passinthru

I'm new here and not a Porsche owner...yet (bet you've heard that a few times). I'm a big time Boxster fan and have driven several thousand of the best miles of my life in rented cars (986/986S/987). For the moment I'm pretty happy renting a couple times a year but I'd like to buy something as inexpensive as possible so I can learn how to really "drive" a car like a Boxster. I'm not looking for a daily driver- just a couple weekends a month (300-500 miles) of spirited driving. Can that be done cheaply? Any recommendations? I've considered the 944 but I've read they can be expensive to maintain and I'm not sure how the ride would compare. Thanks for the info!

mooty

most older porsches are expensive to maintain. you mentioned wanting to learn how to drive well/spirited drives... the cheapest way is miata (don't laugh. if you can drive a miata well you will drive a boxster well) and if you wnat a bit more power but less maintenance than porsches, try a e36m3.

SFZ GT3

Hear, hear on Mooty's advice to you. As a Spec Miat racer (amd Miata fan, as well as longtime P Car owner, the Miata is a great ride in most any circumstance.

Move to a Boxster (just got my 2005 White/Blue 987) and you will be pleased on all accounts. Same great fun with more sophistication, power, and room.

"Smooth is fast" is something you will hear and absolutely appreciate in a Miata, Boxster, or 944 (NA). All are well balanced and lmited in raw power, so they reward driving that preserves momentum thru minimal steering or braking exuberance.

Go for it!

J-RAD

What's your budget? You say "drive cheaply". Can you put a dollar amount to that. The 951 is probably the best bang for the buck going right now, provided you find one in decent condition. The car can be upgraded fairly inexpensively and you should be able to find one in very good condition for under $10K. Early Boxsters can easily be had for mid-teens now as well - not a bad deal if you ask me (although, I'd opt for a 2000+).

FWIW, I'm not at all a fan of the Miata. IMO, it's one of the most over-hyped cars around. Is it tossable? Sure, but a number of cars that significantly lack any torque or hp can probably also be viewed as tossable...including my old 1984 Nissan Sentra. Only difference was that my Sentra wasn't a pusher and didn't have a drop top.

deliriousga

I'm with J-Rad, cheap is relative so we really need an idea of the budget you're looking at.

The ONLY way a Boxster is cheap to maintain is if you do it all. If you can't or don't want to, the mechanics will eat you alive with very high regular maintenance costs. Oil change is $200+ due to the checks that are done at the time. Get to the tune-up and oil change and it's $800+.

passinthru

That's what I want to learn- "Smooth is fast"...I particularly want to get my heel and toe down. Thanks!

passinthru

...too loudly anyway, but I could afford about $7,500 right now. And my time is as limited as my $ so no fixer uppers. That's why I've been renting...costs are very controlled and predictable- it's just too bad the permagrin wears off so fast and I need another fix!

mooty

it's not clear what you meant by learning to drive/spirited drives. if you mean weekend drives, and you are lucky, you may be able to find a 951 in your budget. but if you are plannig to really push it on a track, i would not touch a 951 with a 10 foot pole unless you got 2x your stated budget. the car is balanced and fast, but if you blow a gasket, a turbo it will empty your bank account.

J-RAD

With a budget of $7500, if you want to stick with a Porsche, I'd try to find a 951. It may take a bit of searching but you should be able to do it. Keep in mind though, at that budget, you're are looking at used cars. Budget for repairs, even though you may not need them (the 951 is a pretty solid car but the newest one will be 15 years old).