The best 'weekend' Boxster for sub £20k - questions?

[kmpowell]

Looking to get a 3rd car for weekend/fun use. Priorities:

- Minimal depreciation
- Minimal running costs
- Minimal engine/component
- Fun and powerful. I have a history of 'faster' cars, so I don't want to be left wanting in the torque/hp stakes
- Comfortable with modern interior
- RWD

After doing a lot of reading and comparing, it would appear that all roads lead to a Gen 2 987. Running costs for the 2.9 and 3.4 seem to be the same (tax, fuel, servicing, insurance etc, so...

A 2.9 with decent milage and spec is readily available, but will 255hp be enough, is the 310hp S that different in the real world?

A 3.4 S can be had, but they tend to have higher milage and/or poorer spec. Is higher milage a problem if it has a full SH e.g 80-90k on the clock?

Any options a 'must have'? Nav 3 etc

What's the deal with OPC's these days, is it still they will only recognise and work on cars with full OPC history?

Thanks in advance

[mikefocke]

Low Depreciation - with a water cooled Porsche you have to go back quite a ways.
High Torque/HP - what are you used to? I sure don't think of a Boxster/Cayman as a high powered car. It is all about handling
Simple engine - Not in a car where that engine is. Have a look.
Low maintenance and maintenance costs - the cars with low depreciation are older and parts age out as well as wear out.

Owned 2, got only the fourth of those requirements and I was lucky. Wonderful cars and my second was a daily driver for 5 years.

[jonny996]

kmpowell said:

Looking to get a 3rd car for weekend/fun use. Priorities:

- Minimal depreciation
- Minimal running costs
- Minimal engine/component
- Fun and powerful. I have a history of 'faster' cars, so I don't want to be left wanting in the torque/hp stakes
- Comfortable with modern interior
- RWD

Thanks in advance

That will be a 996.1 you will be looking for then....

[Essential]

987 Gen 2 Boxsters can be bought for under £20k

3.4 S PDK cars with 50-60k miles for £20k at dealers

2.9 Manuals start at well under. £20k would buy a 2012 Manual 987

996 much older and possibly higher running costs. More dated interiors and a few generations older. Great cars but now getting on for 20 years old in some cases.

[kmpowell]

jonny996 said:

That will be a 996.1 you will be looking for then....

Modern looks and interior?

[jonny996]

kmpowell said:

Modern looks and interior?

Looks timeless, ever bit as modern as any Boxster 718 excluded.
As for interior , it's got what you need

[EGTE]

kmpowell said:

jonny996 said:

That will be a 996.1 you will be looking for then....

Modern looks and interior?

I would argue the 996 was too modern (for many Porsche-owners' taste). They don't seem to be looking old even 20 years later.

[alan718s]

maybe you should wait until you can afford one. Sounds like if you get the smallest problem, you be eating bread and butter for months to fix the car.

Nav on such a old car is useless, the maps be outdated the UI would be crap and the system would be slow.

[GT4P]

For a £20k budget it has to be a Gen 2 (987.2) boxster or Cayman and don't worry if a car has no PASM or PCM proberly better for not having!
I would go as far to say although the 2.9 987.2 Cayman although only having 265hp I would choose one over a 986S and even a 981 (2.7 or 3.4)
996 or 997.1 not a good idea as could cost if the chocolate engine decides to go into melt down.
Service and running costs not to expensive and the gen2 engines have a very good track record for reliability
Go for as late and low miles as possible should get a 2010/11 with sub 40k miles for your budget.
As for depreciation buy well and I doubt you will loose much if any money.
IMHO the 987.2 Cayman/ boxsters are the pick of the cars ever built (bar 981 gt4/spyder)and think in the future they will be the most sort after of the none 3.8 cars!

[kmpowell]

alan718s said:

maybe you should wait until you can afford one.

You can always rely on Pistonheads. I didn't realise you knew how much I earn each year and what my financial situation is.

So by your reckoning, I can't afford one because I don't want big engine bills after spending £20k cash on a 3rd car which will only be used a couple of thousand miles a year. I'm simply trying to find the most reliable engine in that price bracket, which appears to be the Gen 2.

Oh and BTW, on a Gen 2 with PCM 3, you can have the nav updated to the latest maps by a dealer.

[GT4P]

kmpowell said:

Oh and BTW, on a Gen 2 with PCM 3, you can have the nav updated to the latest maps by a dealer.

It's still a crap system I had it on my 987spyder and as it was the same system I didn't order for my GT4! The 718 has a better more updated system.
As for PCM if a car has it all well and good but if not then I don't see it as a deal breaker!

