997.2 base v c4s v 981s Boxster
Discussion
This may have been asked before but I could not find a thread.
I have got a 987.1 Boxster at the moment - I bought it to dip my toe in the Porsche world and to see if I wanted to take things further (ie much more money!) without losing too much cash in the meantime. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Boxster has done its job and I know that I want a newer and better Porsche.
I have got up to £45k to spend. My choice has been whittled down to the following:
997.2 C4S cab with PDK
997.1 C4S or C2S manual cab
981S
I love the looks of the 981S and the performance will be a substantial step up from my current car. The biggest drawback for me is that I have two kids so the Boxster does not offer any flexibility (we have got a Discovery 4 as the family car but having the option to use the Porsche occasionally would be nice). Also - it is not a 911. probably cliched but I have always promised myself that one day I would own a 911.
997.1 would be a risk with the stories of bore scoring/IMS failure etc. However, it would be £10-£20k cheaper than the 997.2 and that is plenty enough to sort an engine problem
997.2 would be a safe bet, better interior and the PDK gearbox would be a bonus - probably half my annual mileage is around town so an auto would be useful (even if occasionally I would want a manual). I also get the feeling that this would be the least financially painful option in the long term - I would expect to own the car for 5-10 years and gen 2 cars seem to be holding their price unbelieveably well
so the question really is which would you choose?
I would add one further thing - My current 987.1 is absolutely fantastic through a series of tight B road bends - it really comes alive on that type of road. However I do find it really lacking on a straight road when I put my foot down - it is quick but it doesn't feel quick - the acceleration is so linear that it almost feels like a non-event. I accept that this is perhaps not what the Boxster was designed for, but it is a bit disappointing so whatever I choose next needs to have a bit of grunt.
I also accept that a cab is not the purists choice - but I make no apologies for enjoying putting the roof down on a nice sunny day and I accept that the car is always going to have far more ability than I am!
I will test drive the above cars but some thoughts from owners would be really helpful in helping me to decide
I have got a 987.1 Boxster at the moment - I bought it to dip my toe in the Porsche world and to see if I wanted to take things further (ie much more money!) without losing too much cash in the meantime. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Boxster has done its job and I know that I want a newer and better Porsche.
I have got up to £45k to spend. My choice has been whittled down to the following:
997.2 C4S cab with PDK
997.1 C4S or C2S manual cab
981S
I love the looks of the 981S and the performance will be a substantial step up from my current car. The biggest drawback for me is that I have two kids so the Boxster does not offer any flexibility (we have got a Discovery 4 as the family car but having the option to use the Porsche occasionally would be nice). Also - it is not a 911. probably cliched but I have always promised myself that one day I would own a 911.
997.1 would be a risk with the stories of bore scoring/IMS failure etc. However, it would be £10-£20k cheaper than the 997.2 and that is plenty enough to sort an engine problem
997.2 would be a safe bet, better interior and the PDK gearbox would be a bonus - probably half my annual mileage is around town so an auto would be useful (even if occasionally I would want a manual). I also get the feeling that this would be the least financially painful option in the long term - I would expect to own the car for 5-10 years and gen 2 cars seem to be holding their price unbelieveably well
so the question really is which would you choose?
I would add one further thing - My current 987.1 is absolutely fantastic through a series of tight B road bends - it really comes alive on that type of road. However I do find it really lacking on a straight road when I put my foot down - it is quick but it doesn't feel quick - the acceleration is so linear that it almost feels like a non-event. I accept that this is perhaps not what the Boxster was designed for, but it is a bit disappointing so whatever I choose next needs to have a bit of grunt.
I also accept that a cab is not the purists choice - but I make no apologies for enjoying putting the roof down on a nice sunny day and I accept that the car is always going to have far more ability than I am!
I will test drive the above cars but some thoughts from owners would be really helpful in helping me to decide
I've had my 997.2 C4S coming up for a year now, and like it a lot.
The. 2 was a must have for me - wanted paddleshift and PDK is better than the normal auto for my use where the auto setting is less used. The interior is much nicer (subjective I know). Engine issues are less common and, probably partly as a result, residuals seem firmer (secondary consideration for me).
When comparing cars you need to make sure you're comparing like for like on spec. and do your research on options you want.
I'm not sure you'll find the 911 lightning quick. IMO they also hide the speed they've gained well. Mine has the PSE which makes a bit of difference when switched to "loud", but that's psychological
But they're quick enough cars and the handling's great. You can tell where the mass is, but it's all easily controlled. Car also still has a bit of rawness which is good.
How old are your kids and how tall are you? I'm 6'4“ with a 4 and 7 old, plus a 5'4" wife and we can *just*all get in it. But not for long trips. There's space in the back, but not a huge amount. Don't think my kids relish going in the back as their view out is very compromised. (They love the though).
Cab's personal pref but personally I don't like how they look roof up or down. Maybe have a look at a Targa? More complex and heavy, but possibly a nicer looking compromise? (Mine's a coupe having searched in vain for a sensibly priced and spec'd Targa).
The. 2 was a must have for me - wanted paddleshift and PDK is better than the normal auto for my use where the auto setting is less used. The interior is much nicer (subjective I know). Engine issues are less common and, probably partly as a result, residuals seem firmer (secondary consideration for me).
When comparing cars you need to make sure you're comparing like for like on spec. and do your research on options you want.
