fast951

I have been thinking of a 97-99 Boxster with a 3.4l 996 engine. Of course with some type of forced induction. 400-450hp, 2700#, mid-engine (upgrade brakes etc..) I think it will be lots of fun.

Dwayne Williams

I've got an 01 S and an 86 951. They're both lots of fun. The 951 does require more love and $$ in maintenance hands down. I've spent zip on the Boxster except oil changes and regular maintenance. The Boxster is a convertible - a blast to own in South Texas cause we get lots of good weather for driving around with the top down. The Boxster is more fun to drive around town with the 3.2 and handles extremely well whereas the 951 also handles really well and just flies once it's up to speed and on boost. However the Boxster value is dropping pretty quick - the 951 has already lost most of the value it's going to. For $20K you could buy an older, used Boxster or an older 951, mod it heavily , and have a crazy fast car. Sure you can mod a Boxster, but $5K on Boxster mods won't get you near the bump $5K in 951 mods will. It just depends on your budget, if you need a solid daily driver, or if you're looking for a car with amazing potential. You really can't go wrong with either one.

Have you had the chance to drive one of each?

Zen dude

Im not really into speed, Stock form would be fine. I just love the idea of the German engineered car.
I guess I could also go with a fickel Italian car "Ferrari" But the mantanance cost would drive me nuts.
Since I was in high school I have always wanted a 944 or a 911 and owning a 924 in the 80's didn't fill all my Porsche desires like I thought it would.

faithless

That owner that said the 951 is just more fun to drive is referring to the boost. The Boxster and Boxster S don't have that. Although the S is faster than the stock 951, it is a normally aspirated engine so it is really pretty much the same every way you drive it. A 951S is faster than the Boxster S though, but I don't know if you are looking for one of these. That would run you over $10,000 for one in acceptable condition for your tastes. The newer the cars get the more they turn into these disattached electronic cars than real mechanical cars like they used to be. So you're almost always better buying an old car if you like that feel. There is no car to be had these days that feels like an old 911 RS. With that straight non-powered steering allowing one to feel the weight of the car lift off the front wheels when you open it up on the track.
After a few years though, if you chose to buy the Boxster you will have lost much more money than you would have owning a pristine stock 951 or a 951S. The 951 is nearing the trough of its depreciating curve where it will then very very very slowly start to appreciate. It now qualifies for Hagerty collector car insurance and the such for cars that have reached this point in their timeline. If I were you I would save the money, spend some time patiently sifting through the classifieds for a while, find yourself a 951S and whoop the pants off all Boxsters and Boxster S's. The 951 is also not that expensive to maintain, IF you buy one that was in good shape from the PO. Spend top dollar, and you won't pay more than $1,300 a year average maintenance. Thats probably close to what you will lose over the course of a few years owning a newer car.

faithless

Forgot another thing. Registration and insurance cost. MUCH higher on the Boxster. Don't forget about that important point!

RKD in OKC

My leased 01 Boxter S goes back to Porsche this week. I got an 89 951 as a replacement. Honestly the lease payment on the Boxster was the same as the cost plus maintenance on my 88 Turbo S I drove in the early 90's.

The Boxster doesn't feel as fast from 0-60, but put a clock to it and it is the same as my slightly modded 88 951 S. As far a "track domination" both are fast and I turned faster laps with the boxster despite slower speeds in the straight bits. However the boxster is a LOT easier to get in trouble with. It is so agile you get to far out before you can correct. By comparison the 951 is slower to rotate and provides lots of time to correct and recover. The 951 is a much harsher ride and feels like it needs more power steering. The undeniable thing about the boxster is it's looks. No other porsche have I had so many people go out of their way to say "nice car." In the 951 people just yell "slow down." Oh and the newer boxsters have drink holders.

As far as mods go, I looked into a LOT for the boxster. They cost BUCK$! An engine swap is $10K or more. Don't even think of forced induction. Stock they already run 11 to 1 compression. Those that have tried forced induction ended up replacing the blown up motor with a 3.4 or 3.6 instead of repairing.

