? In what year did the doors get higher up the shoulder?
 

I'm curious if anyone knows what year the doors started coming up higher relative to one's head? I believe they call this the "belt line"

I've noticed the 986 has the top of the door lower to the ground which gives a much more open feeling and better visibility. I know they raised the door height for 'safety' but I much prefer the lower door height.

Might anyone know when this changed?

I'm thinking about buying a newer Boxster with a manual trans and more power. I prefer working all 3 pedals at once and being more engaged in the driving :0)

htthttps://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/fmvss/214_Side_Impact_final_Aug_30_2007.pdfp://

It appears that NHTSA published an updated rule on side impact in August 2007. The rule gave manufacturers several years to implement the standard. I expect that most of the manufacturers incorporated the rule changes during the next design cycle of their vehicles and that the changes occurred over a 5 or 6-year period.

I haven't read the rule closely, but I doubt it dictates the height of doors. I also haven't ridden in a convertible that was newer than my 986 and I cannot say for sure that the door heights have changed. (I'm willing to take your word for it.) I expect that if the changes happened it was part of the effort to meet the new test standards contained in the rule.

My daughter was an EMT and she responded to several "T-bone" wrecks. At the time, she was an EMT I had a 96 Infiniti G20 that did not have side-impact airbags. I was treated to several stories about passengers in side impact wrecks who had airbags and walked away from the accident with minor injuries. She also told me about a high school student who was hit in a car without airbags who broke her jaw and lost most of her teeth. I eventually sold my G20 (which had 268,000 miles on it at the time) and bought a 2005 Mercedes C230 with side impact airbags and overall more substantial construction. I didn't want have my daughter tell me "I told you so" if I was ever in a side impact accident and lost all of my teeth.

I'm kinda looking at the 2007-2009 years right now, but that could change. These have lots of side airbags:

Realizing that crash protection is even more critical for occupants in an open-top car than in a steel-roof one, Porsche's engineers equipped all Porsche Boxster roadsters with three-point inertia-reel seat belts with belt-latch tensioners and belt-force limiters as well as six airbags.

In addition to two-stage frontal airbags, the Porsche Boxster and Boxster S feature the Porsche Side Impact Protection (POSIP) system with torso-protecting thorax side-impact airbags mounted in the outer edges of the seatbacks and special head-protecting side-impact airbags which deploy from the doors' windowsills.

The frontal airbags benefit from the use of an organic-based propellant which reduces their needed storage space and their weight, while also easing their recyclability.

To protect small children, the passenger seat sensors automatically defeat the passenger front airbags if the sensors detect a lightweight occupant.

Source? My 98 has 4 bags.

From where did you cut and paste your narrative?

here is where I found it, it was quoting a 2008:
https://www.netcarshow.com/porsche/2008-boxster/

Nothing in that description is accurate for a 986.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

That is correct, that is for a 2008 Boxster- I was looking at getting a newer Boxster, forgot this is a 986 only forum

I went and test drove a 2006 and a 2016 Boxster Today. Those were both faster, nicer ride, but my smaller 986 just feels much more carefree, definitely much more fun, and at the end of the day that wins for me much more than speed.

I have a higher appreciation for this little 986 now.

After trying the other, newer models, I prefer the 986.

Soooo...

I just bought another one, also black on black, this time a 34k miles 5 speed 1999 2.5l base with 18" wheels.
Pics soon. -I know, pics or it didn't happen ;0)

I prefer the 5 speed. I'll sell the tiptronic 1998 soon now that we just did a full trans service and the temporary slipping was fixed, it was just a little low on fluid.

OP, that's a great question. When I started my search for the right roadster many years ago I wanted to avoid the "tub" feeling I got in cars like the Mustang and Solstice. (I'm old school and like to have my arm on the top of the door.) The 2001 986 I bought was perfect.

A couple of years ago I toyed with the idea of upgrading to a 987, but for me it put me back in the tub again. Now I'm still with my 986 and loving it every drive.

You can always upgrade components and remove weight but it’s much harder to relocate the motor or fix bloat

I have a 2009 987 and have had a 981. The 987s have a marginal increase in door height; but the 981 generation is the biggest jump.

That's interesting. Which do you prefer?