We kind of resemble that remark, don't we? :D

I live in the Phoenix area. The 986 is not common nor rare by any means. The hardtop option is quite a bit more or a rarity. BUT, what makes it really weird is, there's another red 986 like mine in town with the hardtop!! It's weird seeing her drive around with the hardtop on!!

Other than that, I'd say I see a handful of 986's. The newer 918 seem to be very popular in my area now. There's a BUNCH of old farts around these parts!!! Sorry guys...you're the only ones who can afford them!

I've only seen 3 or 4 in my town of ~160k, (Western Oregon) and nobody else seems to be DD-ing theirs in the winter.

Haven't seen but 1 or 2 986s in Denver, Aurora, Lakewood area in Colorado

Hmmm not convinced by your thinking there.
'If 80s European Fords can become Classics then
Surely a Boxster can.

Have you seen how much XR2/XR3 prices have risen in the UK!!

The 918 starting price is $847,000. Guess there's a bunch of really rich old farts in your neighborhood!

Even amongst Porsche owners, the Boxster is still seen my many as the poor stepchild. It's rare an entry level car becomes a 'collectible' car (big difference from classic) - but I would wager an early Cayman might be in with a shot.

Convertibles are also a challenge - not a lot of Collectible convertibles...mostly coupe's.

I noted this too! Pretty sure that he meant the Boxster 718, but it would be great to see a bunch of $1M cars rolling around town! :)

The Boxster 986 will certainly be a REAL classic in the next 10-20 years for the following reasons...........#1 Its a Porsche. Even being the" poor mans" Porsche it has the Crest and the flat 6 motor. #2 Its the car that kept Porsche alive in bad times. Yes they built 300k of them and there are still a lot of them out there so they wont be rare, but they will be a classic There are lots of old Vettes out there 63-67 so they are not rare but they certainly are classics. #3 25 years ago did you ever think that a 70 Dodge Roadrunner 0r 71 Charger would really be a classic worth a lot of money? finally reason #4........The best reason of all, The 986 Boxster is a PURE sportscar. As time passes all cars have become more automated and less visceral. A 986 with the top down is " one with the driver". You can hear the intake, exhaust, the road. You can smell the air and the grass You can feel the curves and the wheels spin under you. As Porsches have been refined its less of a driving thing and more of a comfort thing. This is why a 356 is so desirable. Its hard to find a newer Porsche that's a stick shift. There will always be people who want to go back to the good old days when cars didn't have launch or race mode. When you could use your foot to downshift before a curve, when you could smell the old leather seats and canvas of the convertible top........I hope Im around and still driving my 02 S in 20 years so I can hear young kids say " man, that Porsche is a classic! "

Big difference between a 'classic' and a 'collectible'. Most cars over 25 years old would be considered a 'Classic' - but that doesn't mean they have any increased value. The Porsche badge does nothing for long term value - there are tons of Porsche's out there much older then the 986 that have very little value, even ones in great shape. Autotrader is full of them.
But healthy debates such as these certainly help them to be a 'classic', that's for sure. Without passion, there will be no classic.

Who possesses a Porche without passion? Does passion have a price? I think the 986's value is worth its passion.

I see a lot more water cooled 911 than 986. I agree people deferring the maintenance and repairs now exceed the resale of the car and that has taken a toll. In states with perfect year round weather the 986s are in way better shape at this point, so you see more of them. Everywhere else they're dropping like flies. Winter is brutal on these cars and the cost of repairs do not scale down over time...

Also, I'm seeing a lot fewer air cooled 911 and 944. One have become too valuable to drive regularly the other too niche, not a lot of younger drivers into 944/968/928. Gen x and older have by now given up their toys for $50k SUVs and pickups to haul the kids.

Got pulled over this morning for no front plate. First time in 16 years. 19 if you count the previous roadster.