As for the pluses of the 951, it feels a lot more like a race car. A little harsh in a tight good way, and a torque curve that keeps you pinned to the back of your seat. There is nothing like the 3rd gear acceleration of the 951 S. The 951 is old enough that they are not only cheap, but there are tons of aftermarket performance upgrades that are also relatively cheap up to and including larger displacement engines. The slower rotation inspires more confidence for those learning to approach driving at the limit ie 10/10ths.

The reason I didn't replace my boxster S with another boxster is the fun of tuning and tweaking available to the 951 and not the boxster.

RKD in OKC

Upgrading a boxster from a 2.7 to a 3.4 will increase the weight from 2700# to a little over 3000#.

Matt H

That is great, it should be a sticky. I am stealing it for my sig line!

Totally different cars. If you want to turn a wrench and play with the car alot then the 951 might be the better choice. If you want to walk to the garage, turn the ket and drive the car, there is no doubt the S is the better choice. If they made a hartop Boxster there would be one in my driveway now.
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Zen dude

I looked it up Matt, the saying was by " Porsche - O - Phile " and it was,

You want to know how to tell when you're ready for a 951? Let me tell you.

(1) Reach into wallet
(2) Extract one brand-new, crisp, still clean-smelling $100 bill.
(3) Light it.

When you can repeat steps 1-3 without flinching, you're ready.
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Thanks for all the advice guys its exactly what I was looking for, Now im more confused than ever

Matt H

Thanks, I will edit again. I dont know if one could be more right, either!
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axhoaxho

And... If you are married, perform "(3) Light it" in front of your wife. If you survived, then you are really ready to own a 951.

Ask me how I know that ... "What? That banana thing <she was pointing to my leaking exhaust manifold> costs how much again?"

Regards,
- Alex (00 986S, 87 951)

lleroyb

Reminds me of the anecdote about boat ownership, if you like to stand in the shower with the water on full cold while flushing $100 bills down the toilet in your rain gear, you will love sailing. The 951 is cheaper than even a small sail boat to own and maintain, plus it can get you to work. Adreneline rushes about the same, believe it or not.

ljd-924SE

RKD,

where did this info come from? from what i've read on the 2.7 to 3.4 swap, the weight addition is minimal. i believe both engines are the M96 block, with the only significant difference besides displacement being the variocam on the 3.4. many who do the swap add additional cooling, which adds weight, but certainly not more than 50 lbs.

an excellence article comparing the '04 S 550 edition to an old 2.5 noted that the S outweighed the 2.5 by 250 lbs. but i was under the impression that much of the weight was due to added refinement of the interior, rear glass, sound deadening, bigger brakes, bigger wheels, 6-speed, structural reiforcement, etc.

i can't accept the idea that a displacement increase of .7 liters results in the addition of 300 lbs.

can someone please verify a 300 lb increase for a 2.7 to 3.4 liter swap?

RKD in OKC

I'm sorry, I thought if you got that much more power you would need more than just the block that would add weight, ie. intake, headers, etc. I don't even know if the 5 speed can handle the extra power of a larger engine. Seems most of the conversions I've heard about the engine itself weighed more and required other updates like suspension and etc to handle that extra weight. Call or email Fabian at Roock USA, they have done several well sorted conversions.

ljd-924SE

yes, i understand and i wasn't trying to sound like a smart-a$$ . . . but 300 lbs? i just wanted to know where you got that "a little over 3000#" figure.

"beefed-up" intake and headers, along with an upgraded suspension still doesn't account for 300 lbs, probably more like half that. i'm pretty good with these kinds of estimates as we do a lot of equipment sizing in my chemical process design course.

and this autospeed article about a 3.4 L conversion done to an S confirms my suspicion.

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_2021/article.html

this car has all the upgrades that you mentioned plus a porsche motorsports engine starvation kit, some techart aerodynamic additions, and GT3 brakes, yet this is " . . . a car that probably still scapes in at just under 1300kg. "

that's about 2860 lbs.

again, sorry if i came off as condescending, wasn't trying to.