981 Boxster GTS…am I going mad?
Discussion
SV_WDC said:
Maybe this isn't the right thread but wondering with many prospective & current owners (at least on here) placing high value on OPC warranty will we see a big difference between earlier & later 981's once they get close to the 15 year mark (and can no longer get the OPC warranty)?
That’s at least 6 years away yet though isn’t it? JeffC said:
Spevs said:
Thanks M12MTR for pointing this one out, yes it does price much more realistically than other GTS's currently available on AT, although that interior does not appeal to me, if it was all black or the GTS interior I would be contacting the owner immediately. Surely the seller would be wise to speculate £80 on an AT advert, as this car would stand out like a sore thumb and surely find a beige loving buyer very quickly. .
I would be the same, I love the standard Gts interior and personal choice but Carmine is my least favourite red but with a warranty for anyone that likes that combo it's a great deal in today market. 
Yes nice car. Interior does ruin it.
Odd one this. The guy thought his car was guards red didn’t he? I’ve seen the photos before. These are the same photos used when he was first showing his car off. He said it was guards, people said it was carmine. I’m still not sure which it is. Some photos it looks guards some it looks carmine. Advert says guards….? If it’s not this advert then sorry, can’t find another.
If I were selling a car, I’d be using proper ‘prepped car’ photos, not some drive out shots where the car is it clean and at its best, next to another car. I’d be advertising it properly. Not just on Facebook. I’d list the cars spec properly. Not just the highlights. Price is right for the car, if a little low for an advert perhaps. I’d also state exactly how long is left in the warranty, because it’s clearly not a full two years.
Not saying the advert is suspect. Just it seems to smack of more questions than answers.
testdrive said:
Very harsh to say the interior ruins it, I personally quite like it, it adds something.
It's definitely Carmine and it's priced as it should be imho.
Blends sooo nice with the dirt on his mats in that photo lol. My BMW X5 has the same colour interior and I hate it. The interior would have stopped me choosing it completely, wanted the full GTS black It's definitely Carmine and it's priced as it should be imho.
/alcantara with red stitching. However it has 18 way seats, which is a nice option. I’d like to see a proper spec on a car that I’m considering buying. Cruise? Dual Aircon? Bose? Advert also says keyless, didn’t know that was an option on a 2014 car.
As said, saw this a couple of months ago, he was asking about the colour, didnt seem to know.
I’m guessing he bought it in a whim, decided it wasn’t what he wanted, now he’s seen something better and wants to exit asap, rather than a dodgy sale. Probably get it for a few quid less than asking in that case.
Ohio7274 said:
Ha ha, no chance but if I was after one I’d take the smart advice and plump for the S…
I ask because you come into thread every other week and knock the prices cars are being advertised at. Don’t get me wrong, I agree any Boxster GTS over £45k is being advertised at a premium price that doesn’t add up when you use a calculator and value the extras/options against an equivalent age 981 S.
However, here’s the scenario. Let’s say you bought one second hand 5 years ago for £48k. It’s very nice, 2015 car, had all the desirable interior including the carbon, the red stitching, extended leather, low mileage say 22k, and A1 condition, popular colour, full OPC Service history and you’ve even got 1 years Porsche warranty remaining. Let’s say equivalent cars to yours on auto trader are advertised from £50k private to £60k OPC.
You decide to sell. What price are YOU advertising it for?
Edited by TTmonkey on Saturday 29th July 13:31
Ohio7274 said:
Depends if you actually want to sell I suppose, as a lot seem to be sitting around for ages at, shall we say, rather optimistic valuations. (And the £77k above for a new four pot seems absolutely crazy!)
If you can find a buyer then good luck, but personally I’d see prices only moving one way based on the wider economic situation.
I suspect that in short term you are right, there is a downward trend. But you’d still want the best money for your car? I bought mine 11 months ago, for 47k. I’ve since put two years warranty on (18months left) and it’s as near mint condition as you could hope for. If you can find a buyer then good luck, but personally I’d see prices only moving one way based on the wider economic situation.
