deni durrell

Rant rec'd: I think it's important to ignore these types of people because for some, a truer sense of what it means to drive a Porsche will never sink in, no matter how hard we try to understand this faux-pas. IMO, I would consider a lot of us here not representative of the majority, we are a specialised group of individuals focused on a truer sense regarding driving and ownership (um, "performance"). we can't expect *everyone* to understand, unfortunately. I find the majority of BMW owners (driving models E36, E37, E39, E46, E65, etc.) fall into this category as well, I think it's kind of a drag.

How about some pics of some nicely modified 986s w/996 engines? (the one with the Arizona flag on the bonnet was in Excellence, btw)

deni durrell

<a href="http://www.chpltd.com/911_porsche_world/street_lighting.html" target="_blank">article from 911 & Porsche World</a>

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/02-RearQuarter.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/03-FrontQuarter.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/04-TightRear.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/05-Boxster-Action.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/06-BeachPic.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/08-dooropen.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.gt3fx.com/13-Racecar.jpg" alt=" - " />

bummer, i hit the upload limit... try these out.

<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/01-IndexPhotoBlack.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/01-IndexPhotoBlack.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/09-ShowsEvents6.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/09-ShowsEvents6.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/12-SideAtNight.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/12-SideAtNight.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/13-Racecar.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/13-Racecar.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/14-on%20the%20grid%20from%20Above.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/14-on%20the%20grid%20from%20Above.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/15-ShowsEvents1.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/15-ShowsEvents1.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/20-cage.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/20-cage.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/21-lmproto4.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/21-lmproto4.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.gt3fx.com/24-Hiding-the-prototype.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gt3fx.com/24-Hiding-the-prototype.jpg</a>

thomschoon

This thread could quickly become a discussion of the wants versus the needs. I want a 986, I need a 911 (or maybe another 944).

All I have to do is convince my wife that a new P-car would replace some of my weekend commute flights between Rochester and DC, in other words, it would save us some money. So what do you think, will it work?

icat

I like the 951 better than the Boxster at any price. I think the resale value on the Boxsters will really take a hit when the cars begin to need service. They are no where near as easy to work on as our 944 series cars.

Porsche5050

You could count me in on the anti-leasing coalition. As a child I never knew of leasing and while growing up I learned about it but always thought it was only for 15,000 dollar family sedans. The first lease I saw for a nice car was pertaining to a boxster, and it truly shocked me. I just kept thinking to myself...WHY? In the end the dealer makes money, the buyer gets his status of having a new car every few years, but in the end the vehicle suffers. I for one will stand up for all high end car rights. I see 0 down 1,000 a month 7 series leases and I think to myself there's no more commitment in this world.

It's like a line in Sienfeld when Jerry is renting a car and the clerk asks him "would you like to get insurance on this vehicle?" and he responds, "Damn right I do I'm going to drive the hell out of this car". Spirited driving is one thing, but I've sat in cars with people that lease their cars and they flat out abuse them.

jabbadeznuts

Joseph,
I completely agree!!!!

Luis de Prat

Some very good points have been made. Another factor is the sheer number of Boxsters that are out there and the quality control issues that have cropped up over the years. Just from reading the owner reports in Pano, you get the idea that although nicely engineered, these cars are a few notches below the 944 as far as materials and build quality. Frankly, I don't think they'll be as much of a bargain 15 years from now as the 944 is today.

Another good point is size. I for one have a problem with straight two-seaters, which is largely why I ignored the 968 when I was looking for a cabrio. I mean, unless it's an exotic supercar, 2+2 seating is requisite as far as practicality goes. Maybe I don't carry passengers back there every day, but I sure use the extra space.

And finally, the fashion statement remark is right on. No offense to women or 986 enthusiasts, but as Joseph pointed out, the average owner isn't exactly a dedicated enthusiast of the marque. A while back, there was someone on the E-Mail lists who made a funny comment to this effect. Something like "Hey, the Boxsters are nice little cars, but is it me, or are there too many big haired secretaries driving them?"

JKC-JD/968

Agree with most of the comments here.