Interesting about the 718. I'm in Melbourne which is the second largest city in Australia, and I've not seen a single 718 on the roads yet. Interestingly 3 of the 4 launch day cars that were in the main dealer last year are still for sale in their used listings.
I guess the other one must have gone somewhere.
As a flat 6 N/A fan, I'm hoping the 718 is a sales failure so that Porsche will think again. :D

I also wonder why they didn't try a supercharger with a smaller flat 6, but that's another story.

You're spot on on these comment. I'd like to add a few.
We are seeing a lot more water cooled 911's because they're all water cooled since 1999. I do see more 996 than I do 986 here in the Bay Area.

Some of us 944 owners have moved on to newer Porsche's but also keep the 944. From what I see those that have one in good condition have kept them and not use them as often. I'm one of them and know of another 5 individuals in the Bay Area that did this. I drive my 944 turbo only once last year.

Did they actually give you a ticket for no plates or just a fix it ticket? I've been lucky so far. I do know not to go to SF without front plates. They give tickets while you're parked.

I feel like I see 928s fairly often, only on weekends and only ever few months but that seems often for the cars age.

There are a lot of Craigslist special 944s sitting around lower income areas of the upstate as it seems any money pit sports car of the era populates front lawns in these areas.

If the car ends up a failure - the risk is they stop producing it. It's highly unlikely they will revert back to 6 cyl - far too many environmental regulations. This is their way of getting the fleet average down - which is a must for all mass-market car manufacturers now.

Porsche sets new sales record
In 2016, Porsche AG far exceeded its 2015 record. The Stuttgart-based sportscar manufacturer delivered a total of 237,778 vehicles around the world, some 6 per cent more than the previous record.
The key drivers of growth were Europe, the USA and China. The Macan and the new 718 Boxster had a particularly positive effect on the result. The excellent response to the new Panamera provides an additional boost.
“Our strong product range has enabled us to once again exceed the high levels from the previous year”, says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “Porsche is synonymous with emotion and quality. The positive trend in the global markets confirms how enthusiastic our customers are.” However, he adds that exclusivity is more important to Porsche than sales targets. Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing, gives further reasons for this clear growth: “the strength of the brand and the exceptionally motivated dealership network, which we have continued to expand”.
The legend of the Porsche 911 continues
There were 12,848 deliveries of the 718 Boxster, exceeding last year's result by 9 per cent. Meanwhile, the legend of the Porsche 911 continues: With a total of 32,409 models delivered, sales of the 911 once again grew by 2 per cent, helping it to maintain its special position in the market for exclusive sportscars. The Macan reinforced its position as the best-selling Porsche with 95,642 vehicles delivered, representing an increase of 19 per cent.
In the sales regions, Europe surpassed last year's excellent result by 5 per cent, delivering 78,975 vehicles. Germany remained stable at 29,247 vehicles delivered (+1 per cent). Porsche has also continued its success story in the USA, where last year the company delivered 54,280 models, some 5 per cent more than in 2015. After the great success of the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, Porsche reinforced its presence in the key American market by opening a second site in Los Angeles in November 2016. China is once again the strongest individual market, with a total of 65,246 vehicles delivered – an increase of 12 per cent. Porsche is responding to the good level of demand by further expanding its dealerships and it plans to open the Porsche Experience Center in Shanghai in 2017.
The coming weeks will see the launch of the completely redeveloped second generation of the Panamera in the USA and China. The shooting-brake version – the Panamera Sport Turismo – will celebrate its world premiere in March at the Geneva Motor Show.

I really like the 981s

Honestly, I didn't buy a 986 for hopes that the price would increase in the years to come. I bought it because I was looking for my next car to meet the 3 following criteria:
1. RWD
2. Convertible
3. REAL SPORTS CAR.

I was just just looking at the 996 GT2 and alot of guys are speculating on the value of that car in 15 years. I cant really buy a car for investment purposes and then drive it like it was supposed to be driven...HARD and ENJOYABLE.

This was said about the 924's and prices are rising. Boxster and 924 can't even be compared to one another.