redridge

C4s comes with rear seats..... Only the gt3 / gt2 line will not have rear seats.

SouthBay996

It sounds to me like your son is set on a cabriolet. Who can blame him? Open air motoring is FUN. Forget the coupe. A major reason you’re getting this is for your son, and he wants to motor around with the top down. If I was a young lad again, what could be better than riding in a flat-6 Porsche sports car with the wide open sky as your roof, the sun at your back, the wind whistling around you, and girls whistling and waving at you and your car?

Having said that, I own a 996 coupe and I love it. I previously owned a Boxster and I loved that as well. They’re both beautiful, fun cars.

Here are a few thoughts to consider besides the standard “the 996 has more power and 2 more seats and the Boxster is a girly man’s car” (which it most certainly is NOT).

The Boxster has more cargo room. It really does. You can fit more in the 2 trunks it has than the 1 trunk and back seats the 996 has. Besides, your son and his friends will NOT like sitting in the vestigial back seats. Are you really going to put your dog in the back seat with the top down? Aren’t you worried he’s going to jump out? It’s a short jump.

The Boxster seems to handle little bumps on the road better than the 996. It just soaks them right up. But the 996 handles the big bumps better.

The 996 is more difficult to drive well than the Boxster. Yes, the 996 trounces the Boxster on the track, but the Boxster has perfect 50/50 balance and turns so well. The rear-heavy 996 definitely has a learning curve, whereas the Boxster is a road carver right from day one.

The 996 is more comfortable for me since I’m almost 6 and a half feet tall. This is a huge deal to me and a major reason I like my 996 a bit more than my old Boxster. I realize that this probably won’t apply to you or your son.

The stock Boxster sounds better than a stock 996. It’s true. To make my 996 sound delicious I had to install an aftermarket exhaust and cold air intake. The Boxster’s intake whine sends shivers down my spine right out of the box.

This is obvious, but the Boxster is cheaper to purchase. You can find a good Boxster for a lot less than a good 996. Owning a Porsche can be expensive and you’ll need some spare cash for the pre-purchase inspection, IMS upgrade, oil changes, tires, tune ups, clutch changes, etc. Oh, and the Boxster gets better gas mileage than a 996.

The posters who wrote that you need to test drive both cars are absolutely correct. It’s really not a black and white decision. You’ll find your own reasons to prefer one over the other. I like the 996 better but only by a smidgeon. Having said that you will love your Porsche. There are faster cars than this duo, but nothing will provide you with as much pleasure for even twice the price. The old slogan really is true: Life is short. Drive a Porsche.

911Königin

My son has requested that I take him to Germany so that he (WE!) can tour the plant there. We would like to do it this summer or next.

I am finding that the prices on the 996 are much more reasonable than I first thought - which of course makes this all so much more fun

911Königin

Is that SouthBay as in San Fran?!!

My 'baby girl' is an eleven your old golden who weighs 90 pounds and I'm sorry to say that her jumping days are over, but she still loves hanging her head out of the window

I so love an engine that has a deep throaty G R O W L

And you're right, I am not 6'6"

SouthBay996

I'm in the South Bay as in the Beach Cities Area south of LAX.

I love Goldens, but they're clearly not lap dogs who can sit in your son's lap. Your baby girl is going to need her own seat, so the 996 it is then!

Growling huh? Boxsters don't really growl. The Boxster purrs and howls somewhat like a tiger piloting a WW2 fighter plane.

But stock 996's sound like blenders.

Mine definitely growls. ...And barks, clicks, whines, whistles, and makes machine gun noises. It's a mechanical symphony on wheels that makes pedestrians smile, causes other motorists turn their heads, and scares little dogs who think a robotic Doberman is just over the hill. But it's definitely no coffee can rumbler that will buzz the fillings in your teeth.

Better do your research on exhausts and intakes if you want your 996 to sound good.

Barn996

Wow, we have an 11 year old female golden as well, but a small one at 53 lbs.

911Königin

Mine should actually be about 65 pounds, but we love her no matter what. Her 'sister' is a 13 year old 165 pound Great Pyrenees and the vet and groomer come to her now. I feel very privileged to be able to be at home with her as much as possible. They are inseperable and I will be sad beyond words when my 'Big Beautiful Baby' goes to heaven.

911Königin

OMG!! LOL!! I laughed and laughed - THANKS!
You must be around the Huntington Beach area.

Do you know the Beach Boys song 'My 409'? Listen to the engine at the beginning of the song I love it!!

A WWII fighter plane, huh? I have a plane titled in my name and have logged a few hours in it. My son loves WWII dogfights and knows more about that war than I do (ditto for cars!),

I MUST HAVE SEXY WHEELS - so that will be my first purchase (after the car of course!) and then I'll work on that RUMBLE!!

Charlie C

If you don't need the back seat AND can afford an '09 or '10 Boxster S, I'd go that way. Beginning in 2009, there is a newer engine without an IMS (Intermediate Shaft), which has been a weak point of earlier engines. I have both a 04 Boxster S (anniv model) and an 06 C2S and love em both.

SouthBay996

I’m glad I made you smile. But wait till you get your Porsche. You and your boy will be beaming all the time!

The Beach Cities area is Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Rancho Palos Verdes. Huntington Beach is about 30 miles away.

American muscle cars have very unique sounds. The Chevrolet Bel-Air 409 was one mean machine. Imagine a car from the early 1960’s that did the quarter mile in a hair over 12 seconds and the 0-60 in 4 seconds! That baby would smoke a 996 in a literal cloud of noxious pollutants. But then again a 996 Carrera is not a dragster and would get smoked in a drag race by a souped up Civic.

A Porsche flat-6 can provide a deep bassy growl with the right exhaust, yet it will never rumble like an American V-8. But in my opinion Porsches sound so much sexier.

I prefer the following soundtrack in this YouTube video. How can anyone not find these sounds breathtakingly beautiful?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Pu3d-G05U

ivangene

man that shifter is BAD A$$ !!

AndyK

Wow, touring the Porsche plant in Germany, flying planes, wanting a growling engine...who ARE you?

911Königin

As I was walking down the hallway to me son's classroom I saw a poster he had made while he was at his father's house, hanging on the wall. It said:

My Hero: My Mom
She is my inspiration because she is so kind, loving and understanding that she inspires me to be more kind and loving.

I stood there with tears running down my cheeks

I am a MOM

A mom who enjoys water skiing, traveling and would love to race if she had the money and wouldn't get smoked by all of you and is passionate about cars and animals.

911Königin

SouthBay996

WOW!! One terrific video - I can only hope that mine will sound like that!!

I have been aching to get out and start some test driving, but it has been too cold - 30 degrees with blowing snow. Saw some sharp 944's I would like to drive too. Thought I would make some phone calls since I can't tolerate the cold.

SouthBay996

Living in Southern California I’d forgotten how cold it gets elsewhere. It was 70 degrees in my neck of the woods today. Right now it’s about 60. But yeah, wintery snow covered roads are not the best conditions to test drive a sports car.

I think some Boxsters are going for less than $10,000 these days, just a bit more than a 944. Ridiculous price since the Boxster’s engine and parts are probably worth more than that.

If it’s a choice between a 944 and a Boxster, I’d forget about the 944. The Boxster is superior in almost every single way. Besides, the lad wants a convertible!

But don’t take my word for it. Wait for the roads to thaw and test drive some Porsches!