Normally I’d have driven a car of this value for a year and expect to be able to get 30k for it if I needed to sell it. Because I’ve been buying ‘meh’ cars for years.
I’d be advertising my car now for £49k. I might not get that, but I’d expect it to get at least £45k.
I’m not saying it’s worth that, but it’s what similar are being advertised for. Or more in fact. So I’m not going to undercut my price. Because the buyer is out there that’s looking for their ‘perfect match’.
I think the most important aspect of the 981 GTSa Boxster is that there are approximately 270 registered. So there is a small number available. If you want one, you recognise that there is a premium, especially for an A1 condition/spec car.
Dynamically, the 718s is a faster car, cheaper to run, has newer tech. Personally I prefer the slightly curvier body of the 981 over the 982 though.
Maybe there’s also an age factor (buyers age). here to think about. Perhaps a younger buyer would prefer a car with more modern tech, and that extra speed. The turbo car is more responsive for sure. Perhaps being an older driver this doesn’t matter so much to me…? I think the 981 is beautiful, with a more rounded shape, whereas I think the 982 is more purposeful looking. Sharper.
Would I swap it for a 4.0..? Yes obviously. Could I afford the extra 30 plus thousand? Nope. Would I think it was worth the swap? No I don’t think so.
Interesting in running costs against the 4.0.
My 981 GTS costs £220 a year insurance, but expecting that to jump this year at renewal.
It costs £330 in road taxi think.
Got 38mpg on the autoroute drive down to Italy, this was with staying at around 75mph. We weren’t in a rush. Sport mode is fine on motorways but probably down to 24 mpg general driving.
Sport plus is horrendous. 10mpg. Going over the mountain passes was horrendous.
But on the motorway, at 125kph, it was returning almost the same as my 2.0 diesel bmw.
It helps that my personal mileage has dropped from 40k a year to about 12k. And that’s divided between the X5, the wife’s TTS and the Porsche.
Road tax is a big drain but not fuel anymore. Not tyres either.
My 981 GTS costs £220 a year insurance, but expecting that to jump this year at renewal.
It costs £330 in road taxi think.
Got 38mpg on the autoroute drive down to Italy, this was with staying at around 75mph. We weren’t in a rush. Sport mode is fine on motorways but probably down to 24 mpg general driving.
Sport plus is horrendous. 10mpg. Going over the mountain passes was horrendous.
But on the motorway, at 125kph, it was returning almost the same as my 2.0 diesel bmw.
It helps that my personal mileage has dropped from 40k a year to about 12k. And that’s divided between the X5, the wife’s TTS and the Porsche.
Road tax is a big drain but not fuel anymore. Not tyres either.
JeffC said:
the day I collected my 981 was a rotten day so I drove it back from Edinburgh at the speed limits and was shocked when I got back to see 44mpg, over the next year it was always up in the late 30's when we were running about on steady drives, it was cheaper to run the Mrs C's Macan diesel with the price of petrol!
Best I saw on my recent Euro trip in the 4.0 on a run at 100kmh was 34mpg, typically it was low 30's, fuel economy never bothers me its smiles per miles, road tax is a killer but it won't be like that forever, it drops to £165 when it reaches 5 years old.
on the passes I was around 12mpg but I capped my speeds and just enjoyed the car and the drive pretty sure without the rev limiter sat beside me I could have seen single figures
if of interest this was a run over Furka pass last week, seems like a lifetime ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-A6Wp_piM&t=...
I’ve got that optional rev limiter function too. It comes on automatically and is hard to disable….. Can be frustrating, but has magnificent tits. Best I saw on my recent Euro trip in the 4.0 on a run at 100kmh was 34mpg, typically it was low 30's, fuel economy never bothers me its smiles per miles, road tax is a killer but it won't be like that forever, it drops to £165 when it reaches 5 years old.
on the passes I was around 12mpg but I capped my speeds and just enjoyed the car and the drive pretty sure without the rev limiter sat beside me I could have seen single figures
if of interest this was a run over Furka pass last week, seems like a lifetime ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-A6Wp_piM&t=...
