What can I say I have been a 911 fan since I am a kid, and I hated the Boxster 2.5L when it came out. I test drove it and the quality of the interior, the rubbery shifter, the engine sound, etc.
I was hesitating between a 993 2S (best body lines ever) and a 996. But after some extensive test drive I really did no like the light front end characteristics of the 911 so I decided to give a Boxster S a try. (I did love the 996 3.4L extra torque compared to the 3.2L though)
I went for a test drive on a canyon road just after crossing the Golden Gate on a sunny Saturday morning and I WAS HOOKED. Brakes perfect, interior much better, easy to drive, great torque, and the handling so neutral and reassuring. I could not come up with any rational reason to turn down the car. I got the PPI done and that was it.
I mentioned the Cayman because ultimately like many Boxster owners I would like to have a coupe (hopefully I can keep the Boxster) to participate to DE events and also get an engine with a bigger output. If they were to produce a lightweight Cayman RS that would be my take over a 997S.
I am already used to the "Poor man's Porsche" comment so I would stick with the mid-engine configuration even if it is no 911
I cannot believe how many people mentioned to me that the Boxster was not a Porsche. Even one guy at work who brags about his 911 and refused to go for a test drive in my car because it is not a Porsche. But he has an old SC, with a turbocharger and tons of miles, I would not even touch his car !!! What a sacrilege to turbocharge a classic.

Good Luck

 

sorry im new to the porsche scene, why would someone say the boxster is not a porsche, its basically the car that saved the company, i think its more porsche than some of the stuff they put out in the 80s

 

Agreed. But somewhere along the way, the poor Boxster got a reputation as a "girl's car", probably because Porsche (deliberately) underpowered the car so as not to compete with the 911. Especially when the cars first came out, they were down 100hp on the 911 of the time. Now, the top of the line Boxster is "only" down 70hp on the top of the line 911...and has a respectable 285hp (even the base model finally has a more respectable 240hp).

I think some people believe that if Porsche doesn't give a car all the power it can handle, it's not a real Porsche. I don't agree with that, but I will say I think it's a mistake for Porsche to not give the Boxster line comparable power to the 911. But that may be changing...

 

boxster a girls car

thats news to me, i always thought they were guy cars, and a reasonable way for the average guy to be able to afford a porsche...

 

I think the real problem with the Boxster being a girl's car came from 911 owners. The early 986 and 996 share most parts (look at a parts catalog); the major differences being engine displacement, engine location, and rear seats. I think a lot of 911 owners were pissed at Porsche for making a car that sold for substantially less than the 911 yet had virtually the same parts and to the non-Porsche enthusiast looked the same. Initial Boxsters were relatively underpowered compared to 911s, but now a Boxster S/Cayman S is within driver's skill acceleration-wise of a base 911. I have never had a non-Porsche owner say anything "girly" about my Boxster and, true, many mistake it for a 911 Cab--and herein lies the problem. Most 911 people I've met always mention trading up to a 911. I fully respect 911 owners and their many wonderful cars and would consider a larger engine as a trade up, but I'm not willing to give up the mid-engine handling.

I have driven a friend's F360, and I'm convinced the mid-engine platform is the way to go--much of the same handling magic and telepathic response. (Mine is a modded S, for reference.) I just wish Porsche would get over it without forcing us to buy a Carerra GT (which isn't going to happen). IMHO, it's OK for Porsche to have both high performance mid- and rear-engined variants, and let the buyer choose their platform and number of seats. There are many people who love the rear-engine, but the reality is just that the 911 is the only car (mass produced that I am aware of) that is rear-engined. If Porsche wants to expand, IMNSHO, it needs to consider that not everyone in the world is sold on the rear-engine layout. This is especially true for those who come from a non-rear-engined background.

Keep in mind also that the 993 guys said the "water cooled" Porsches were not real Porsches, and the same was said about the Cayenne. Now, the Boxster guys think the Cayman is a scam, and many 997 guys don't like it either. I'm sure the same thing was said of 914s, 924s, 928s, 944s, etc. Of course, if every prior Porsche owner was right, Porsche would still have only 1 model--an air-cooled, rear-engined 911.

