981 Boxster GTS…am I going mad?
Discussion
Spevs said:
TTmonkey said:
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.
This is what I would expect from an 8 year old car that is advertised as mint
This pic is from a live AT advert, I would be interested but car does not have PSE & Bose.
Edited by Spevs on Sunday 20th August 11:10
TTmonkey said:
Spevs said:
TTmonkey said:
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.
This is what I would expect from an 8 year old car that is advertised as mint
This pic is from a live AT advert, I would be interested but car does not have PSE & Bose.
Edited by Spevs on Sunday 20th August 11:10
Pictures of my car. Whilst I dont claim it to be mint, it is well looked after and just had a a full inspection by Porsche for warranty.
I’d say the photo you showed above of a clean car there has had parts replaced. Those parts cannot show no degradation unless they’ve been specifically changed.
The first car though, looks like it’s been used on typical British roads
Cars of 8-10 years of age are going to show signs of aging. You can describe a car as mint ‘given its age’ and not expect it to be factory fresh.
If you were to find a concourse level car, would you actually enjoy using it?
Christian P said:
A forum newbie writes…
Hello everybody.
I’ve been following this thread for a fair few months now, and it’s providing some useful lessons and understanding around the 981 GTS’s value and status.
Some brief background; I’ve previously run a Caterham Seven and Lotus Elise. I bought my first Boxster (987.2 S 6MT) in 2015, which I kept for four years. Then I scratched my 911 itch, with a 997.2 C2S 6MT, which I also ran for four years or so. That car was sold in the spring, having decided I missed sof top sportcars. (The 997 was brilliant and I loved owning and driving it. But it didn’t do fresh air motoring terribly well.)
I’m now in the process of acquiring the Carmine Red 981 GTS on sale at Harbour Cars.
It’s leggy, had several owners and is showing the usual expected wear and tear of an eight-year old car (which is to say - a bit, but not that much, actually). It has one of the cleanest over-rev reports I’ve ever seen; an ‘essentials’ options list, and nothing more. It drives like a dream.
At nigh-on 50,000 miles it’s not a car that I need to worry about putting miles on. In fact, absent a few options and with that higher mileage, I see it as something of a project car, that I can gently improve and tweak and make into mine, all the while enjoying that sensational engine and fantastic handling balance. (Suspension refresh, engine tweaks, audio upgrade; the usual.)
The price is public knowledge. That was also a factor in buying this car. The starting figure of 4, rather than 5 or even - ! - 6. Plus I wanted a manual box, of which there are few and far between changing hands, it seems.
I’d spoken to the owner of the ‘DMB’ manual previously. It’s got a near all-boxes-ticked spec, and a low mileage. I’d argue it needs the suspension mods reversed. It also needs four new tyres (nobody likes eight-year old rubber, however much tread is left.)
Is it worth £15,000 more than the car I’m looking at?
Well, as anybody who’s ever sold anything at a car boot sale will tell you (ebay too, come to that), something is only ever worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. If it sells at £60k, well - fair play. If it doesn’t, then that’s the market telling you loud and clear what it thinks. (See also the earlier Collecting Cars auction.)
I’m not buying a 981 to preserve my capital. I’m buying one to drive around Europe, pop to the pub and to demolish the odd B road. It will be cherished, very well-maintained and driven as Porsche intended. Happy days.
Welcome aboard mate. That car is gorgeous and a good price given mileage. Hello everybody.
I’ve been following this thread for a fair few months now, and it’s providing some useful lessons and understanding around the 981 GTS’s value and status.
Some brief background; I’ve previously run a Caterham Seven and Lotus Elise. I bought my first Boxster (987.2 S 6MT) in 2015, which I kept for four years. Then I scratched my 911 itch, with a 997.2 C2S 6MT, which I also ran for four years or so. That car was sold in the spring, having decided I missed sof top sportcars. (The 997 was brilliant and I loved owning and driving it. But it didn’t do fresh air motoring terribly well.)
I’m now in the process of acquiring the Carmine Red 981 GTS on sale at Harbour Cars.
It’s leggy, had several owners and is showing the usual expected wear and tear of an eight-year old car (which is to say - a bit, but not that much, actually). It has one of the cleanest over-rev reports I’ve ever seen; an ‘essentials’ options list, and nothing more. It drives like a dream.
At nigh-on 50,000 miles it’s not a car that I need to worry about putting miles on. In fact, absent a few options and with that higher mileage, I see it as something of a project car, that I can gently improve and tweak and make into mine, all the while enjoying that sensational engine and fantastic handling balance. (Suspension refresh, engine tweaks, audio upgrade; the usual.)
The price is public knowledge. That was also a factor in buying this car. The starting figure of 4, rather than 5 or even - ! - 6. Plus I wanted a manual box, of which there are few and far between changing hands, it seems.
I’d spoken to the owner of the ‘DMB’ manual previously. It’s got a near all-boxes-ticked spec, and a low mileage. I’d argue it needs the suspension mods reversed. It also needs four new tyres (nobody likes eight-year old rubber, however much tread is left.)
Is it worth £15,000 more than the car I’m looking at?
Well, as anybody who’s ever sold anything at a car boot sale will tell you (ebay too, come to that), something is only ever worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. If it sells at £60k, well - fair play. If it doesn’t, then that’s the market telling you loud and clear what it thinks. (See also the earlier Collecting Cars auction.)
I’m not buying a 981 to preserve my capital. I’m buying one to drive around Europe, pop to the pub and to demolish the odd B road. It will be cherished, very well-maintained and driven as Porsche intended. Happy days.
Where are you based?
Christian P said:
Thank you. It's a chunk of car for the money, certainly.
East Cambridgeshire / West Suffolk.
When are you taking possession? I got mine on my birthday last year. A wonderful present from the Mrs (I paid half with a loan, we used savings for the rest).East Cambridgeshire / West Suffolk.
It’s my birthday again in a few weeks time. How is she going to top that I wonder…. ????
Christian P said:
Rain, Saharan dust, roadworks, epic traffic, and a near six-hour journey home. The ideal collection day!
So here it is, looking very much every other Carmine Red Boxster GTS
[CAVEAT - I CAN'T POST LINKS TO PHOTOS FOR THE FIRST 14 DAYS OF 'MEMBERSHIP' - so you'll have to wait a little longer for some photographs!]
Standard GTS interior and exterior (no extra packs) and the essential options. I also managed to pop it on the ramp at Harbour Cars before driving away, to briefly inspect the understand. All looked consistent with age and mileage - and pretty much original too. Encouraging. Likewise the frunk battery compartment; pretty clean, and largely untouched by tinkering hands or corrosion. Also a good sign that this is a tidy, straight example.
No evident problems or issues on the drive home. Goodyears seem reasonable too.
All that remains now is to drive it and to start the enjoyable process of fettling. Game on!
Congrats mate. So here it is, looking very much every other Carmine Red Boxster GTS
[CAVEAT - I CAN'T POST LINKS TO PHOTOS FOR THE FIRST 14 DAYS OF 'MEMBERSHIP' - so you'll have to wait a little longer for some photographs!]
Standard GTS interior and exterior (no extra packs) and the essential options. I also managed to pop it on the ramp at Harbour Cars before driving away, to briefly inspect the understand. All looked consistent with age and mileage - and pretty much original too. Encouraging. Likewise the frunk battery compartment; pretty clean, and largely untouched by tinkering hands or corrosion. Also a good sign that this is a tidy, straight example.
No evident problems or issues on the drive home. Goodyears seem reasonable too.
All that remains now is to drive it and to start the enjoyable process of fettling. Game on!
Christian P said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Thank you! It's already covered in dust, inside and out. A car to be used and enjoyed, as you say.Sadly I don’t have a garage
Riskins said:
It’s Guards Red, not a fan of Carmine looks dull in comparison.
I like guards red but have always found that older GR cars tend to fade badly, especially in the sun. Maybe a probably from the past.
Yours looks stunning. Would love to have mine properly cleaned up and photographed well.
GT3Manthey said:
Makes sense to me . I’m also concerned I’d get bored with PDK and I’d never really end up using the paddles on the road.
I’ve been to PEC a few times, such a great day there .
I rarely use my paddles. The car is just so clever you don’t need to mess around. You break hard and it’s downshifting to perfection. You accelerate hard and it never misses an optimal change up point. And it’s seamless in doing it. I’ve been to PEC a few times, such a great day there .
As I’m mostly doing normal road driving, doesn’t matter.
Bear in mind…. In a couple of years, on the new car…. there will be no gearbox. No engine sound. No third pedal. Probably regen braking therefore no brake feel. No down shifting blips. No pops and burbles. And acceleration that will likely give you neck ache.
And when you go on a road trip you’ll be stopping every couple of hours for enforced expensive coffee breaks of up to an hour.
And when you go on a road trip you’ll be stopping every couple of hours for enforced expensive coffee breaks of up to an hour.
Christian P said:
Roof down too - nicely done. Any time spent getting cars deliberately (and safely) out of shape is all to the good. A great learning experience!
It was fun. I started with the windows down but as I got a bit faster started to get a bit wet inside. I also went backwards quite a few times. 
Riskins said:
I bought my GTS as the only OPC manual available start of 2022. I specifically wanted a GTS, manual gearbox and a good colour (no black, silver, grey or white). The concession I had to make was the interior as car came with full leather option but I knew I could sort this one way or another.
Back end of 2022 a 718 GTS salvage car appeared and I bought the entire interior and sold my full leather interior - I now had a 981 GTS spec I was very happy with and a base car for further mods.
How did that work financially if you don’t mind me asking…? The the buying and selling, what was the net cost? Back end of 2022 a 718 GTS salvage car appeared and I bought the entire interior and sold my full leather interior - I now had a 981 GTS spec I was very happy with and a base car for further mods.
Do you have the full function on the steering wheel? I want this swap but OPC says it’s impossible.
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