JeffC said:
TTmonkey said:
I’ve got that optional rev limiter function too. It comes on automatically and is hard to disable….. Can be frustrating, but has magnificent tits.
tbf mine is pretty good, the dry runs she was fine but I did San Bernardino Pass in the torrential rain and she struggled a little as the car moved around. on another comparison of the two cars, in the videos the 4.0 doesn't sound too bad but in reality its silent compared to the 981 you can really here it when I watch the older videos of the gts over Hartside pass, Its the one thing i dislike about the 4.0 but hopefully an exhaust swap will sort the job out. the 981 just always sounded perfect standard. However, some years ago I arranged to hire a Boxster S from a Heathrow car hire place. One of the big firms. It was quite reasonable, £200 for 24 hours.
The car described was a Boxster 981 S. when i got to the car hire place though, it wasn’t a 981. They had just taken delivery of a brand new 718S. I was gutted. The guys at the hire company couldn’t understand why I’d want an older model car instead of being the first driver of a brand new car.
Anyway, had no choice but to take it, as the day was arranged and planned. So we set off in a car I didn’t want. Lovely car to be fair, and fast. But not a 981 and the sound track was muted. But hey nothing to compare it to yeah?
Nope. We were driving through Guildford on the way to the top gear track for a day out, and this 981S came past obviously I’m sport plus mode with the engine shrieking and popping and my mate sat next to me (who knew nothing about Porsche) just laughed out loud and said wow that’s amazing. And then I understood what all the fuss on the forums about the new 718 Soundtrack was all about. We drove a bunch of super cars at Dunsfold that day but it was that 981fly-by that really got to me.
Gonna take mine on a tunnel run later today just for giggles. Will film it
jimbo761 said:
Never understood the obsession of some on here with 981 sound, to me it’s a one trick pony and there are far better cars out there if noise is your only concern. What I think makes the most difference is the GPF added to 2019 cars on, having driven an f type v8 and the new Lotus Emira v6 recently I must say they do sound very muted vs the older cars. The steering on the Emira is incredible though.
‘Faster car’ is a one trick in a country stifled by speed cameras and traffic calming. Yes faster cars around, many. Teslas for instance. But that’s irrelevant, we are only comparing Porsche, hence the thread title and location in thenPorsche section of the forum. This isn’t general gassing.
And we are only really comparing Boxsters. There’s a hint in the thread title.
The lights on my 981 are perfectly good for all driving conditions. They perform the job more than adequately and are better than the lights on my previous cars. My Audi TT has LEDs and I can’t say there is much if any improvement. I dont have those 4 little LED Porsche DRLs and also don’t care about that.
Would I like the more modern entertainment system? Yeah sure. I currently stream Spotify from my phone so it would be better to have it integrated. I also don’t use the inbuilt satnav, as use Waze on the phone. So that would be neater if integrated. But it’s not a deal breaker that’s for sure.
One of the main things I’m missing from the latest cars is the nicer steering wheel with full controls. The 981 GTS wheel in alcantera with no controls is naff. I’ve asked about swapping it for the modern version but OPC says it’s impossible. Not sure why a reasonably simple job is impossible. I’d also like the sport controls on the wheel not on a button next to the wife because every time I click one of those buttons it induces a tutting noise from the passenger seat.
Would I like the more modern entertainment system? Yeah sure. I currently stream Spotify from my phone so it would be better to have it integrated. I also don’t use the inbuilt satnav, as use Waze on the phone. So that would be neater if integrated. But it’s not a deal breaker that’s for sure.
