May be a strange question but am pulling the trigger in a month and been looking hard at the Boxster or a three or four year old 911. Really love the drive of the P and have read most every comparison article about like cars. My question is how much better is the P or is it worth the twenty large difference.
Test drove an 06Z about six months ago as well as the Vette and BMW ZM.
Looking for anyone who has made the jump back to the Z. Comparison articles are one thing and actually living with a car is another.

 

Depends on what you want. I used to work for porsche. Boxter and Z are two different animals. The boxter is VERY fun to drive but the Z especially the 07 is faster in a straight line and handles pretty well. You can toss the boxter around a lot more because its just a smaller car and is mid engine. The 911 on the other hand is pretty fast and you really have to get to know the car before any tracking because the back end comes around much much faster than lets say in the Z because the 911 is pretty much designed too (its very back heavy). Is a used 911 worth $20-30K more than a comp. Z? Well, thats up to you because you get to live iwth the car not us. Personally, i would say no. I don't trust used sports cars especially porsches. They have the same break in process as the Z and i don't like the idea that someone could have trashed the sh** out of the car and now it *could* have serious oil issues and trust me, a porsche with oil issues is not a fun car what so ever.

 

I was in your same boat three years ago when I bought my Z.

I was looking for a convertible ... and then after having test drove a rag top Z, Boxster, and a 911 I came to find that I didn't want a convertible - too much exposure to the world. Dust, smog, other people's music, sun cancer, cigarette smoke ...

So anyway I dumped the convertible idea.

Looking at the coupes I just couldn't see myself diving a 911 around my town. I just hate parking the Z out in the grocery store or shopping mall lot ... if the car was worth another $30K I'd hate it even more! The threat of carjacking always worried me "give up the car foo!". One of the ladies at work got jacked for her Dodge Magnum close to where I work.

I'm likely to buy a 911 ... but an older one from the 1973-1979 era and restore it. My Z is a garage queen as it is now ... that Porsche is likely to never leave the garage!

 

Old Chuck,
I've been where you are at a few years back. I was looking at 911's in the high 20's low 30's or a new 04 350Z Roadster. No way was I going to spend the cash for a new 911. I've always been a convertible guy and a Z guy. I own 6 convertibles now including a Boxster and a 93 300zx. I found it very hard to reconcile a 5-7 year old 911 vs. a new 04 Z for similar money. Actually the Z delivered ran just under 40K.

I track (road racing) two of my cars on a regular basis. Supercharged Miata is my main track vehicle and the Z is my other. I found the maintenance on the 911 way to costly and I felt an older 911 could be problematic to maintain. I see lots of 911's on the track and they have an inordinate amount of down time. The car I would give serious consideration especially for the track would be a newer Vette. They seem almost bullet proof on the track and perform very well. The earlier C-5's can be had in the high teens and low 20's. If you are into the Porsche for the name and history, status and ego, whatever, then the Z does not come close.

The Boxster is really my wife's toy and she won't let me take it to the track. But, I have put it through it's paces and it handles incredibly well. I give it the handeling edge over the Z, though not by much. For street driving it really does not matter, the difference is so slight. One thing that's nice about the Boxster on the track is that when you lose it, it tends to spin like a top and stay on the track. 911's on the track are a handful, I see at least 1 or 2 lose it at every track event.

Lastly the Boxster is nice to take on long trips. The 2 trunks give it a tremendous amount of storage space.
I apologize for rambling on.

 

I cross shopped the Z, Porsche 996 and E46 M3. I chose the Z because it was more reliable, new, did just as well on the track and looks better than the other two put together. Actually, it was a Porsche 996/993 all the way until the very end, when I started test driving everything out there - when I looked at cost of ownership, reliability and overall value, the Porsche lost quickly. I don't regret it one bit. Actually, the fact that the Porsche is so a$$ heavy was a termination factor. I'm not a fan of babysitting an unstable rear end on the track - the Z is perfectly balanced however.
The M3 is probably the only other serious choice. The engine is pure butter and handling is romaine-like crispy - plus it's a looker and seats 4 people with relative comfort. But it'll run you $10k more, and you'll end up with a 4-5 year old car for what you could have spent on a new Z. Factor an extended warranty in there (since so many engines get replaced-and keep a look out for crank bearing problems), and you're looking at an expensive car that uses 10+ year old technology...At that point, the new 335coupe seems the clear winner considering the power, weight and performance (I looked at these too, but recent talk of blown turbos, etc leave me happy I went with the Z).
If you really need a Porsche, look at the newer 997 or the older 993. The 996, by many accounts, falls short in the performance and value department. I'd look at the Cayman though before doing that, and if you're going there, then you're right back to the Z since the Z is better - so you see, the Z wins each time

Edit: As for the Boxster- I spent quite a bit of time behind a friends' S, and I have to disagree with the post above on the handling factor. It's a pretty well known fact that the Z is a superior handler than a Boxster.
This is informative, if anything:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozvR3UFbkLA

 

Nice posts guys. This is what a forum is supposed to be like and I actually learned something. Nice change from the trite crap that has been posted the last few weeks.

 

I guess it comes down to which I feel better with. I don't give a rats ... about the idea of having a Porsche or cache. I am older and will be buying myself a toy. In driving the Boxster S and the Z, the Boxster felt faster and corners and brakes better. The seats are much more comfortable as well. However, for twenty or so more, they should. When I test drove the 06 Z, it felt heavy compared to the Boxster. If Nissan would just trim several hundred pounds off the Z... The Boxster weighs less and with the mid engine seems to feel better but again, for that much more money it should. Drove the Vette and although it is very quick, I did not feel connected to it while driving (which is important) and the inside looked cheap however, I understand the 08's have an upgraded leather option.
I appreciate any rambling from those of you who have traveled the same road.
I am thinking I will stay with something that is new or no more then two years old to stay with a sizable warranty. With the cost of parts and labor, I would want four years on a Porsche. Given that, I guess if it is a Porsche it will be the Boxster S as I want a drop top. I would appreciate any additional input.

