Not so valuable? Jax. Fl. C.L.

[kk2002s]

Good points made about the 996. It appears to have sold well. I believe most opinions about it's drive ability, handling, performance, ect. were typically favorable. It's biggest hill to climb was that it was a change in direction to the companies Icon.
At least the 986 was a new stand alone model really with no previous history to be compared against. Again mainly favorable opinions but as we all know it still got bashed.

My opinion, the 986 base and S and the 996 Turbo are the best sports car values out there.

For the price of a nicely optioned new 986 S (back in 2002) you could have in your garage today, a 2002 986 S and a 2002 996 Turbo

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by kk2002s

At least the 986 was a new stand alone model really with no previous history to be compared against.

I will quibble with this is you will allow me. The marketing term Boxster 986 had no previous history. But a two seat only, mid platform, short wheel base, purpose built convertible with a boxer engine had more history than any other Porsche model. The Boxster is the 550 reincarnate, and had racing pedigree long before the 911 was even an idea in Anyone's head. And arguably you can go even further back than The 550 since the very first Porsche ever built was all of the above mentioned. That first of *all Porsches* was essentially the 550 but they called it the 356A#1 instead. The car Mr. Porsche wanted but could not find. To ensure sales two seats were added to the back, the engine was moved to the rear, it was turned into a coupe and the original "Boxster" disappeared for 50 years until they hit that moment in 1990s of "in case of emergency break glass"! Voila 356A#1 was back as the 986.

[dijinn]

Originally Posted by kk2002s

For the price of a nicely optioned new 986 S (back in 2002) you could have in your garage today, a 2002 986 S and a 2002 996 Turbo

I've been keeping an eye out for a 996 Turbo for the last couple of years... and they have definitely increased in prices during that time. I almost pulled the trigger on a 50k mile 996 Turbo for $35k a little over a year ago and I'm now kicking myself for not having picked it up. Same car with higher mileage (60k-70k miles) is in the $40-$45k area now, if not higher. 996 Turbos look to be the next "collector" car.

[kk2002s]

Originally Posted by dijinn

I've been keeping an eye out for a 996 Turbo for the last couple of years... and they have definitely increased in prices during that time. I almost pulled the trigger on a 50k mile 996 Turbo for $35k a little over a year ago and I'm now kicking myself for not having picked it up. Same car with higher mileage (60k-70k miles) is in the $40-$45k area now, if not higher. 996 Turbos look to be the next "collector" car.

Same here. Looking back a year ago, in this area 50k+ mile cares were mid $40k, now mid $50k

Perfectlap - no denying there is a history for the 986 but there is such a large disconnect to it's origins that I can't think of the Boxster/986 as an evolution of the 550.
I have to wonder though, if they had continued the mid-engine roadster from the 550 to today, maybe Porcshe would never had to rely on Toyota to fix them

[nicecar]

Originally Posted by kk2002s

Same here. Looking back a year ago, in this area 50k+ mile cares were mid $40k, now mid $50k

Perfectlap - no denying there is a history for the 986 but there is such a large disconnect to it's origins that I can't think of the Boxster/986 as an evolution of the 550.
I have to wonder though, if they had continued the mid-engine roadster from the 550 to today, maybe Porcshe would never had to rely on Toyota to fix them

Seems a bit of a stretch to me as well but I like thinking that was the intent. Forgive my ignorance and fill me in as far a Toyota is concerned

[dijinn]

Originally Posted by nicecar

Forgive my ignorance and fill me in as far a Toyota is concerned

In the '90's when Porsche was just doing atrociously, they hired Toyota's consulting arm which specializes in streamlining, trimming fat and making operations more efficient (among other things). It is this streamlining of operations that put Porsche on the successful path to fulfill all of the Boxster orders that came later and ultimately saved the company.

I encourage anyone in a manufacturing type of environment to read the book "The Toyota Way". Interesting read and principles pioneered by Toyota that continue to apply today.

[nicecar]

Originally Posted by dijinn

In the '90's when Porsche was just doing atrociously, they hired Toyota's consulting arm which specializes in streamlining, trimming fat and making operations more efficient (among other things). It is this streamlining of operations that put Porsche on the successful path to fulfill all of the Boxster orders that came later and ultimately saved the company.

I encourage anyone in a manufacturing type of environment to read the book "The Toyota Way". Interesting read and principles pioneered by Toyota that continue to apply today.

Hence the identical car from the front door forward 996 and 986 and the slide in headlights, faster on the production line. 90 % of a 911 for 60% of the price with the motor in the right spot is how the saying goes......I think

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by kk2002s

Same here. Looking back a year ago, in this area 50k+ mile cares were mid $40k, now mid $50k

Perfectlap - no denying there is a history for the 986 but there is such a large disconnect to it's origins that I can't think of the Boxster/986 as an evolution of the 550.
I have to wonder though, if they had continued the mid-engine roadster from the 550 to today, maybe Porcshe would never had to rely on Toyota to fix them

Any other brand in a similar situation would have admitted that there was no fundamental difference between the 550 and 986. BMW, Audi and Mercedes would have skipped the whole Porsche marketing exercise of Introducing "Boxsters" and "Caymans" and just announced they were bringing back the 550 while adding M Powered or AMG engines to drum up sales hype. But Porsche had to use the strategy of a Porsche roadster to save the 911and Porsche without giving that roadster more prestige or performance. 550's sell for astronomical sums compared to Carreras and big power in a modern day midengine platform would have taken the shine off time sheets of the flagship Carreras. The way to pull this off was to detune the engine, and pass it off as a lower price option for a first time Porsche buyer. But the strong economic climate in the U.S. market wasn't asking for a cheap Porsche. They were asking for an all new Porsche, one that looked nothing like a traditional 911 or was engineered like one. For a small 2.5 engine it was an expensive car value wise, yet Americans jumped in with both feet because those who could afford one had plenty of cash at the time. The success of the first 986 meant they could pull off both saving the company without up staging the 911 history and performance. Development on the 996 continued while all the Boxster orders put the factory back in full swing. And only now, some nearly 20 years later are Porsche finally dispensing with small displacement engines in the 981 Spyder and dropping the whole Boxster 986 marketing ploy for the 917 branding. and technically all this is only happening because VW want to show the old Porsche guard who potected the 911 at all costs that ultimately VW prevailed as the winner.