981 Boxster S to a McLaren 570/540 ? Feasible ??
Discussion
Some help with hard facts would be greatly appreciated .
I have the last 981 Boxster S PDK in Racing Yellow that was imported into the UK .
Fully loaded to and beyond the GTS spec , except that it doesn't have Alcantara as I prefer smooth black leather .
It has now done almost 30,000 miles , and has another 2 years of the extended Porsche warranty left . FPMDSH. Featured in a Supercar book .
Fitted with X-PEL protection before I picked it up from Porsche Reading , so it is genuinely unmarked .
It is only used for 7 weeks a year , and has hardly done 2000 miles in the UK - only to get from home to the Channel Ports .
It has been a superb sportscar -- absolutely fit for the purpose it was originally bought for-- to take us and the kitchen sink on holiday to the Continent .
But it is not a junior supercar .
I have never had a useable supercar .
It crossed my mind that I might just be able to trade up from the Boxster S to a McLaren 540/570
But price to change is a very real issue for me , and I don't do Man Maths .
Hence starting this thread , as I need some information about purchase , warranty and maintenance costs , and also information about just how much difference there is between the Boxster S and the 540 , and also between the 540 and the 570 .
I appreciate that the only way to get absolutely hard information will be to contact dealers and to go on test drives , but if the preliminary information from PH'ers tells me that this idea is not financially viable , then I will abort the idea , and will not waste other people's time .
As you have gathered , money is a major factor here , indeed probably the main factor .
So , onto the main questions :
1) Who should I approach for part-exchanging the Porsche against the McLaren .
Alaister Bols ? Do you think the Main Dealers would be even vaguely interested ? Anyone else ?
2) The next question might be impossible to answer without identifying and examining individual cars , but what sort of price to change should be expected , given the limited information that I have provided above . I am not interested in anything other than an immaculate McLaren , but am not worried about its age or mileage ( unless you PH'ers tell me that I should be !) , as I expect that I will continue to put just under 10,000 miles per year on the car .
3) Touching a lot of wood , the Boxster has been faultless , and I need a reliable car for use abroad .
The forums are littered with stories of major/ minor and corrosion problems with McLarens
What are PH'ers direct experience re reliability of the 540/570
Although this car would also only be used for 7 weeks/ year - my wife would be totally unforgiving if it ' failed to progress ' during this time .
4) Please could you tell me about :
- routine maintenance costs and intervals
- how much to plan on spending on unscheduled maintainance
- warranty costs , and in particular how the warranty costs increase as the car gets older
- I met the gentleman who runs Thorney at Beaulieu a couple of weekends ago , and he said that the Mclarens were inherently strong -- but would you run a 540/570 without a warranty , or do you think that doing 10 ,000 miles a year without a warranty would be one risk too far ? .
-Porsche's warranty can be exteneded to 125,000 miles, and/or 15 years-- what is the McLaren equivalent ?
5) How much more special would the 540 be to drive vs the Boxster IN THE REAL WORLD with the Police/speed cameras / unmarked cars around ?
I would not be using either car as a daily driver ( I have a 146,000 mile , 26 year old Series 1 MX5 for that ) , so no stop-start traffic- laden , winter use .
It will be used mainly on A and B roads (50% mileage : 75% time )) and motorways (50% mileage : 25% time )
How much more special would the 570 be vs the 540 ?
6) Any other relevant information / relevant points that I have missed out -- please give your input .
Thank-you
I have the last 981 Boxster S PDK in Racing Yellow that was imported into the UK .
Fully loaded to and beyond the GTS spec , except that it doesn't have Alcantara as I prefer smooth black leather .
It has now done almost 30,000 miles , and has another 2 years of the extended Porsche warranty left . FPMDSH. Featured in a Supercar book .
Fitted with X-PEL protection before I picked it up from Porsche Reading , so it is genuinely unmarked .
It is only used for 7 weeks a year , and has hardly done 2000 miles in the UK - only to get from home to the Channel Ports .
It has been a superb sportscar -- absolutely fit for the purpose it was originally bought for-- to take us and the kitchen sink on holiday to the Continent .
But it is not a junior supercar .
I have never had a useable supercar .
It crossed my mind that I might just be able to trade up from the Boxster S to a McLaren 540/570
But price to change is a very real issue for me , and I don't do Man Maths .
Hence starting this thread , as I need some information about purchase , warranty and maintenance costs , and also information about just how much difference there is between the Boxster S and the 540 , and also between the 540 and the 570 .
I appreciate that the only way to get absolutely hard information will be to contact dealers and to go on test drives , but if the preliminary information from PH'ers tells me that this idea is not financially viable , then I will abort the idea , and will not waste other people's time .
As you have gathered , money is a major factor here , indeed probably the main factor .
So , onto the main questions :
1) Who should I approach for part-exchanging the Porsche against the McLaren .
Alaister Bols ? Do you think the Main Dealers would be even vaguely interested ? Anyone else ?
2) The next question might be impossible to answer without identifying and examining individual cars , but what sort of price to change should be expected , given the limited information that I have provided above . I am not interested in anything other than an immaculate McLaren , but am not worried about its age or mileage ( unless you PH'ers tell me that I should be !) , as I expect that I will continue to put just under 10,000 miles per year on the car .
3) Touching a lot of wood , the Boxster has been faultless , and I need a reliable car for use abroad .
The forums are littered with stories of major/ minor and corrosion problems with McLarens
What are PH'ers direct experience re reliability of the 540/570
Although this car would also only be used for 7 weeks/ year - my wife would be totally unforgiving if it ' failed to progress ' during this time .