One of the main things I’m missing from the latest cars is the nicer steering wheel with full controls. The 981 GTS wheel in alcantera with no controls is naff. I’ve asked about swapping it for the modern version but OPC says it’s impossible. Not sure why a reasonably simple job is impossible. I’d also like the sport controls on the wheel not on a button next to the wife because every time I click one of those buttons it induces a tutting noise from the passenger seat.
Spevs said:
TTmonkey said:
The lights on my 981 are perfectly good for all driving conditions. They perform the job more than adequately and are better than the lights on my previous cars. My Audi TT has LEDs and I can’t say there is much if any improvement. I dont have those 4 little LED Porsche DRLs and also don’t care about that.
Would I like the more modern entertainment system? Yeah sure. I currently stream Spotify from my phone so it would be better to have it integrated. I also don’t use the inbuilt satnav, as use Waze on the phone. So that would be neater if integrated. But it’s not a deal breaker that’s for sure.
One of the main things I’m missing from the latest cars is the nicer steering wheel with full controls. The 981 GTS wheel in alcantera with no controls is naff. I’ve asked about swapping it for the modern version but OPC says it’s impossible. Not sure why a reasonably simple job is impossible. I’d also like the sport controls on the wheel not on a button next to the wife because every time I click one of those buttons it induces a tutting noise from the passenger seat.
4
Great stuff..... I do think it makes a difference what this car is used for, for some a daily driver, but for me it's going to be a garage queen, so I get we're all coming at it from different angles. Would I like the more modern entertainment system? Yeah sure. I currently stream Spotify from my phone so it would be better to have it integrated. I also don’t use the inbuilt satnav, as use Waze on the phone. So that would be neater if integrated. But it’s not a deal breaker that’s for sure.
One of the main things I’m missing from the latest cars is the nicer steering wheel with full controls. The 981 GTS wheel in alcantera with no controls is naff. I’ve asked about swapping it for the modern version but OPC says it’s impossible. Not sure why a reasonably simple job is impossible. I’d also like the sport controls on the wheel not on a button next to the wife because every time I click one of those buttons it induces a tutting noise from the passenger seat.
4
One big surprise. I expected it to cost a fortune to own and use. I knew the service would be expensive and it was (OPC 8 year service, £1400). However I budgeted for that and wanted OPC so swallowed it.
What has surprised me is the mpg is so much better than I thought it would be. 25 mpg around A road driving. 38mpg on long motorway stints. Road tax is ok, and insurance was a lot cheaper than a new GTS.
3.4 litre engine and I’m happy with fuel consumption. Also, whenever my wife is anywhere near it for a drive she pays for fuel on her company fuel card lol. Which her company allows by the way.
I think i was a bit mental buying a a 981 GTS. It wasn’t a rational buy. I really love the curves of the 981 but initially ordered a 718T, changed it to a 718S, knew all along I’d regret it and want to upgrade to a 718 4.0, and then you were looking at a 18 month wait and price rises were pushing the spend to a 25k deposit and a grand a month (or more with spiralling interest rates now).
So I went back to what I loved and it was the 981 GTS. Some of the prices were already going mad (hence the thread, but the one I bought came up and it was at the time 15k less than the OPC equivalent).
So my decision was also based on what I was prepared to spend, which was 23k deposit (leaving 2k for warranty) and 25k on a personal loan at £550 a month (3.3%) over 4 years. And at the term end, it’s totally mine, whereas the alternative would have probably involved a balloon payment and always being scared about future value.
The car has everything I need and was everything I wanted. If I was better off I’d have waited 6 months and bought a delivery mileage 4.0 GTS Boxster. But I can’t/won’t stretch to that. Actually could afford to in term of money but not in terms of what I was prepared to commit to.
This is my first Porsche and 99% sure it’s my last one, don’t know how long I will keep it, but I don’t have to recover my 47k. I love the car, and I love that most people seem to think that it’s still a lovely car despite its age. I think the dateless plate helps a bit there. It would be nice if it holds its value, and I think that’s more to do with the economy than the car.