I'm not sure you'll find the 911 lightning quick. IMO they also hide the speed they've gained well. Mine has the PSE which makes a bit of difference when switched to "loud", but that's psychological
But they're quick enough cars and the handling's great. You can tell where the mass is, but it's all easily controlled. Car also still has a bit of rawness which is good.How old are your kids and how tall are you? I'm 6'4“ with a 4 and 7 old, plus a 5'4" wife and we can *just*all get in it. But not for long trips. There's space in the back, but not a huge amount. Don't think my kids relish going in the back as their view out is very compromised. (They love the though).
Cab's personal pref but personally I don't like how they look roof up or down. Maybe have a look at a Targa? More complex and heavy, but possibly a nicer looking compromise? (Mine's a coupe having searched in vain for a sensibly priced and spec'd Targa).
Thank you for the reply
My kids are 16 and 12 so they probably won't want to spend long in the back - although I am 5'9" and my wife is 5' so there will be a bit more room for them
My head is saying go for the 997.2 - and also that I will probably regret not going for the C4S over the base car - but I suspect I need to try both to really decide
The 981S is still very tempting as I would get a newer car for less money, but I think I need to scratch the 911 itch
My kids are 16 and 12 so they probably won't want to spend long in the back - although I am 5'9" and my wife is 5' so there will be a bit more room for them
My head is saying go for the 997.2 - and also that I will probably regret not going for the C4S over the base car - but I suspect I need to try both to really decide
The 981S is still very tempting as I would get a newer car for less money, but I think I need to scratch the 911 itch
Very good answers above so not much to add, but one thing I would say about the Cab is that rear seat headroom seems better than in the coupe, although of course legroom is the biggest limiting factor. On the other hand it does come with some annoying blind spots as the rear window is quite narrow.
I too really wanted a Targa, but having had the Cab I can definitely say I don't regret it one bit. I too think it looks the least gracious, but honestly you will spend most of your ownership looking at the interior, and being able to drop the roof on a sunny day really has no match - as you will know from owning a Boxster.
I don't think any are a bad purchase so the best advice I can give is to get the one you want! PDK/Cab combo is quite sensible a choice.
I too really wanted a Targa, but having had the Cab I can definitely say I don't regret it one bit. I too think it looks the least gracious, but honestly you will spend most of your ownership looking at the interior, and being able to drop the roof on a sunny day really has no match - as you will know from owning a Boxster.
I don't think any are a bad purchase so the best advice I can give is to get the one you want! PDK/Cab combo is quite sensible a choice.
I'd also add that (given the age of your children) the rear seat backs in the cab are far more upright than the coupe- you might wish to try them out with your kids when considering!
If it were me, I'd probably go for a 997.2 coupe. Normally I'd go with the manual, but the PDK is very good. I think the spec and options become quite important for your personal tastes too, and can affect prices quite a lot- you there could be a real mix of C2s, C4s, standard and S specs all around the same sort of money. Don't know if it's the case in the UK, but I'm seeing standard spec 991s coming in at a similar price point to well specced 997.2s. I think these have more room in.
If it were me, I'd probably go for a 997.2 coupe. Normally I'd go with the manual, but the PDK is very good. I think the spec and options become quite important for your personal tastes too, and can affect prices quite a lot- you there could be a real mix of C2s, C4s, standard and S specs all around the same sort of money. Don't know if it's the case in the UK, but I'm seeing standard spec 991s coming in at a similar price point to well specced 997.2s. I think these have more room in.
Convertible is a tricky one as I don’t think the 997 convertibles look that great. Each to their own of course. Other than that, the 997.2 is a great car.
If you can get into a 981 GTS with your budget that could be worth considering. Not because they are all that amazing to drive but they seem to hold their value extremely well and you get a very nice set of options. The Alcantara interior on them is stunning to be fair. They also react well to the rub of a laptop as Porsche has obviously detuned the 981 engines.
You’re also approaching 991 C2S money with that budget so maybe worth considering. More of a GT but a very nicely resolved design in my opinion.
If you can get into a 981 GTS with your budget that could be worth considering. Not because they are all that amazing to drive but they seem to hold their value extremely well and you get a very nice set of options. The Alcantara interior on them is stunning to be fair. They also react well to the rub of a laptop as Porsche has obviously detuned the 981 engines.
You’re also approaching 991 C2S money with that budget so maybe worth considering. More of a GT but a very nicely resolved design in my opinion.
There's been a few threads recently discussing 997.2 cars
Said before, but don't ignore the 3.6, sweet engine with the manual 'box, it's a really good package. But make sure you get PASM, lowered suspension and sports exhaust (although you can hack the exhaust for about £300.00). Without PASM they look like they sit too high. Plus it give you flatter cornering etc when pressing on a bit.
The 997.2 manuals seem to be holding value pretty well with sensible mileage. I bought 2 1/2 years ago and couldn't buy mine back any lower with +20k miles on the clock from when I bought it. Superb all rounder.
If you want a convertible Porsche, I'd go 981 Boxster GTS all day. Superb cars. And also holding their money pretty well.
Said before, but don't ignore the 3.6, sweet engine with the manual 'box, it's a really good package. But make sure you get PASM, lowered suspension and sports exhaust (although you can hack the exhaust for about £300.00). Without PASM they look like they sit too high. Plus it give you flatter cornering etc when pressing on a bit.
The 997.2 manuals seem to be holding value pretty well with sensible mileage. I bought 2 1/2 years ago and couldn't buy mine back any lower with +20k miles on the clock from when I bought it. Superb all rounder.
If you want a convertible Porsche, I'd go 981 Boxster GTS all day. Superb cars. And also holding their money pretty well.
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