Drving a Porsche should be a special experience... I find that most folks who drive 944s and 968s understand and respect that because they have chosen a Porsche they love and can afford, and, are willing to put up with static from stupid people who think the only Porsche will always be the revered 911. Frankly, I prefer 944s and 968s.

Luis, regarding the 968 cabriolet, it is probably too late but you can modify those cars to have back seats. The package tray/storage boxes come right out. Probably too late for you but I wanted to share that information with others who are looking at that car and are not happy with two seats.

Regards

Porsche5050

Personally, the 2+2 combo is something I know Porsche does often, but for me does nothing. I don't see the functionality in it with the fact that it's VERY difficult for people to comfortably sit there, and the added weight vs. purpose issue strikes me as a negative. I used to own a Z31 and when I was purchasing it I avoided the 2+2 not only because the 2 seaters were lighter but also looked sportier being smaller. Not to say that the 944 looks awkward and if it didn't have the extra 2 seats it could of looked so much better, but when I think true sports cars I think 2 seats.

Sean

About the only advantage with the 2+2 combo seems to be legroom in the FRONT. With rear seats, it's easier to scoot back the front seats to obtain more legroom. Otherwise, the rear seats are pretty much a joke for anyone over the age of three! My 944 rear seats are used for storage, not seating.

I like the Boxster sports car formula - two seats, a drop top, and a flat six. Very simple and classic.

With regard to too many people driving them as fashion statements, that applies to most new Porsches. Excellence magazine recently had an article of a guy who was cosmetically altering his 996 Twin Turbo to look like a GT2. He kept the TT suspension and PSM and all that stuff the same, but just changed the cosmetics. The car was NOT a GT2, but he put several "GT2" badges and a GT2 rear wing on his TT. What the?! <img border="0" alt="[ouch]" title="" src="graemlins/c.gif" />

Crippler

I have never driven or even sat in a boxster and I was wondering if they have that "porrsche feel" like our cars 911's etc. Or have they been ruined by becoming more of a status symbol than a driving machine?

Mark Parker

I too have noticed more Boxters on independant used lots than any other Porsche model. Not really knowing what year models they are, I see that they have been priced in the 25k range. It's good for me as the person who will be the beneficiary of this depreciation. For the most part it seems that, like Joseph said, the original owners are posers, only wanting the car because it makes a fashion statement. Good. Let 'em move on to the next "fashionable" model (Cayenne?), and leave those perfectly good examples for us in the lower economic strata.

joseph mitro

i, too, saw the article in excellence on the GT2 look-a-like, and although it was very nice-looking, i also thought it was kind of stupid to badge a car as something it is not. kind of like putting a turbo badge on a regular 944. people pretty quickly figure out what it is by lifting the hood (deck). maybe i'm just too much of a traditionalist. it it doesn't help the car go faster or perform better then leave it alone

deni durrell

Yes, I saw that article in Excellence as well. It doesn't say much about the owner and the fact that the cars are from LA. If you guys haven't been to LA, you wouldn't realise how competitive people can be when it comes to cars. it's crazy there. since there are so many people who have 996 turbos, i guess the guy wanted to "one-up" the next guy, the whole time losing truthfulness in the situation. therefore, it's not surprising why Dinan's (BMW tuner, Mountain View, Ca) #1 market for the whole world, is in LA.

Anyhow, I still think it would be fun to be able to get a 986 for under US$20k and cheaply modify it with a turbo engine to be a 911 killer (NA 996 engines can be had for US$7k). But then again, we are used to our cars and the perceptions they presently have, and modifiying a 986 for that much power would be fun and still remain apart from that "evergreen" 911 tradition.

Marcus

I think Porsche made a mistake having the Boxster look so much like the 996. The 911 and 944 looked very different, whereas the now entry-level car, from the front, is identical to the 911. Also the boring plastic interior could be any car. Sitting in them does not feel special anymore.
Early 996s are selling for less than late 993s, but the same happened with the 964 over the late 3.2 Carreras.
Regarding unusable 2+2 seating, apparently on the US market cars with back seats sell better than those without. The Jag XJS was originally a 2 seater and sold poorly in the US. It was then redone as a 2+2, even though you could not really fit anyone in the back, and it sold a lot better.