As a young man I had nice cars that meant a lot to me. Then I had commitments and mortgage and other priorities such as family. For the last 15 years I haven’t even washed my own car let’s alone spent hours detailing it. So it’s nice to get that back with a car no one else will wash and polish except me. Sorry guys at Tescos, the Albanians, that work so hard all day, you aren’t washing this one..
So it was definitely a car bought with the heart not the head, so that’s probably why it’s worth the purchase price to me. It’s also nit massivly rapid but sounds superb. I think if it was a cayman it would matter how fast it was compared to the 718 Cayman. But it’s a Boxster, and that makes a difference. It doesn’t have to win any races. It turns heads all the time, and seems appreciated.
God knows what we are all going to be talking about when the electric one comes out.
So I went back to what I loved and it was the 981 GTS. Some of the prices were already going mad (hence the thread, but the one I bought came up and it was at the time 15k less than the OPC equivalent).
So my decision was also based on what I was prepared to spend, which was 23k deposit (leaving 2k for warranty) and 25k on a personal loan at £550 a month (3.3%) over 4 years. And at the term end, it’s totally mine, whereas the alternative would have probably involved a balloon payment and always being scared about future value.
The car has everything I need and was everything I wanted. If I was better off I’d have waited 6 months and bought a delivery mileage 4.0 GTS Boxster. But I can’t/won’t stretch to that. Actually could afford to in term of money but not in terms of what I was prepared to commit to.
This is my first Porsche and 99% sure it’s my last one, don’t know how long I will keep it, but I don’t have to recover my 47k. I love the car, and I love that most people seem to think that it’s still a lovely car despite its age. I think the dateless plate helps a bit there. It would be nice if it holds its value, and I think that’s more to do with the economy than the car.
As a young man I had nice cars that meant a lot to me. Then I had commitments and mortgage and other priorities such as family. For the last 15 years I haven’t even washed my own car let’s alone spent hours detailing it. So it’s nice to get that back with a car no one else will wash and polish except me. Sorry guys at Tescos, the Albanians, that work so hard all day, you aren’t washing this one..
So it was definitely a car bought with the heart not the head, so that’s probably why it’s worth the purchase price to me. It’s also nit massivly rapid but sounds superb. I think if it was a cayman it would matter how fast it was compared to the 718 Cayman. But it’s a Boxster, and that makes a difference. It doesn’t have to win any races. It turns heads all the time, and seems appreciated.
God knows what we are all going to be talking about when the electric one comes out.
rawenghey said:
It doesn't matter, though, does it? Because people aren't driving a spreadsheet or lap times. Nobody needs a 2 seater sports car. They're buying it for emotional and irrational reasons. People can talk down the 981 all they like, but the values i.e. the market says otherwise.
Personally I sold a 440i (3-litre straight 6 turbo, so a strong engine) and was looking at a Cayman. I never quite bonded with the looks of the 987, so it was 981 or 982. I drove a 982 and it was brilliant. It turned like a bluebottle, hung on outrageously well in long fast corners and just felt wonderful. It was even in my perfect spec - Carmine with crayon leather interior. But I just didn't want one and I couldn't explain why. It just didn't wind me up. It didn't engage that part of your brain that goes f
k it. And whilst I'm not a 4 banger hater like a lot of people on here are, the B58 in the BMW I had just sold was a much, much better engine. So off I waddled, 982 out, feeling a little deflated... and almost like I wouldn't even bother with a sports car.
However, on the way home, I popped in to visit a 981 GTS that I'd spotted on AT a few days prior. Preferred the Carmine of the 982, but this still looked great in Guards. Stood in the showroom as the salesman started it up... started chuckling, looked at the misses, who was also grinning... and knew the answer before he'd pulled it into the car park.
