hf1

I drove a Miata ND and an Elise before I bought my 987 Boxster early this year. Yes, lighter is better but suspension, feel, engine, noises, looks, and (overengineered) build quality matter (to me) too. They are not Porsche, and it shows. Compared to newer Porsches, more HP ends up degrading enjoyment on backroads (can’t get out of 2nd gear) and they’re heavier and more insulated too, so a 987 Boxster may be the perfect carver for my backroads regardless of cost.

Similar arguments have kept my 996 GT3 in the stable, too. The newer gear is more powerful, heavier, quieter, more insulated, more numb, and much less involving — offering zero justification to “upgrade” and pay for something less attractive (to me). And I need more than 380hp for my backroads like I need a hole in my head.

Could be wisdom or just getting old. Or both or neither. Whatever.

EDIT: Or maybe nostalgia about my first Porsche -- a new 06 Boxster S, triple black -- which I chose after testing a Corvette, a 911 Cab, and a Maserati cab, and I sold after blissful 6 years, 30k backroad miles, and 70+ track days.

garfunkle

They say you eat food first with your eyes. Part of the experience in a good meal is looking at a nice presentation. Cars are the same.

garfunkle

robbodle

There are way too many Mazdas in my world. The SCCA is Mazda City. Cant do a Miata. I like to have a car that's different. My Audi wagon turns heads at the race track. Spectacular for a $10k car. I see more but not a lot more Cayman of any spec at the track. But on the subject of German v Japanese, I love my Audi and hope to love my Porsche. My Honda S2000 was an awesome car. Given the choice I would very likely choose an NSX right now.

Marine Blue

There is certainly some truth to this. I always liked the 987 Boxster and respected its capabilities but the overall outer appearance never drew me in enough to want to try it. It wasn’t until I stumbled on a Spyder at a concours that I took the next step. For me the overall look and some of the unique features was intriguing enough to get online and learn more about it. The special features and reviews were enough to encourage a test drive. That test drive sealed the deal immediately and I put my 928 GT up for sale the next weekend.

In the 9 years since buying the Spyder I’ve driven several other Porsche’s including the 997C2S, 996GT3, 964, 993, 911SC, 987 Cayman, 981 BS, 981 Spyder and 991.2 GTS. I have also driven the E46M3 and a few MB’s. The 996 GT3 was the most compelling of this bunch as it took some of the rawness of the 987 Spyder and took it a step further with some magical engine sounds. The 911SC was a close second, basically unfiltered and incredibly fun even normal speeds. The least compelling of the bunch was the 991.2 GTS which I drove at the Porsche Experience Center. There’s no doubt that it is insanely capable both in acceleration and cornering but even with the manual transmission I felt like the car was doing most of the work.

I think there’s a sweet spot for all of us and it will vary from person to person. Some may only care about the driving experience and will not have as much concern over build quality and appearance, these buyers might gravitate towards the Lotus Elise/Exige. If comfort and some convenience matters an older 911 might be a good fit. On the other end of the spectrum some buyers will expect high end materials, superior build quality and a cohesive and well thought out package. They may gravitate to the 991/992’s or MB GTC and BMW M cars.

But that’s only part of it, there’s also nostalgia which was touched upon earlier. Growing up a car guy/gal we all had dream cars that we imagined owning and that really could have been anything. Or perhaps it was that first car or a car a friend/family member owned that you pined after. If that desire remains strong enough it will eventually draw us back to that car when the finances allow and at that point the experience and reasoning to purchase is entirely different than the actual driving experience.

TheGloriousW

Maybe. I tried one, an RF. It's really cozy compared to a 981 and much less practical. In the 981 you don't have to rub elbows with the passenger and there is plenty of cargo room. I also like the look of a 981 Boxster more.

Was the 981 worth the cost over that RF I tested? Yep.

baege

I actually looked at the RF as well, when I was in my 981S. I like the look of it and the reviews were very positive. I think it was 37k cdn or something brand new when I had my 2016 Cayman S. The salesperson looked at me like I was kind of crazy when he saw my cayman. I explained I was really looking for something different and had heard very good things about the car.

I had absolutely no desire to get that car after driving it, mainly owing to engine. The buzzy, torqueless 4 cyl engine so was just so less inspiring than the flat six. And yes it's a sharp car, but can't hold a candle to a 981 in asthetic desirability.

I think for smaller jumps like from a 40k car to a 60-70k car like a CPO 981S the jump is most often worth it. the 3 or 4 k extra a year to make that jump usually pays dividends. It's the jump from the 60-80k cars to the 140-180k cars that I struggle more with. And if you make that jump, in my province at least, there's no immediate turning back, you will have just payed 18 to 23k in sales tax that you may have well as just flushed down the toilet if you look to make a change after that.

W///

Very interesting. What kind of 997.2 did you have? They're on my short list, but I'm not sure how much I'd like them. I wouldn't consider them cheap compared to say a 997.1.

For me personally, the 911 name has been synonymous with Porsche and that's the case I've always lusted over since I was a kid. However, if I seperate myself from that, the 981 Spyder might be the car I can replace my Z4M and E36 to consolidate a few cars together.