4) Please could you tell me about :
- routine maintenance costs and intervals
- how much to plan on spending on unscheduled maintainance
- warranty costs , and in particular how the warranty costs increase as the car gets older
- I met the gentleman who runs Thorney at Beaulieu a couple of weekends ago , and he said that the Mclarens were inherently strong -- but would you run a 540/570 without a warranty , or do you think that doing 10 ,000 miles a year without a warranty would be one risk too far ? .
-Porsche's warranty can be exteneded to 125,000 miles, and/or 15 years-- what is the McLaren equivalent ?
5) How much more special would the 540 be to drive vs the Boxster IN THE REAL WORLD with the Police/speed cameras / unmarked cars around ?
I would not be using either car as a daily driver ( I have a 146,000 mile , 26 year old Series 1 MX5 for that ) , so no stop-start traffic- laden , winter use .
It will be used mainly on A and B roads (50% mileage : 75% time )) and motorways (50% mileage : 25% time )
How much more special would the 570 be vs the 540 ?
6) Any other relevant information / relevant points that I have missed out -- please give your input .
Thank-you
Thank you all for your replies .. its good to hear directly from enthusiasts and owners rather than just relying on internet forum talk .
You McLaren people seem a really friendly bunch , which is always an attraction .
My favourite club used to be the Triumph Spitfire Club --- everyone was just interested in the cars , and helping each other to sort out the endless niggles and breakdowns that was par for the course .
PompeyReece -- of course you are entirely correct
Isaldiri - I just love cars , pretty much any one of them intrigues me in some way , and I just adore supercars . Doesn't mean that supercars are without faults , and sadly doesn't mean that I can easily afford to trade up from a Boxster to a McLaren either
Broached the subject with the wife this morning , and she said I could trade whatever I wanted ( probably including myself ) , but that I was not to go anyway near HER Boxster . !!
Oh well , I had a fun few hours dreaming about this , and I suspect that I will revisit this issue sometime in the future .
Thank you again everyone .
You McLaren people seem a really friendly bunch , which is always an attraction .
My favourite club used to be the Triumph Spitfire Club --- everyone was just interested in the cars , and helping each other to sort out the endless niggles and breakdowns that was par for the course .
PompeyReece -- of course you are entirely correct
Isaldiri - I just love cars , pretty much any one of them intrigues me in some way , and I just adore supercars . Doesn't mean that supercars are without faults , and sadly doesn't mean that I can easily afford to trade up from a Boxster to a McLaren either
Broached the subject with the wife this morning , and she said I could trade whatever I wanted ( probably including myself ) , but that I was not to go anyway near HER Boxster . !!
Oh well , I had a fun few hours dreaming about this , and I suspect that I will revisit this issue sometime in the future .
Thank you again everyone .
Firstly , thank you to all of you who have written constructive answers to my questions .
I was not going to reply to Jakesmiths response because initially , I felt that I had nothing constructive to respond with .
But as one of you has pointed out , some of you took to time and trouble to answer to my genuine questions , and those people deserve some sort of response .
This is. a car forum , and does not deal with life and death matters ... we are here for the fun of interacting with people who share the same interest .
Some of us have limited means , and so have to research any potential purchase very carefully .
Some of us keep the cars that we buy for decades , and so research things carefully beforehand. , to ensure that we buy the correct car — one that suits our purposes , budget , access to servicing agents etc.
Better to find out before purchase , rather than to lament at leisure .
I have found that discussing a particular marque , model or model sub variant with owners is a great way of finding out hard facts about a potential purchase .
On those occasions when I have not been able to get adequate information in print , in person , or from the internet , I have taken the time and trouble to write the definitive books on that marque or that model ( Available on Amazon : 9781845849221. 9781787114333. Both world first standalones )
Knowledge is never wasted .
In this particular case , I was genuinely interested in a 540 or a 570 .
Cost and garaging space were , and remain , very real issues .
No shame admitting to either of these points .
My wife owns an equal share of each car , and so has a say .
Bottom line is that I learnt from the constructive comments that were made , and I am now moe knowledgeable than I was previously .
Surely this is what matters in a forum .
Whether I ever buy a 540 or a 570 is surely pretty immaterial compared to the fact that I and others ave learnt something from this exercise .
Term is restarting shortly , so I better now go and sharpen the pencils in preparation for the incoming homework.
I was not going to reply to Jakesmiths response because initially , I felt that I had nothing constructive to respond with .
But as one of you has pointed out , some of you took to time and trouble to answer to my genuine questions , and those people deserve some sort of response .
This is. a car forum , and does not deal with life and death matters ... we are here for the fun of interacting with people who share the same interest .
Some of us have limited means , and so have to research any potential purchase very carefully .
Some of us keep the cars that we buy for decades , and so research things carefully beforehand. , to ensure that we buy the correct car — one that suits our purposes , budget , access to servicing agents etc.
Better to find out before purchase , rather than to lament at leisure .
I have found that discussing a particular marque , model or model sub variant with owners is a great way of finding out hard facts about a potential purchase .
On those occasions when I have not been able to get adequate information in print , in person , or from the internet , I have taken the time and trouble to write the definitive books on that marque or that model ( Available on Amazon : 9781845849221. 9781787114333. Both world first standalones )
Knowledge is never wasted .
In this particular case , I was genuinely interested in a 540 or a 570 .
Cost and garaging space were , and remain , very real issues .
No shame admitting to either of these points .
My wife owns an equal share of each car , and so has a say .
Bottom line is that I learnt from the constructive comments that were made , and I am now moe knowledgeable than I was previously .
Surely this is what matters in a forum .
Whether I ever buy a 540 or a 570 is surely pretty immaterial compared to the fact that I and others ave learnt something from this exercise .
Term is restarting shortly , so I better now go and sharpen the pencils in preparation for the incoming homework.
Gassing Station | McLaren | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff