Bbiela

My beloved 986S was rear-ended and insurance is going to total the car. I love the analog feel of the car and the fact that I can use the power of car at a speed on public roads that won't put me in jail. I use it as a seasonal DD, for autocross and the occasional DE. I'm considering the following cars and I wanted your input, especially anyone that has owned a combination of them.

1. another 986S

2. 987S

4. 981S

2. 996 Turbo

3. 997 S or 4S


Thanks for your input.

Giantviper

I would say drive them all to see what you like best (Also lots of fun ). I have driven all on your list except the 981S and here are my humble opinions:

1. (986S) Only Driven the Tip version but felt sluggish to me
2. (987S)Very fun to drive as is has enough power to get you into trouble but is toss able and fun. Feels very fast when behind the wheel and also gives that fun sports car feel. (PS I own a 987 Caymen S)
3. (981S) Have not driven one so I cannot comment
4. (996 Turbo) Best Bang for your buck. Very Very Fast and has the Metzger engine if I am not mistaken. A bit bigger and not as toss-able as the mid-engine cars but can be fun to drive (Also has a back seat)
5. (997 S) Feels more Like a GT Car then a sports car. Still fast but it just does not get the blood flowing as the other ones do

Again that is just my opinion. best thing to do is go drive one of each to see how you feel and buy the one you find the most fun and in the best condition.

Suicide Jockey

987S. The perfect sweet spot IMO in areas of power, speed, handling, looks, analog-ness, comfort, and sportiness. Very few of us need much more car than this. Does everything well - and then some. Bang-for-the buck factor is ridiculous and just the icing on the cake.

badabing

I own several 993's a 987.2S PDK and a 981 GTS manual.

The 987.2 has become an almost exclusive track car.

It's gets my vote as best of all worlds in terms of fun factor and modern styling and reliability but still raw sports car feel.

The 981 is like driving a simulator and I use it pretty much for road trips.

JSF101

I put 130,000 miles on a 987.2 Cayman (2.9 liter) and wish I still owned

GT4John

987.2. 100%.

Kuro Neko

987.2S
Possibly the best combination of Porscheness - for open roads faster than needed, connected to the road feel, versatility (better in Cayman form perhaps), reliability, and fun.
I bought one accordingly...

sjfehr

I went from a 986S to a 987.2S and wow, it's better in literally every measurable (and immeasurable) way. Aside from tire cost, ouch. It does feel "bigger" though in a way that's hard to describe despite being pretty much the same size and a little less weight, but it doesn't detract. 981S is even better, 718S better still. 997 is a great, too, but priced so much higher than 987S that there's little reason not to go for the Boxster/Cayman. PDK is absolutely fantastic for the track, and sport chrono is basically a must-have option if you're tracking/autocrossing (but one you can retrofit for about $1000). Ultimately, you'll want to just test drive them all yourself and pick what you like best. Also, I know this may sounds like sacrilege, but do yourself a favor and test-drive an ND miata, too.

To forewarn you, if you keep up with the logical progression to 987... 310 vs 255hp doesn't seem like much of a difference, but WOW my 987.2S just feels so much quicker. It will take some time to get used to. Keep an eye on that speedometer

wizee

Another vote for 987.2 S - a combination of analog feel, tossability, and Camry level reliability. The 987 steering feel is much nicer than the 981.

If you want something a little cheaper, get a 2006 Boxster S (not at 2007) with manual transmission - largely the same car as the 987.2, and 2006 models with the 3.2L motor avoid both 2005 IMS bearing risks, and 2007/2008 bore scoring risks.

I’ve never driven a 996 Turbo, but I’m curious about how they feel. Wouldn’t hurt to try one to see if you like it before buying a 987. Much more torque and power obviously.

2006 987.1 Boxster S, 987.2 Boxster/Cayman S, and 996 Turbo are all largely done depreciating. 996 Turbos have been going up in value for the past few years, and the 987 cars have mostly stopped depreciating. All three may well cost less than a used Camry to own when you factor in depreciation.

sjfehr

+1 for this. That's actually how I ended up in my first Porsche, when I ran the calcs and realized total life-cycle cost was surprisingly reasonable! Well, that, and it was way better than everything else I was considering.

Thacker

Get a 981 Cayman S. Modern electronics, modern power, modern handling, modern interior, modern LOOKS. Do you have a laptop from 2009?

Marine Blue

Not trying to be difficult, but with that logic why would anyone buy anything other than a new car? Most modern cars leave the driver completely disconnected from the driving experience and while that might be ok for a commuter car used primarily on highways in stop/go traffic it is definitely not a good recipe for a fun car.

I’m not implying that the 981 feels disconnected, just making an argument that choosing the latest isn’t always the greatest.

Kuro Neko

Yeah, I was a real idiot for driving a 356 daily for ten years, when I could have been driving a Camry.
How stupid of me!

I mean, just look at it!
How old...



(Joke.)

Marine Blue

Beautiful! It’s really a shame that we can’t afford to keep all our older fun cars. I would love to have my 500E and 928 GT back.

John Ferguson

Previously owned 987 and 987S, currently own 981 GTS. 987 steering is similar to your 986, more feedback from the tires than the electric steering 981. The 981 is more luxurious, better engineered. Love PSE on a NA flat six, IIRC it was standard on 997S, good choice if you want more power yet still has the analog feel.