 

You can go one further and say that the only car Porsche would have would be the 356. Believe it or not, when the beloved 911 came out, a lot of Porsche folk didn't like it, either. I wish I knew what it was that made/makes so many Porsche owners so anti-new? Times changes...people need to learn to grow.

FYI, the latest Excellence magazine has a tuner that put a 3.8 997S motor in a Boxster. Now that would be a sweet combo. Shame they didn't do any comparisons to the 911...

 

all convertibles under $100K get a reputation for a chick car. Just the way it is.

But anyone who says the Boxster is not really or Porsche, a chick car or a "poor man's porsche" knows nothing about driving and probably nothing about Porsche in general. There are many Porsche 'experts' out there who have never so much as test driven one. The Boxster is the only full blooded convertible Porsche has ever made. Its not a 'hacked' tin top, it was designed solely to be a drop top and has receive nothing but stellar reviews from the REAL experts ever since its introduction.. Porsche's newest 911 Cabriolet is being criticized for less than Boxster handling, lots of gripes about a 'funny' rear end condition. You can't make a convertible after the fact.
If you want a convertible and you want a new Porsche there are only two options Carrera GT and Boxster.

Btw, go for the BoxsterS, a car a this weight needs at least 240 HP Z(like the Honda S2000) it seems to 'come alive' when it hits that mark . Get a the manual transmission, a much rawer experience. And even if you find a older Boxster S you can add a glass rear window now from an aftermarket supplier called GAH. They sell them on ebay. Probably $1000 with installation.

Automobile magazine had a blurb where they recounted the accolades the Boxster has received since its introduction (naming the 2000 Boxster S car of the of the year). They described the Boxster as "if you could own one sports car this would be it, it has it all".

 

Hmmm... just for fun: does that include the 911 Cab?

 

911 cab?
I once read a top gear on line review of the Boxster by the infamous Jeremy Clarkson in which he said something like "why the Boxster? well the 911 does come in a rag top but only a homosexual would be driving one of those.." Seems like the Cabriolet has a bit of a non-purist reputation over on that side of the ocean.

 

All convertibles that aren't old and British have a non-purist reputation over there. I agree with the writer who said all ragtops under 100K eventually become chick cars to some people over here. After seeing my wife drive away in our Guards Red Boxster S, I can see why! If it bothers you, get over it. James Dean drove a chick car.

 

The first Porsche (Porsche no. 001) was a mid engined convertible.

If you want "lineage"...the Boxster is truer to Porsches lineage than any other model.

 

Just to trhow some more banter out there

I think the Boxster got maligned by some because of 1) it low purchase price 2) Hugh consumption by either "dot commers" or, their girlfriends (hence the "chickster" name 3) Insecure 911 owners who suddenly realized their 996's were being mistaken for boxsters -- he he..

Oddly, as Doug pointed out, all "new" Porsches seem to get a bad wrap by the "previous" generation owners... 356 owners thought proper Porsches only had 4 cylinders.. 911 owners wanted nothing to do with the "bastard" 914 that soundly outhandled them.. 914/911 owners wanted nothing to do with the 924/944/928 cars. They all seem to encourage their own fanatics! Heck, even in the 911 group some say real 911's stopped in 1969 (long wheelbase) or 1974 (short hood & impact bumpers) or 1990 with the 964 etc... We are a quirky bunch!

If you can afford an S, they are definately worth the money over a regular one (and only non-s owners will argue this, because they don't want their cars overlooked by others!)

 

I can't think of another marque that has more conflict among owners than Porsche. It's almost as if admirers of a particular model think that a Porsche is a single car, like the Corvette. If there were suddenly two Corvettes; one big, front-engined V8; and the other a little mid-engined 6, there would be much derision about the small one not being a "real 'Vette". Geez, Porsche makes lots of cars and I like most of them. Come to think of it, I can't really think of one I wouldn't mind tooling around in. I'd even replace my Chrysler Pacifica with a Cayenne if I could afford it.

As for the Boxster being some sort of entry level to the world of "real" Porsches, forget about it. I think the Boxster and 911 are two distinctly different [and bitchin!] cars. And what about the 928? That one looks pretty real to me, too. One of each, please!

 

Not this 993 owner. Water cooled or air-cooled, Porsche makes the finest cars in the world.

Joe

1995 Porsche 993
1988 BMW E30 M3 2.5 (240HP) daily driver