[kmpowell]

GT4P said:

For a £20k budget it has to be a Gen 2 (987.2) boxster or Cayman and don't worry if a car has no PASM or PCM proberly better for not having!
I would go as far to say although the 2.9 987.2 Cayman although only having 265hp I would choose one over a 986S and even a 981 (2.7 or 3.4)
996 or 997.1 not a good idea as could cost if the chocolate engine decides to go into melt down.
Service and running costs not to expensive and the gen2 engines have a very good track record for reliability
Go for as late and low miles as possible should get a 2010/11 with sub 40k miles for your budget.
As for depreciation buy well and I doubt you will loose much if any money.
IMHO the 987.2 Cayman/ boxsters are the pick of the cars ever built (bar 981 gt4/spyder)and think in the future they will be the most sort after of the none 3.8 cars!

Thanks. That’s pretty much where my head when posting, so good to hear somebody else thinking the same.

The 2.9 seems bullet proof, and the 3.4 appears to be the same. I think a 3.4 would be my preferred option if I can find a good one in budget.

Re options, I would prefer things like, BOSE/Sound, heated seats and parking sensors over a dated nav, but sadly it appears that cars are either billy basic or nav with the rest. Not a lot out there in between.

Why do you advise against PASM, issue prone?

If I can buy cheap enough now I have the same feeling as you that I will lose pretty much nothing for 6-12months maybe longer if the love for the 3.4 stays strong over the new engines.

Thanks again.

[GT4P]

Driven a few 987.2 and owned a 987 Spyder also a 987.1 caymanS which had no PASM and 18" wheels which IMHO bar the X73 suspension of the Cayman R/ spyder is the best drive!
PASM on both 987.1/2 I didn't like the ride/handling.
I do think you will struggle to find a good 3.4 with reasonable miles for under £25k hence I feel you will get more for your money with the 2.9. It might not be as quick in the acceleration stakes but it will keep up on the twisty stuff plus you will rev it to the redline in lower gears more of the time as a 3.4 does nearly 80mph in second gear with third taking you to over 100mph!
Don't get hung up on Bose not that good , sound pack is nice so are the sports seats and perhaps Xenons if you are over a certain age as the standard lights are like candles!
As they say some times less is more!
Happy hunting

Edited by GT4P on Saturday 9th December 16:39

[kmpowell]

Thanks, I didn’t realise Xenons were an option! I don’t suppose you know of a brochure price list PDF that I can download?

Also, thoughts on PDK?

There are a couple of decent looking 3.4’s sub £20k but I’m guessing they will need a service and some tyres etc. Once I e decided exactly what I want/need I can’t start making some calls.

Whatever I do it’ll be getting a onceover on it before parting with any cash.

[Essential]

Servicing ever 2 years on 987.2 and a set of tyres £600-800 for n rated.

At £20k you should get one ready to go neeeding nothing.

[lilwashu]

A Gen2 987 is unlikely to meet any of your requirements bar the last two (and "modern" is pushing it a bit). The only Boxsters unlikely to depreciate much more are 986s, and old mid engined Porches are not known for their low running costs or mechanical simplicity. The 2.9 engined Gen2s do not "feel" fast if that is important to you. This all depends on what your definition of "minimal" etc is though.

[Roof down]

All you need is 3.4S gen 2 manual with just heated seats, leather, it’s a pure blast of a drivers car, nothing else needed.
Good luck finding one, but I suspect you will struggle for under 20 with lowish miles

[VladD]

987.1 3.2 Boxster S Turbo. 375 bhp, 322 ftlb. Tax is cheap, but insurance is a bit pricey.

[stichill99]

In 2008 when I was taking my first steps into Porsche ownership I bought a 987 2.7 when everyone was saying you have to get a 3.2. When I looked at the performance figures the 2.7 was a fraction quicker to a 100mph because of gearing. I had the car 5 years and it was great and never once did I wish I had bought a 3.2. If I was buying now I would go for a gen2 2.9. I actually think the 987 is the best looking boxster especially in a bright colour.

[markBXTR]

987 3.2, but I'm biased . Had mine for five years and had no issues at all. I did have the IMS replaced as a precaution as I decided it was a keeper. Handling is sublime and its a fun car to drive. It's been lowered on H&R springs and has a Centre of Gravity setup, Carnewal full GT exhaust and remap. Been dyno'd at 305bhp. I'm in the Porsche club and regularly out on runs with 997's, 991's and GT cars and have no problems keeping up at all either in a straight line or in the twisties. Nearly forgot, it also sounds glorious