was shocked but I think even the Mazda site listed this incorrectly at the time... oh well.

For the record -

1990-1993 weigh about 2200

1994-1997 about 2300

99-05 about 2450

06+ close to 2500

I always wanted to add a turbo to my miatas and have been thinking of getting another to tinker with and finally go to flyin miata for some power help and a turbo...

Honestly, I liked the handling and over-all fun factor a lot more in the Miata than I do in the Boxster.... I wish my fiancee didn't total my last one. To me the box feels heavy and boring to drive, unfortunately. :(

^Get a CooperS for a weekend rental. That car reminds me more of the Miata than the Boxster... and its not even a roadster.

Yeah, the coopers are great cars! What I'm actually doing is buying a Rx8, and I'm going to pick up a $2-3000 miata next year some time. The only down side is I'll be convertible-less this season, but a bunch of my miata-owning friends have offered to trade me for a week for the 8 :)

RX8? Not sure if that's a sports car. Well its a sports car like a G35 is a sports car.
Kinda heavy and not so agile.
My autocrossing buddy had one, in addition to a MR2, he hated it. Got rid of it and picked up a 993.

They actually handle pretty good... at least better than the 350Z of a friend of mine, and definitely better than my box. But I can see that if you weren't used to already driving Rx7s or Miatas how you wouldn't like it, they're a completely different beast. besides, the 993 is right out of the question... I think if you're debating between a 993 and an Rx8, there really isn't a lot of comparison.

This is going to be my responsible daily driver, the Rx7 will still be there for race, and I'll pick up another Miata for a fun roadster...

I felt the same way when I first got my 2000S and compared it to my FB Rx-7.

Then I put on the factory M030 sport suspension kit and it really livened the car up considerably.

Now when I compare my Box to my old man's 99 Miata, there's no comparision that the Porsche is the more entertaining car.

I was thinking about getting the bilsten (sp?) PSS9 fully adjustable.. I think I screwed up the spelling and the number :) But the car in general just doesn't excite me, which is sorta upsetting.. The boxsters are GREAT cars.. I really enjoyed cruising around in mine, but for some reason it just doesn't feel "sporty." Maybe if I had experience with a modded suspension one my opinion would be different, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend 1400 on a test to see if I could love the car more than just like it...

I guess at the end of the day its preference, and mine isn't for the boxster... It just doesn't excite me like I think it should. I really thing it's a smashing car in all respects though, just not "right" for me.

I've owned an 03 Boxster for a couple of months. I would say it's probably the best sports car in the world in its price class-- a step up from the Z3 I previously owned. What distinguishes it from the Miata and Honda, in my view, is the luxury aspect. It is also a luxury car--and feels like one. I think, also the mid -engine configuration probably makes it the best handling car.

It is also a great value car, since so much of it is 911. If you haven't noticed, the price of the new Boxster every year seems to be creeping up towards the 911--especially the Boxster S. Many mid-engine Porsche types from the 914 era actually prefer the Boxster over the 911. I test drove an 01 996 C4 before I bought mine, and found no large differences in conventional driving.

I owned a Miata previous to my beloved Boxster. I had the Miata about a month before selling it. Fun around town but the rattles on the highway drove me crazy. It always felt like I was doing 80mph when I was going 60mph. The Boxster is the opposite. No comparison in my book.