At the end of the day, these are Porsches. They're all excellent cars - from 987 through to 718 - and in typical Porsche fashion, each new iteration has been fastidiously honed to be technically better than the last. You're buying an awesome car whichever one you choose - look at the way they get treated by professional car testers at Autocar, EVO, etc. But, again, these are emotional purchases. Had I bought the 718 I could have indulged myself in the logical, rational argument that I had bought the objectively better car. It wasn't the one I wanted though. For me, I had just sold an average car with a great engine, and had test driven a great car with an average engine. I personally felt with the 981 GTS I got both and with a soundtrack to ram the point home.
Also, whoever called the 981 a one trick pony - what does that even mean? It's an average car with a great engine? So what does that make the 718? A slightly more honed and perfected average car, but without the USP engine?
Such a shame you can’t drive it at night Personally I sold a 440i (3-litre straight 6 turbo, so a strong engine) and was looking at a Cayman. I never quite bonded with the looks of the 987, so it was 981 or 982. I drove a 982 and it was brilliant. It turned like a bluebottle, hung on outrageously well in long fast corners and just felt wonderful. It was even in my perfect spec - Carmine with crayon leather interior. But I just didn't want one and I couldn't explain why. It just didn't wind me up. It didn't engage that part of your brain that goes f
k it. And whilst I'm not a 4 banger hater like a lot of people on here are, the B58 in the BMW I had just sold was a much, much better engine. So off I waddled, 982 out, feeling a little deflated... and almost like I wouldn't even bother with a sports car.However, on the way home, I popped in to visit a 981 GTS that I'd spotted on AT a few days prior. Preferred the Carmine of the 982, but this still looked great in Guards. Stood in the showroom as the salesman started it up... started chuckling, looked at the misses, who was also grinning... and knew the answer before he'd pulled it into the car park.
At the end of the day, these are Porsches. They're all excellent cars - from 987 through to 718 - and in typical Porsche fashion, each new iteration has been fastidiously honed to be technically better than the last. You're buying an awesome car whichever one you choose - look at the way they get treated by professional car testers at Autocar, EVO, etc. But, again, these are emotional purchases. Had I bought the 718 I could have indulged myself in the logical, rational argument that I had bought the objectively better car. It wasn't the one I wanted though. For me, I had just sold an average car with a great engine, and had test driven a great car with an average engine. I personally felt with the 981 GTS I got both and with a soundtrack to ram the point home.
Also, whoever called the 981 a one trick pony - what does that even mean? It's an average car with a great engine? So what does that make the 718? A slightly more honed and perfected average car, but without the USP engine?
JeffC said:
17 Gts Boxsters on Autotrader. Few new ones added since last time I looked a couple of weeks ago, Prices remain pretty stagnant, noticed the private Cat d car appears to have vanished.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
I only see 12….???https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
TTmonkey said:
JeffC said:
17 Gts Boxsters on Autotrader. Few new ones added since last time I looked a couple of weeks ago, Prices remain pretty stagnant, noticed the private Cat d car appears to have vanished.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
The app isn’t showing many cars. The link to the website shows more, odd…https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
I only see 12….???
TTmonkey said:
TTmonkey said:
JeffC said:
17 Gts Boxsters on Autotrader. Few new ones added since last time I looked a couple of weeks ago, Prices remain pretty stagnant, noticed the private Cat d car appears to have vanished.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
The app isn’t showing many cars. The link to the website shows more, odd…https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertisin...
I only see 12….???
Spevs said:
Went to see an advertised Mint GTS this week
Needless to say my search continues, although I do get the feeling the Motor Trade get dollar signs in their eyes when anyone mentions Boxster 981 GTS.
IMO it seems mad that most for sale are being advertised probably within £5k of what they were when new 8 years ago.
I’d like to see the same areas from a 2 year old 718 GTS. Probably looks the same. Needless to say my search continues, although I do get the feeling the Motor Trade get dollar signs in their eyes when anyone mentions Boxster 981 GTS.
IMO it seems mad that most for sale are being advertised probably within £5k of what they were when new 8 years ago.
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