blueillusion97

Could somone who has driven 05-06 Boxster and Boxster S point out the difference they felt between the two. Is Boxster S worth the money if you dont have it just laying around?

tetzlafh

I guess don't get it if you can't afford it! Being in a bind like that could be stressful.

As far as the 987 vs 987S. I would say there is a bit of a difference. I drive a 987S 6 speed and occasionally drive/car sit a friends 987 5 speed w/17's. In the lower gears I can't tell much of a difference because I haven't really been looking for them but in the 4-5+ gears i have noticed there is more punch with the 987S. Also the 987S seems more planted than my buddy's 987 on 17's. I know on the autobahn at the trip digit speeds i can easily pull away from him.

Hope this little bit helps.

vladie22

S has a bit more power . not a whole lot , but enough that it is noticable. braking , handling are the same ( I have the 18's on mine) . I was undecided and drove both at length . went with the non-S because ultimately I didnt think the power difference was worth the extra cash, but that is just one man's opinion .

blueillusion97

Im leaning toward 987 because of the price ....but I don’t want to regret later for not buying S.....I will not buy it if I cant afford it, but if I look im sure I can find a good deal for slightly used S but I can find even better dear for non S....lol.....anyhow.... lets see if I understand correctly....so the most difference in power is at higher speeds? 0-60 is less than a second.....and everything else is pretty much same

mbr129

I drove both but don't own either (yet - soon enough will probably buy a 987S). My impression is (and I tell this to everyone) that a stripped 987 is the best deal in Porsche-land. The car has great handling and brakes, looks good, clutch/shifter are nice, and the sound is great. All for a negotiated ~$45K.

That said, IMO, the is nice and worth the upgrade if you can comfortably swing it. Why? Well, I do think you need 18" wheels, and that is not an inexpensive option. The extra .7L of displacement make a difference. Low-end torque is better and peak performance is much better. I honestly don't think one needs it to have fun with the car, but it's nice to have the extra juice so you don't look foolish in today's world of 300hp G35's/STi's/EVO's and 260hp accords/Camrys. But if in any way you will be stressing over the extra $$ I say it's not worth it, just get the base 987. It's a great car.

Greg D.

I test drove a base 987 vs a new-old-stock 04 986S. I thought the base 987 was just as fast, but better chassis, interior etc... I bought the base 987..

I then drove my base 987 back to back with a Cayman S - with my checkbook in my pocket (comparable HP to a 987S, yes?), and I was not exactly overly impressed... I was going to buy one, but after the test drive I did not ! I prefered the 5 speed, for the money...

I think if you can swing the S, do it... you won't ask yourself if you should have... If you think of it in terms of economics, I don't think it's worth the $10K extra... If you already owned a base boxster, it's definitely not worth the money to upgrade, but starting from a blank sheet, why not... More torque... It wasn't significant enough for me, so for less money I eventually upgraded to a used 2003 996 3.6, that was a noticeable difference in the kick in the *** department ! Very noticeable... I miss the 987 interior though ;-)

In other words, I think the bang for the buck is a base 987. If you want more power, I think a used 996 or 997 is also better bang for the buck...

Jim in St.Louis

I have an '05 base Boxster and it is just dandy. It is my seventh Porsche and my last two were an RS America and a '96 993 coupe. Both were great cars, but I am not dissappointed in the Boxster. If I were to buy another Boxster, I would get the six speed. I am an SCCA racer and I find great pleasure in the Boxster's everything. That's my two cents.
Jim

Bob Rouleau

If you are going to drive on the street, the Boxster is an excellent choice. The S pays dividends on the track .. only on the track.

blueillusion97

If i will end up getting 987 i would auto-x and sometimes track it....but i dont have experience on track so it would be a learning car.....and later on i would get 986 for BSR convertion....all i want now is a nice porsche that could be driven nicely and wouldnt need any work done. And i love the interior of 987

vladie22

if this will help you at all : my last two cars were a Crossfire SRT6 (349hp),and before that a Mustang Cobra (390hp) and powerwise the base 987 feels fine to me .

tetzlafh

Also figure out your options on the car. My 987S is base except for met. paint and sport steering wheel. My friends 987 cost the same as mine but he opted for special paint and some other expensive bits. He always wonders what it would be like to own an "S".

Some would say get the car you can afford and then take the money you saved on whatever deal and do a DE as that will make you faster and a better driver than any HP gain could do for you at this point.

fast1

I've driven both cars and I agree with Bob Rouleau that the Boxster is the way to go if you aren't going to track your car. You can easily buy a lightly optioned Boxster at a negotiated price of $45K, and you get a lot of car and the Porsche experience at a bargan price.

If you've got to have the quickest car however, you should buy something else. I was just reading in Road and Track where the '08 EVO and STI will do 4.5 in the 0/60, and mid 12s in the 1/4. That's almost 997S performance for $35K, and these cars also handle quite well. Of course you've got to get over the exterior design, which I can't quite do myself.

wrickem

I also drove both and ended up buying a non-s and loading it with options which quickly made up the difference in price. I don't regret it one bit. The non-s is fun as heck to drive and besides, there will always be something faster on the road anyway

Ray S

There is almost no real handling difference between the two, but the power difference (even on the street) is noticeable. It is far from a night and day difference but it can be easily felt.

mborkow

so did i, but i went the other way; i got the 986S. i thought the 25 hp (and torque) difference was noticeable. i'd guess the difference between the 987S and the 987 was even more noticeable.