unklekraker

I agree with Mitch! There are no any other 10+ yr. old car in the track that still racing w/ the exception of other car that's using the old model but newer engine. Unlike Porsche, when they race on track-most parts are original or stock

Got my wife a 99' Boxster as a start of my future Porsche Collection...If Bank permits, hehehehe!

dagrunner

Automobile fora attract lots of nattering nabobs of negativism. I recall reading on some of them a few years ago what a cheap wannabe the Audi TT represented. Owning a 225 Roadster at the time, I knew differently. It was a helluva car and was made with high quality materials - on par with any car and certainly better than Porsches of the 2001 era. I ignored that criticism, knowing that the only person I really had to please was me. The truth was I liked my TT Roadster better than my 1983 911 in every way. And I loved my old 911, driving it for many, many years.

Now I have a 987S and I think it is a fabulous car. To say that it is inferior to a 997 is monumentally ignorant. It is different than a 997. It corners better but it doesn't have some of the creature comforts of the 997. To say that it is cheap is simply silly. 65k -to 70k is not cheap by any measure. It is a very expensive car. On the other hand, GT3's are astronomically expensive cars and, while I can afford one, I choose not to spend my money that way. I prefer having the Boxster and doing some traveling. For me, the 987S is a perfect balance. I blanched a bit at the price but I decided it was worth it. On the other hand, a new Audi S-8 with the Lambo V-10 motor is not worth $118k, in my opinion. Nor is an Enzo worth the price of a home. Everything is relative in this world. I am driving what I want to - not what other people suggest that I drive.

sharky47

You guys have it easy - I am a 944 enthusiast - our cars are much more often referred to as "not real Porsches" - I mean our engines are on the complete opposited end of the car!

Oh well, I have a great time playing with them - I could care less about what other people think.

Doug&Julie

I feel for ya brother. My first Porsche was an '88 944. N/A no less. Great car...

mooty

amen on both counts.

arenared

And that's a problem because? I've gotten great respect from the front-engined Porsche crowd. With the older 911 air-cooled owners, it's a little more dicey. I've also had great car conversations with BMW guys, even GM guys!

I think the Boxster brings a lot of renewed interest to the brand to those who would not have considered a high-end, rear-engined 911. For example, I recently took a relative around a few choice roads and let him drive it. He was like, "Holy $#!+ this car is fun." Now, he's keeping an eye out for one. I don't think he'd ever given Porsche a 2nd thought before.

arenared

Sorry, if I offended. I don't have the Porsche sales figures or internal marketing analysis either, but even before 1995, my perception of the market was that the front engined cars were already end-of-life and that the Porsche brand was represented solely by the iconic 911. Even throughout much of the early life of the Boxster, I would say the perception was still that Porsche was a 1-car company because the Boxster was viewed as some kind of illegitimate child.

I think that perception started to change with the mid-engine CGT and the Cayenne and especially now with the non-convertible Cayman. Now that water-cooling, engine-placement, and "Japanese" interiors seem to be more accepted, the Boxster is getting a lot more respect, but I fear a lot of the "hatred" is being passed on to Cayenne owners as "not being a real sports car".

fast1

I was hesitant to start this thread because I thought it wouldn't generate much interest, but I'm happy that I did because there have been many insightful responses. Thanks to all who took the time to respond.

himichael

Hat Tip from a 996 GT3 driver:

The Boxster is a superb car. My brother owned a 986 Boxster S and now has a 987 Boxster S. I drove both of them and other Boxsters. They are true sports cars with an emphasis on great handling. Also, the design is a modern classic (better-looking IMHO than the 996) and will never look cheap or dated.

sharky47

We had "Boxstoberfest" here in my hometown this weekend, lot of great cars and good people!

At the risk of having old, leaky RMS's thrown at my head..........I view the Boxster and the Cayman as a modern 914. It is vastly updated and a better car (even though I LOVE the 914), but it is a mid-engined, entry-level Porsche. Not that there is anything wrong with that at all - a mid-engine go-kart with Porsche engineering behind it and a accessable price for alot of people is a wonderful thing!

I would like to see Porsche field a Cayman race car. Course, thay might threaten the 911 - so it will probably never happen. I can't wait to see how the aftermarket tuners evolve this car........

Moogle

Still have My Boxster S after all these years, even after getting the GT3.

With a short shifter, it is a superb car that constantly rewards the driver. One of the finest cars ever made.

sharky47

Yup - hopefully some years down the line I might be able to afford to pick one up. I have a sneaking suspicion they may turn out to be the modern 944, relatively cheap for what they are, supurb handling, classily styled sportscar that many people will be able to afford once it gets a little older........

rbennett

sharky47, I once posted in the 944 forum on the best all time 944 to own....

A 944 is still in my sites and appreciate your comments on that thread

Doug&Julie

Somebody in Europe did this for the 24 hours at the Nurburgring...

tincanman99

Its not a real Porsche. Please I have a bridge to sell you. Go look at Boxster/Cayman and go look at a 911. The performance numbers are not that much different. I remember reading the Boxster was one of the fastest cars through the slalom, even faster than an Enzo. For people that get the tude just remember Porsche and VW share a family history. The first 356 was basically built on a Beetle. Porsche has always leaned more toward the egalitarian side of the elite sports car spectrum. Its fine with me that they build cheaper ones because than I can afford it. Porsche is not stupid either, you can either sell a lot of something with a good profit margin or sell a few and barely make money. I dont think Ferrari, Lamborghini etc... where EVER profitable.