linderpat

I had an 03 S tip, and loved it. Very quick and nimble, but no where near as comfy as the 928. Took it to Hershey one year, with Rick - we were cramped in it, especially in the foot well. Notwithstanding that, they are superb cars, and a tremdous value right now. Defintely get the S however.
As to IMS, I had it done - about $2500, but worth it for piece of mind. However, that's not all to worry about - there is also the lifter tapping issue and the bore score issue.

Shawn Stanford

Not really, no. The later cars had more bells and whistles.

The interesting thing about the IMS issue (based on my casual research and talking to owners/mechanics) is that it's usually cars that weren't exercised, and it usually happens in the first 80k miles. That's one of the reasons I don't think low-mileage Gen 1 Boxsters are desirable.

^This!

They pull great. This is the first flat-6 Porsche I've owned and the sound of that engine winding up to the red line is amazing. It's not going to win any drag races, but that's not what the cars about.

It's nowhere near as comfortable as the Shark for long distances, but that's why I have three cars in my stable: The Cayenne as the family truckster, the Shark as a long-distance GT car, and the Boxster for hammering around the twisty stuff.

Belt change is a 30 minute job, water pump is (maybe) two hours. The electronic ignition and fuel injection are much more mature than the Jetronics.

Yeah, so, the Boxster isn't to everyone's taste, but neither is the 928!

^This.

But, yeah, I love my Boxster. Probably the most smiles-per-mile of any car I've owned. I'm not trying to talk anyone into defecting from their Sharks! But if you've ever had a hankering for a Boxster (or a two-seat convertible), I seriously think now is the time.

newcollector

Pay the extra and get an early 996 Cabrio stick with a hard-top and IMS retro-fit.
You can 'GT' it like a 928. And 'Sport' it with the roof open like a Boxster / Spyder.
I've taken mine on 5 hour+ road trips (NY-Montreal, NY-Cape Cod a few times). Didn't miss a beat, find it more comfortable than a 928.
As for performance, the early 996 C2 models (RWD, narrow-body) are very analogue, light and tossable. Crushes a 928 on corners and straights on country roads.
In fact, I even prefer our 996 to my wife's 997.2 C4S - she didn't want a 'girly' Boxster. Even rejected a 2012 Boxster Spyder. Top girl!.

mdkelly1

Okay, early Boxster compared to the 928. They are very different cars with very different driving characteristics; almost opposite ends of the spectrum. It's a Grand tourer versus an open sports car.

I had a '99 Boxster for five years and drove it every day. Went everywhere with it, including around town and on the road to Porsche gatherings, and did a few laps at Sebring and Daytona. It never let me down.

They have great handling; completely neutral! They are light and nimble compared to the 928. You can toss them everywhere without worrying that they will switch ends on you. Push them through sharp corners and they stick like glue. The tires were Michelin PS2's. They don't have the torque factor of the 928 or the long gears either, but you don't need them with the way you want to drive that car. They are a fun driving cars! They don't have the sophistication of the 928 or the comfort for long distance road trips. They do have a surprising amount of room using both trunks. Still, they are small cars, especially compared to the interior cabin of 928's. They are great cars to auto-cross. On the early cars, to get most from them performance wise, you have to use all of them. In other words, keep the revs up, and use all the gears as they were intended to be used. You'll be surprised at the sound of the engine when you do that.

Like other Porsche models, they have their list of "things" to look after. The IMS bearing issue is real. You can drive an early Boxster a hundred thousand miles and never have an IMS Bearing problem, or you can drive one down the street and have an IMS problem, as a local owner did. It's a trade off whether you elect to pay upfront and change the bearing, or just drive it considering the odds to be in your favor. It's a personal decision.

Some of the other "things" are: air-oil separator (smoke on start up), horn cradle (horn beeps when you make a turn), headlight switch, micro-switches for top latch and emergency brake (top won't go down), cables for top frame (they bind), expansion tank (they yellow and crack), plastic rear window, ignition switch, and RMS (leaks).

From my experience, it was a "fun" car! That pretty much says it all. Loved the handling! Easy to drive and best with the top down. If I were getting another standard early Boxster, I'd pass on the first two years ('97 & '98) and get either the 2.5 liter '99 or the 2.7 liter 2000, depending on price, condition, etc. I'd replace the IMS bearing with the best aftermarket solution if it hadn't already been done. As Ed suggested, the preference would be a Boxster S with the 3.2 liter engine and bigger brakes. The price will be higher, but there is a noticeable difference in performance.

GT6ixer

Ok, to go a little OT, my wife wants a Cayman. Where do they fall into this fray. I assume they are similar to a Boxster, but eve better to drive?

ammonman

Cayman is the same platform but in a coupe. The coupe chassis means less body flex in really hard cornering. The Cayman engine is the later design so no IMS issues. I enjoy my S4 and my 1st Gen Chickster the same but for different reasons. The Chickster is much more "toss-able" so as long as the revs stay over 4k (Variocam territory.) It is a blast in the twisties and requires a bit more attention than the 928. The 928 just goes into 2nd gear on winding roads and that big V8 make s all the fun.

Mike

newcollector

Early Caymans can have IMS issues as can the 997.1 911

SeanR

Adk46

My first Porsche was a 987.2 CS PDK. That's code for the first generation Cayman S but with the later non-IMS engine. First sold as '09s (there were no '08s, I believe). Also first year you could get one with PDK. Perfect car. Too perfect - I never got intimate with it like my second Porsche, the 928. I was also sure to lose my license with it. More than one reviewer said it was the best handling car they'd ever driven. I traded it for an '82 911 (some of you might meet the guy, the owner of the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor).

Someone spoke of the scream of a flat six. Oh my, yes, indeed.

Such an intelligent bunch of guys we have here - no one has written "Boxter".


Taken after Bruce and I had each taken test drives.

ammonman

While IMS issues are certainly possible with the early Caymans (just like any other mechanical failure) my understanding is the actual failure rate hasn't been statistically significant as to be an indicator of a design or installation defect. As I understand it the actual failure rates for the .1 series engies are in line with what can be expected from most any bearing system. My 98 Boxster is approaching 150k miles and about 10 known track days (by me) with no indication of IMS damage. Go figure. My next P-car will be a Cayman S or an air cooled flat 6.

Mike

Darklands

Without full leather option early 996 and boxter have a very cheap Interieur look! The dash looks horrible compared to a 928.

SeanR

hacker-pschorr

+1
The interiors of most post 993 Porsche's is anything but impressive for a high end automobile, unless the new owner opted for better interior options. Most are a dab gray, looks like a Honda.
I always had to chuckle when new Porsche owners of this era criticized the Corvette's interior.

They can be very nice, most are not. Upgraded interiors do not seem to fetch much, if any premium on the used market either.

I loved this color combination and the interior in our Boxster:

Shawn Stanford

I have yet to see a Boxster with a cracked or peeled dash.

hacker-pschorr

I'll bump this thread up in the year 2030