2008 Boxster S
- Thread starter scootr
- Start date
Not as sexy as a Z4 tho is it ? :thumbsdown:
Scotland 🏴
As some one who has had the chance to drive both cars back to back I would love to hear more of your comparisons. Everybody says if you want comfort drive the BMW and want driving take the Porsche.Zed Baron said:
On paper it should be a bit more capable than my 3l E89
The Boxster S is 145 kg lighter with 22 hp more. The mid engine car layout intrigues me.
https://youtu.be/Pe9tYS9qaK4
Attachments
Smartbear said:Ims bearings
Rob
Uprated bearings were fitted from 2006 that virtually eliminated the flaw , its possible to check before buying via engine number .
As far as 14-15 yr old Porsche & " possible inexpensive toe in the water " goes
not normally the first thought that would enter a Porsche buyers mind no matter the model 
good luck with it if you do buy , there is something special about Porsche ownership 
ive had 3 x 911 & the flat 6 behind you experience from a noise & drive perspective is certainly memorable . Id be making sure it had been getting lots of oil changes & had zero smoke both cold & warm plus give it a very good listen to at start / tickover , they don't all sound the same & to the uninitiated can sound broken when they aren't but one that isnt right should be pretty easy to spot , you don't want to be buying into one with borescore
scootr said:
Had two in the past, the Boxster will definitely out handle your E89 and is much more nimble on its feet, but Z4 is a much better cruiser. The Boxster is a joy to drive though making the E89 feel a little ordinary in comparison. The engines sound great, especially the PSE with the exhaust valve bypassed but they are quite low on torque relative to their BHP and the competitions engines. It's one thing I noticed when I bought my E85 3.0i, the low down grunt (especially after I did the vanos seals) was much more pronounced that in the Boxster's despite my second one have over 70BHP more. To get similar low down grunt I think you need to be looking at 997's instead of 987's. That said they're a great engine, with great throttle response but one that really needs to be rev'd and they do like to be rev'd!
They do seem to eat consumables more than a BMW too, clutches etc seem to wear more quickly but that could just be the way they're driven. As Rob/Andy have alluded to the engines are definitely more fragile than the BMW ones and when they go wrong it's usually catastrophic and horrendously expensive. That said the internet does its usual job of over playing this and the specialists will tell you the failure rates even in the worst model years for IMS bearings is less than 10%, but that's still unacceptably high in my opinion. Other issues include rear main seals, PCV and bore scoring, although the later is much less prevalent on the 3.2/3.4 engines. It's more of an issue on the 3.6 and 3.8 911's, but again not every car is affected. Other things I replaced in my ownership that you wouldn't really expect to fail on cars with no more than 50k on them when I got rid where front and rear suspension arms, track rods, knocking shocks that didn't leak and leaking shocks that didn't knock!
I even had a few buttons falling of the stereo unit! The last one I was probably just unlucky with, but the other failures are quite common.All that said my old Boxster RS60 is the only car I ever regret selling. Honestly though I don't know how much of that is now rose tinted glasses and at the time when I sold it I wasn't directly replacing it as the money was going into a business venture. If I'd been replacing it at the time with say a 911S for example, I may well have a different recollection.
Pick carefully and go for it....100%...!! The looks of the 986/7 are almost comical by today’s standards especially next to a Zed but once inside and moving any of those thoughts are quickly lost, as in any guise these cars are more than worthy of their long held reputation in terms of driving involvement. As much as a Zed is probably a better everyday car there isn’t a stock Zed made yet that can better any Boxster for driving dynamics I suppose is the word.
All imho of course. 
All imho of course.
Thank you all for the feedback on this crazy idea. I do like the idea. I was looking at Porsche before I got the Zed last year and as lovely as the Zed is ... the Porsche itch won't go away. :lol:
Here are a few questions I'd like your thoughts on ...
Cayman S vs Boxster S
Gen 1 vs Gen 2
Sport seats
Here are a few questions I'd like your thoughts on ...
Cayman S vs Boxster S
Gen 1 vs Gen 2
Sport seats
I had a Boxster S 3.2 and also the 3.4 S Gen 2
The earlier car is a much more raw fun experience, on a 2006 it should at least have the slightly better IMS
does look a little low though, worth checking the roadsprings, they go for a pastime on that model
Watch out for waterpumps playing up, and the manifold to exhaust studs going out of shape...you can hear a slight blow before they decide to stop playing fairly.
Discs and pads are another good check.
Service History, Dealer or Specialist is a must.
Original Moll Batteries die after about 8 or 9 years, worth checking its been replaced with a good name.
I'd take my manual 6 sp 987 S over the PDK Gen 2 Car.....much more fun
The earlier car is a much more raw fun experience, on a 2006 it should at least have the slightly better IMS
does look a little low though, worth checking the roadsprings, they go for a pastime on that model
Watch out for waterpumps playing up, and the manifold to exhaust studs going out of shape...you can hear a slight blow before they decide to stop playing fairly.
Discs and pads are another good check.
Service History, Dealer or Specialist is a must.
Original Moll Batteries die after about 8 or 9 years, worth checking its been replaced with a good name.
I'd take my manual 6 sp 987 S over the PDK Gen 2 Car.....much more fun
Boxster everytime for the road, its a convertible and the sound of the flat 6 at 5500rpm is magical, the cayman maybe a fraction of a second faster round a track in the hands of a racing driver...its not going to make your commute as pleasurable as a million miles of sunshine.
The Sports seats area nice option, but the standard seats arent a hardship..
The Sports seats area nice option, but the standard seats arent a hardship..
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I've read and watched so much on these 2 in the last 2 weeks my eyes are crossed and I'm out of gas. Some things I think I want;
Cayman or Boxster S Gen 2
6 spd manual
Heated sport seats
PASM
Air conditioning... It's nearly 100ºF most days now for the next 2-3 months
Cayman or Boxster S Gen 2
6 spd manual
Heated sport seats
PASM
Air conditioning... It's nearly 100ºF most days now for the next 2-3 months
I’ve had a couple of Porkers down the years. Key thing I learnt was that three things are important; service history, service history and service history. It’s also true that a well maintained higher mileage cars can be a better buy than a low mileage garage queen.. These are cars that like to be driven, not sat in a garage with their seals drying out and the oil draining from the important bits. Here is a useful guide from the PCGB, I know you are in the states but mist of the info is relevant.
https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/registers/modern/boxster/boxster-buyers-guides/987-buyers-guide
Also there is a Boxster forum similar to this called Boxa.net - you can find some useful information on there generally.There are knowledgable members there too that can answer specific questions, much like on here...but with a bit less humour I’ve found
https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/registers/modern/boxster/boxster-buyers-guides/987-buyers-guide
Also there is a Boxster forum similar to this called Boxa.net - you can find some useful information on there generally.There are knowledgable members there too that can answer specific questions, much like on here...but with a bit less humour I’ve found
p.s. a Gen 2 car is a good choice as Porsche had designed out most of the high profile design floors by then.
Yeah amazing right, they could make cars with no floors that far back, yet the boffins at Porsche couldn’t manage that feat in the mid 2000s 