I got it last week and have been reading through several of the procedures. This manual is written the way I wish all auto repair manuals were. Here are the things I believe make this manual stand out from others:
1) A full "familiarization" section for all model years. I learned a lot about the Boxster from this section. Most other manuals just have a car famiarization area that has nothing to do with the specific model.
2) Step-by-step instructions with pictures (photos, not illustrations) of each procedure.
3) Torque values printed next to the procedure so you don't have to go searching through tables and remember what they called that bolt. :dance:
4) Complete (and I mean COMPLETE) service procedures including all of the checks that
should be done.
5) Arrows pointing to the bolts/fasteners that are removed in each step. No more searching.
6) Full A/C repair instructions. Most companies leave this out because you must have a license to work on them (they want to avoid a lawsuit because if you do it anyway). This manual warns that you must have a license and gives you the instructions. The license is easy to get, a short test online, but it only covers refridgerant recovery and processing with no training on systems at all. Nice to have both now.
7) Instructions in PLAIN ENGLISH. They know I'm not a mechanic by trade.
The only drawback I have seen so far is I wish it was split into two manuals. It's pretty big and heavy to have to carry around under the car. I would also love it if they started offering .pdf versions so I could print the section I'm working on and not worry about how greasy it gets.
If you can't tell, I love this manual and really wish they had one for our 928, Intrepid and Civic. I have the factory manuals for the 928 (9 volumes worth) and they are not as good as the Bentley manual. They are written for someone who's been to P-car school, not your average weekend mechanic, but they cost nearly 10 times as much. This is probably the best $60 I could ever spend on the Boxster.