That all depends on what resale means to you.

Good point. I don't plan on selling any time soon, but you never know. In any case, I found a 2010 S I could stretch to purchase. Is a 2010 (<20K miles) worth $10K more than a 2007 S (<40K miles)?

I'd much rather get the 2007 to save the $10K, but it's hard for me to follow the IMS issues. How big of a risk is a 2007 S?

A 2010 does not have the ims but a 2007 does. Is it worth $10k more? I would say so but if money is an issue then the 2007 makes sense. Any which way you look at it it is still a Porsche and you will still likely have niggling problems as I do with my 2001 Box base but I would think the newer the better.

For me I plan on $2k a year for repairs done by my indy shop.

Cheers, Guy.

Ims Is fairly unlikely on 05 and newer cars, however the 09 is worth more based on the better engine and such, outside of ims the 09 is just a better car. But I would highly suggest an S regardless and personally would get a really low mile clean 04 or 03 S, budget for the ims and the car will depreciate much less than a newer one.

I understand the 09-11 are nicer, but the 2007 is nice enough for me :-) The conversation will go a lot easier with 'the boss' if I keep it under $30K. You have to love those psychological barriers. I drove a local 2007 S from an independent dealer yesterday. I loved it, but the dealer was not flexible at all on price. He wanted $37K for a 2007 S with 67K miles.

If the consensus is that the IMS is low risk on the 2007, I'll be looking to pick up a <40K mile 2007 for ~$30K. 2009-2010's are around $40K.

IMHO the IMS is a low risk in older 986's as well. Don't lose sleep over it.
Yes, there are some that are all doom and gloom, but the vast majority of M96 engines had had no IMS issue. They are probably more with over 100K without any IMS issue than the total that have had IMS issues.

Can there be a problem, sure. Will it happen on all engines, NO, even a large percentage, probably not.

You can always have it replaced when the clutch is done and then it is a much lower cost as you have to pull the tranny to replace the IMS, same as doing the clutch.

I have an 04 with 60k and will I replace the IMS, most likely when I do the clutch. I drive the car, it is not a garage queen and I drive some back roads at least once a week giving it some high revs. As my DD, I keep it below 3k until its warmed up and then it gets higher revs as well. Its a lot of fun doing freeway ramps and shifting at 6-7k. Top of the ramp in 3rd near triple digits.

Find a car you like and enjoy it. If you are going to worry about what could/might happen and servicing the car and maybe spending a few $$ annually, buy a S2000 or 370z

All valid points from Jay. I had been thinking about selling my 2001 Box base but I believe that I would miss it so am thinking of keeping it and getting a small suv. I think that it is important for me to not overextend myself financially so will keep the old Box and have the suv for winter. As opposed to having a newer Box/Cayman and driving it year round.

The other thing is I did not notice much performance difference between my 2001 and a 2007 Boxster base. 217 hp vs 240.
Cheers, Guy.

If you like the 987 I say go for it. Bothered about the ixx which is better but hard to change, go with a early 05 or 04 model. You will be buying a much more improved car the newer you get.

Most Porsche pundits, and even Excellence magazine recommends that you purchase the newest Porsche you can afford.

Your cost cap gives you a lot of choices; and an affordable, low mileage 987 is one of them.

If you're that stressed about the IMS issue, you may want to consider one with a Certified Porsche warranty. Here's a very clean one below your cost cap:

Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2 Door | eBay

Please note that this Boxster is being offered by a Porsche dealer, has less than 40K miles, and comes with a Certified Porsche warranty for two years or 50K miles. I believe this is different than a CPO, as my understanding is that Porsches more than 6 years old do not qualify for CPO status. If you pursue this, you may want to clarify with the dealer that the warranty covers an IMS failure.

Just a thought...........

TO

If you really have your heart set on a 2007 model, the same dealer has one of those also:

2007 Porsche Boxster, $30,993 - Cars.com

TO

Thanks for the links, but I really have my heart set on an S :-)

'07S, less than 40K miles. Gonna be tough to find at ~ $30K.

TO

They are out there (don't want a tiptronic though): Porsche Boxster S | eBay

If you want a bullet proof motor and high resale value in 10 years:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...Tn1ev/$_57.JPG

Porsche 911 Turbo | eBay

I'm looking at a 2006 S with a build date of 09/2005. Will this have the upgraded IMS bearing?

I've decided I'm willing to take my chances with the upgraded IMS. I've never been one to buy extended warranties, so if the risk is 1-5% I think I can live with that. I don't want to risk the older IMS, and I'm not convinced any retrofit will help my chances.

Got my 2010 Boxster S (manual) about 2 weeks ago. I had a great time driving it across the Sierras. Pardon the bugs which were along for the ride on my front bumper until I got home :D

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...dBoxster-1.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...dBoxster-2.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...dBoxster-3.jpg

Looking for a Boxster, what to buy with my budget?
 

Great color and nice wheels!

i have a 2001 Base. Really like it.

But if I were in your position (i assume you dont have kids or dont plan to have kids in the near future), I would get the 09 S. The boxster is a great car, easy to drive fast, looks cool and happy to be driven daily. I use it as my DD.

Having had the 2001 base for a while now, ive found that small bits and pieces are starting to break due to wear and tear. I've done the IMS, RMS, I did the suspension overhaul, AOS, stereo etc. I dont mind the maintenance.. .as i expect it for a 13 year old car. Dont get me wrong, i love my car. the engine is strong ... the suspension is great (now) .....but i can start to feel the bits an pieces of the car getting tired.

I know you are not considering the 986 ... but my learning here is .. in the future, i'll get a much newer one, so less wear and tear. So i encourage you to get the newest one you can afford. If no kids on the horizon ... just use it exclusively as your DD and sell the A3.

Also, the 09 ... ive seen some really cool looking ones with minor exterior mods. u'll be happy driving it for the next 10 years.

Hell yes! Great looking car, congrats :)

Beautiful!:cheers: