The biggest drawback to a miata is that it can't easily tow our Boxster when our fragile engine grenades.

The Boxster is a great car but it may never have seen the light of day if it wasn't for the absolute success of the Miata. Same for Z3, same for S2000, All were late to the party.

Coming from Italian sports cars, the Miata was a breath of fresh are....ragtop fun without any of the drama. They're great cars.

I give the Miata a well deserved tip of the cap.

Are we a bit testy today Charles?

What? You didn't see my smiley faces? :D
Drive a Miata if it suits you, but I wouldn't be caught dead in one. ;)
And this is coming from a guy who daily drove a 1998 Dodge Neon up until last fall...ouch! :eek:

Seriously, though, I just think they look incredibly stupid. I'm sure they're great aside from that.

The brand new Miata is a good looking car for sure the best looking Miata to me. My thing is there is still something to be said about owning a Porsche. The pedigree and history of Porsche is something Mazda will never have. Yes my 986 S does cost me money and it would be cheaper to own a Miata but when I was a kid I didnt have dreams about owning a Miata, my dream was a Porsche. Miata is a cool car but its not a Porsche. I dont track my car its my nice day toy that will handle the curves/ straight line speed perfectly for me.

Wife and I went to dinner last night at a new pub in the area. Place was packed, they were doing valet parking. I pull up and say to the guy, I guess valet is the only option? The older gent with an eastern European accent says, yes but this is too nice of a car, just park it there (and points to the no parking/ fire lane), I will come get you if I need it moved.

Thank you sir. :D

Anyone honestly think that would happen to a Mazda? Me neither.

Yes, the Miata does some things better, many other cars do as well, it's not a Porsche.

Hate to bust anyone's bubble here but we are not living in the early 90's anymore. Porsche is not the exclusive car it once was. They are everywhere now. Anyone can own one with the swipe of s pen.
In the next town over from me, it used to be the porsche dealership my son and his friends wanted me to take him to. Now we go the mcclaren dealership across the street. No 4 door cars, no SUV's. Just awesome sports cars. They do have a gt3 there so I am quite happy to go.
My mom had a Mercedes back in the 70's. People used to wave and comment on it. It's the same thing, not so exclusive anymore. I won't get a lot of porsche guys not even recognizing a boxster as a porsche. So Are we really in the position to cast stones? My S is a wonderful car but I am not that delusional to think I am driving an early pre Japanese involved porsche. If you think you are, I guess your more an optimist than I. Off to enjoy Sunday, it might warm up.

You must live in the fancy part of town! Porsche is still a very exclusive marque, the 911 is still seen as The premier sports car. Yes, McClaren and Ferrari are more upscale....they always have been. I just have to look at a recent Top Gear episode. They had to choose two super cars that they could drive year round and competed a Lamborghini vs, yes, you guessed it, a 911. And they both, hands down, chose the 911.
Yes, more and more people are buying Porsches. Low interest rates will do that, hence most people have more debt now than ever. But people appreciate quality. That certainly doesn't diminish the exclusivity and aura the Porsche comes with.

I still get plenty of envious looks and there are plenty high end cars in town especially compared to the Boxster. I'm sure Porsche SUVs and four door cars don't. A Porsche sports car is still plenty exclusive when the cheapest new one on a dealer lot is over $60k and a Carrera will run you $100k. I guess you have to be at $200k to be truly exclusive?

New P-cars might be exclusive due to price point but our cars are not exclusive at all. As mentioned, its very easy to see decent drivers for $5k. The car is an amazing value at this price point, even though it may cost more to maintain.

My Boxster S is hands down the best sports car I've ever owned. Even when I consider moving up to a newer Box, I have a hard time justifying that, say, a 2010 Boxster will be $15K 'more fun' than my current car. Subjective, I know, but that's what I think about.

I don't care what any says who may bash Boxsters...they just don't know.

Same for Miata's.

This is an odd post only because it's a 986 forum and one wonders about the Pandora's box of what other vehicles need to be compared to (highly subjective anyway) the 986. I'm leaving an MGB and moving to a Boxster S - so I 'may' notice a difference. The MGB was still fun to drive (without risking a ticket), and many of the MGB people move to the Miata for obvious reasons (of which looks cannot be one of them). The Miata is a highly uninspired looking car and that's one main reason as to why I wasn't going to put one in my garage. That, and the fact that I drive a nine year old '5' (that is fun to drive) but rusting from the factory paint - inexcusable at this point in automotive manufacturing. So quality, design and I don't want to have to bolt, weld and modify, to drive in a spirited fashion, led me to the Porsche .... oh, and it's a Porsche. Every boy wants a Porsche:)

Like you I had an MGB,Jensen and still have an E-Type. If you re planning to do diy repairs(not routine maintenance) on the Boxster you are in for an enormous shock compared to the "B"on reliability,complexity,access, tools & skills required, parts prices.depreciation,insurance. Imho there are better alternatives for U.K. but you are unlikely to get much support for that notion here !

LOL! The first thing I notice is HOW MUCH ROOM there is under the hood in the B!! Modern cars really pack everything in. I suspect short or oil changes MAYBE brakes, I'll be taking it to a mechanic:)

So we are quickly back to my favorite advice for the Boxster - first find an Indie who is honest and competent(ask here for recommendations). Then go car hunting. Be sure you evaluate alternatives like the Z4.

Taste is such a subjective thing, isn't it? I think the first gen Miatas are really good looking cars. Of course the inspiration for their styling was the Lotus Elan, which I think is one of the best looking sports cars ever (at least the early roadsters). The Boxster? I'm not crazy about their looks at all, especially the 986's. I just think the proportions are awkward from the seats on back. I do like the front 2/3s of the car, which of course is shared with the 996.

So there you go! Threads like this are all about personal preferences, so you never get everyone to agree, but it is fun to discuss these things, rather than mechanical maladies or the state of politics.

I agree about the Elan comparison ... then Mazda went off the path ... Funny you should mention the Boxster styling ... I think I like the 'back' end better! But I agree about the differences and inherent discussions!
Cheers!

I agree it is fun to discuss these types of subjects. If I were building an AX car I'd build a Miata. I also think that the 1st gen Miata was a great, reliable interpretation of the Elan (which I fell in love with thanks to Emma Peele). I just would not be interested in any Miata as my fun driver. Nothing to do with 'prestige', heritage or performance, it's just that the Mazda doesn't speak to me on that level.

My least favorite look for my 986 is with the top up. I like it from all angles with the top down. Personally, I think it looks a lot better and is better proportioned than a 996 cab with the top down from the seats on back. Like RacerBoy says, it's all about personal preference and I'm really glad we don't all prefer the same things!

I don't know if it could tow a whole Boxster but it can definitely tow a trailer full of junk, I saw this last July on I-75 just north of Gainesville.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1490640397.jpg

I was deciding between a similar year (ie. older Carrera) or the Boxster S. I wanted a convertible and the Boxster looked better as a convertible than the Carrera .... I also thought that I may be less likely to kill myself in some 'envelope pushing' maneuver in the Boxster S versus the Carrera :)

Interesting discussion on price. I sold an Infiniti FX45 - sticker was a tad under $65k. Every option available in 2004. Nobody commented on it. If the weather is crappy, I drive a 2003 F250 diesel. NADA is far higher than my 2001 Boxster but the second day I drove the Boxster, people at work were asking who had the Porsche, comments about how expensive Porsche's are, etc. etc. etc. I've played it low key. I'm sure some people know it's mine but not making a big deal.

Just to say, all depends on perception. There are many cars in parking lot here worth far more than my Boxster. But, none could bring as big a smile to my face as when I'm headed home on a sunny day with the top down!

The aura of exclusivity depends totally on where you live. I live on the edge of a well heeled neighborhood in a large city and for sure, nobody notices my humble Boxster. I was brought up in a small city where everybody knew the cool guy that owned the Corvette ( long time ago in Barrie, Giller). :cheers: