2003 Porsche Boxster S Manual

Highlights

●      Great example of the best-spec 986 Boxster

●      Genuine low mileage

●      Comprehensive service history

●      Original bill of sale

●      Recent new clutch, brakes, alternator and battery

Overview 

If you want to get your hands on one of the most significant Porsches of all-time, then the time to get one is now, before collectors fully catch on to just how important the Porsche 986 Boxster is in the brand’s history. 

Back in the mid-1990s, Porsche was in trouble. A small, independent manufacturer, it was universally well-loved, but no amount of owner loyalty or enthusiasm for the brand is guaranteed to keep a car company alive. Just ask Saab, Rover or TVR.  

With an ageing 911 that, while now water-cooled, was still based on a platform that could trace its roots back to the 1960s, the era was a tough time for the German brand – it had thrived through the yuppie years of the 1980s where it couldn’t sell whale-tailed 911 Turbos quickly enough, but the economic crash and high inflation of the early Nineties, plus the demise of the front-engined Porsche models that fed the lower end of the sports car market, had left the company exposed. 

A small, more affordable model that was true to the company’s rear-engined sports car DNA was a critical part of its 1990s survival plan. Project 986, as it became known, was very much a make-or-break assignment. If it failed, so did Porsche.  

The brief of Project 986 was to emulate the appeal of the classic 911 in a package that could be sold for half the price - a ‘Baby 911’ for the mass sports car market, if you like.  

The Boxster – as it became – was an instant hit when new. It sold like the proverbial fresh-from-the-oven bakery items, and led to VW Group investing in (and ultimately buying) Porsche, securing its future. Today, the Boxster 986 is very much a modern classic and is remembered as one of the most important models in the company’s history.  

This one is arguably the best variant of the 986 – a 3.2S with a manual gearbox. A 2003 facelift model, it improves on the build quality of the earlier versions, and with 254bhp on tap, the flat-six will hit 62mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds. There aren’t many cars this quick or this engaging to drive at the price point, especially not with the cachet of the prestigious Porsche badge. 

History and documentation

●      Supplied new Porsche Centre West London in Chiswick on 24 June, 2003

●    Original bill of sale showing the car at £38,149, with a further £5,000+ of options including Porsche Stability Management and black leather trim

●      Current owner for almost eight years

● Book pack containing handbook, service book, dealer directory and radio instruction manual

●      Service history book with the following entries (car was stored as part of a private collection between 2009 and 2017). PDI (2003); 10,137 miles (2005, main dealer); 19,027 miles (2007, main dealer); 27,041 miles (2009, Porsche specialist); 31,248 miles (2017, Porsche specialist); 37,743 miles (2018, Porsche specialist); 38,965 (2020, Porsche specialist); 43,341 (2021, Porsche specialist); 48,499 (2023, Porsche specialist); 52,656 (2024, Porsche specialist)

●      MOT until 24 October 2025

●      Lots of invoices for servicing and repairs from current almost eight-year ownership 

●      Lots of old MOT certificates

●      Two sets of keys 

Interior

●      Very dark blue leather interior

●      Excellent overall condition with only minimal wear to the seats

●      Upgraded audio system with factory CD changer (though the changer doesn't function, so just operates as a single-slot CD player)

●      Alloy trim and gear lever surround

●      Leather steering wheel and gearknob

●      Fully working air conditioning, with compressor recently renewed

●      Original Porsche factory overmats

Exterior

●      Arctic Silver Metallic

●      Unusual Metropole Blue roof

●      17-inch factory alloy wheels with dark blue centre rims

●      Recent Kumho tyres all-round with full tracking

●      One very light scuff (pictured) on rear bumper

●      Superb condition overall, retaining a deep shine and good paint finish

●      Non-cloudy headlights

●      Roof is in good condition 

●      Underside appears solid and has never received a corrosion advisory at the MOT

Mechanical

●      3.2-litre flat six

●      254bhp

●      Six-speed manual transmission

●      0-60mph in 5.9 secs, 150mph top speed

●      Recent new battery and alternator (battery still under warranty)

●      Recent new clutch

●      No advisory notices on last MOT

●      New Brembo brake discs and pads less than 10,000 miles ago

●      Starts on the button and runs beautifully, according to the owner

Summary

The Porsche 986 Boxster has never been better value for money, but if you’re sitting on the fence about buying one, then it’s time to get off. The best examples are already starting to garner the affections of collectors as they become harder to find.

It looks like you might have just found one, though. A facelift 986.2 with a genuine low mileage and an impeccable maintenance history, all at either a main dealer or well-regarded specialist, is no longer an easy car to track down, so if you want one for your own collection, or simply want one to thoroughly enjoy while they’re still available, you’ll struggle to find better.   

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. The car is located in Worcestershire.