Out of curiosity, I'm assuming you had a clownshoe at some point? How do they compare to that? Did you get to drive a 987 or 981 Spyder?

nb1234

In looking at the things that have made me enjoy certain cars the more than others is the actually the relative "lack of purity" of purpose. In other words, I really appreciate compromises done well.

I've had a few different off road 4x4s, and my favorite is one that is still a comfortable daily driver in summer and winter, is reliable, yet can still get me through reasonably gnarly terrain so I can camp away from 99.9% of humanity. I dabbled in a trail-only vehicle once and frankly it just became a burden to own, and had no real joy for me once I got past the novelty of how incredibly capable it was in relatively extreme offroad terrain.

Street/track cars are the same for me. I also enjoy cars that are great daily drivers, but also reward me a bit on the track. It's fun to see what the car can do, but even more so, it's more about me testing and improving my driving skills. I've never owned a track-only car, but came close. As that car morphed more towards track strengths, I started to dislike owning it as I was still trying to convince myself it's OK for street use. I've long since given up chasing numbers at the track, and my track fun has only gone up since doing so. Sure, I still have dedicated track tires and brakes, but that is as more for reducing wear/tear on my street setup than it is in some search of a few seconds of performance. At one time, I thought about making track activities a bigger part of my hobby time and money budget, but realized I like too many other activities to do it justice. I figured if I ever did jump into it to the level of actually trying to compete, I'd get into karts or spec-Miatas. Track days for me are just a fun way to drive in a manner that is not possible on the street.

PorscheAddict

Agreed. I wouldn't trade my 981S for a 981 of the same spec with $8k-$10k in the glovebox, but for some that would be the better option. I suppose there's a good argument to be made about value retention too though, particularly the watches. My ceramic sub is almost certainly worth more than I paid for it, and I haven't paid to service it or any other operating costs so it's not that hard to justify IMO compared to a car or something. The hard core personal finance crowd (which I imagine doesn't frequent RL) would counter that the money could be in an index fund somewhere, and they're right, but that's not a very fun way to live.

John D. S.

Alright so I took a poke at the Cayman S owners. You know, the manufacturers take advantage of how we lust after horsepower. They will make a mild upgrade and way overcharge for it. It's like a girl that wears really, really short short pants. They know what we're looking for and they know we'll do anything to get it.

z3mcoupe

I had two 997.2's, a Targa 4 (manual) and a C4S (PDK). I loved them both, they have different personalities for sure. The 3.6 base engine is a sweeter sounding unit (not sure how that happens as they're so similar) and the 6 speed manual is a joy. The Targa roof, while rattle-y was great. The C4S with the PDK was very quick indeed and the PDK was excellent on the track. The 997.2's are worth the extra over the .1 for me due to all the upgrades. The interior, suspension, AWD system and of course, all new more powerful engines. They're almost different cars.

The fact they were '911's' is why I wanted them in the first place. The chassis has inherent flaws due to the engine placement. I wanted to try something more challenging to drive after my M Coupe (clownshoe). I had two S54 engined ones, and loved them. However once I bought the 911, I stopped driving the Clownshoe as the 997 is so much better to drive in every aspect. The Clownshoe has a wonderfully quirky character and I'm glad I had an opportunity to own two of them.

I did drive a 981 Spyder and that was the most fun Porsche car I've driven, including a 991 GT3 (PDK). I couldn't stomach spending $80k+ right now on a toy as I have a '69 912 too, so I went for my more reasonable used base Boxster, which is probably 80% of the fun for 30% of the cost. The 981 Spyder would be the Porsche I'd want to own the most, well maybe that and a GT3 Touring

I spoke to a guy whose owned both 987 and 981 Spyder, and currently has a 981 S PDK. He prefers the regular 981 over the Spyder. He stated the roof is such a pain in the *** to use all the time, and every road trip he'd take, it would take him a few minutes to fumble with the roof to close it when he parked the car. In the end he loves the speed and simplicity of the regular Boxster roof. I think I'd still get one though....

SpyderSenseOC

He's exaggerating the level of hassle by a ton. And by two tons when factoring in the joy of looking at such beauty parked in your own driveway. :-)

MattUF

+1, I purchased my 987 Spyder sight unseen and was materially worried about whether I would be able to live with the top or if it would drive me nuts. After ~3 times putting it on/off, it probably takes 1-2 minutes maximum to accomplish without intentionally hurrying around the car. To me, the car is special enough that I don't even give a second thought to the top and its operation. That being said, you'll always have people who don't want to deal with it vs. someone like myself who appreciates the ingenuity that went in to designing/executing the top.

hf1

How many seasons where you guys live? Any rain? When you stop at the store or meet friends for coffee do you leave the top open while parked? I open/close my top at least 2x per run and that's assuming no weather (rain) surprises. Mostly backroad runs with an errand here and there. No highways, stop lights, or city traffic. Every time I push that top open/close button while driving, I feel lucky about not having to find a place on the side of the road to park and do a manual top dance around the car.