 

Something to keep in mind when talking Porsche is that the real money for a P-car is spent on the maintenance. Keep that up and the car will be as reliable as a Z, hands down. If you are serious about a 996, make sure you research the car and get a PPI before you pull the trigger. Buying a car that has been well kept will pay you back ten fold over the years. My recommendation? Subscribe to Excellence, get on Rennlist.com and look for a nice 993...the 993 is the last of the air cooled cars and is the best looking of the post 911 cars (better than even the 964 imo).

If you are looking at a Boxster, I'd say look for, at a minimum, an S. I'd even consider a slightly used Cayman. Many of my friends have 986's and they love them. It's a nice car and is finally worthy of being the successor to the 968.

It sounds like you are in a good position. I envy you. Greatly. Remember that if you buy a decent P-car, you are a winner in so many ways. Beautiful car (any of them), fantastic resale value, fantastic reliability (provided you keep the maintenance up) and a larger *****.

 

Haha I had a 1977 Porshce 924 (4 speed stick LOL!!!) back in the early '90's does that count?

 

Nice responses guys.......If i were in your situation chuck I probably wouldnt buy the Z. Dont get me wrong, i love my car and it performs very well for the price, but it has one major flaw...price. The car is starting to drop in the low teens so now every little ****-ant in America wants one. The Z does get its fair share of looks from all sorts, but its getting even more from people i dont want....cops. You said image and cache wont play in your decision making but i guarantee it will come back to haunt you.

The Z still is the best bang for your buck though. Good luck

 

Chuck, it kinda sounds like you've already really decided you really want the Boxster S, but that you want someone here to talk you into a Z b/c it's cheaper, lol. My partner has a Boxster S, and it sounds like what I DON'T like about it, you would/do.

I don't like the doors sounding tinny and the whole car feeling unsubstantial compared to the Z, but then again, it's more slightly more nimble and should be, since it's mid-engined and weighs less. In the absence of carbon fiber and/or titanium, better handling and lower weight usually equal the tradeoff of feeling less solid. It's all about what YOU want versus how much YOU want to pay. Good luck w/your choice!

 

I was in the same position as you, but it was between a Cayman S and a Z. Test drove both, as well as my friend's Boxster (auto, non-S). I have to say that I felt that the Cayman handled better than the Z (felt more nimble), but between the Boxster and the hardtop, the Cayman S wins just out of pure structural rigidity.

I agree with not getting a used 911 because my friend who has a 996 Turbo is just now running into a bunch of mechanical issues, and he drove it pretty conservatively, save for a few track days here and there.

Obviously, I ended up with the Z because I couldn't justify the cost differential per the performance differential as well as the "oh-my-gawd!" maintenance costs that would come (as was mentioned on a previous post). I can live a with a ding or a wax-swirl on my Z, but a similar insult to my Porsche, and I would be devastated. But if you're willing/able to shell out for a Porshce, then the cost/maintenance wouldn't be an issue anyway.

 

I went from a 944 Turbo to my Z. My buddy has a Boxster and if i had to choice between my Z or his Porsche.....the Z would be picked if it wasent even running I mean the Boxster is a very fun car but it dosent even compare to the Z! Jusy my 2 cents.

Jeff

 

my friend has a boxster s and after driving my car says he wishes he would of got a z. and tells me everyday he rides in my car how much he likes it better than his

 

sports car should be bought brand new....because usually the previous owner would raggg the **** out of it before he/she let it go..

 

As one poster said, I am leaning toward the Boxster S and a 987. I am a processor and need to look very carefully at all my options. I am a reader of Excellence and look at Rennlist and PPBB. Have a friend who had a recent Z and he told me that I should give the Z a good look because he felt that it would do 90% of what the 987 S would do at much less cost.
I know what is said in all the articles and the Z is not usually compared with the Boxster S or Cayman S for many reasons. I, however, wanted to hear from those who have made the same choice or have the expertise to explain what the difference may be like in the real world of everyday driving and not at the track.
Would like to do a few track days a year but mainly use it for a nice weather toy that would put a large smile on my face in the twisties. The posts that I have read so far have been informative and positive and it says much about this board and its folks.

 

well i have drove my friends boxster s alot and it is a very small car for me i am 6'4". everything is very stiff pushing in the clutch turning the wheel shifting threw the gears. but besides that it is a very nice car if you like conv. i am just not into them for me.

 

If $s is not an issue with you & you're going to spend it anyway, buy a new '06 Z, upgrade the suspension & install a TT. I guarantee you this setup will beat whatever Porsche you're looking at hands down.

 

I've driven the 987S many times, and what your friend told you was EXACTLY the truth, except that the '07s w/new engine would be about the same as even a new Box S in straight-line speed, if not faster (many on this forum who haven't driven the new engine don't know how dramatic the improvement was--far more than you would expect from the raw hp/tq #s), so maybe a brand new Z would be 95%.

Most of the sane folks here and over on the Boxster forums who drove both cars would probably admit the Box S is a slightly better car, but for significantly more $$. As someone else posted above Chuck, the question for alot of people who have cross-shopped both cars is this: is it worth the extra money to YOU, and only you can answer that question.

The first P-car I ever drove was my buddy's Box S, and for me, I think I was disappointed because the car was a little bit better handling and had a little bit better interior than the S2000 and Z, and accelerated a little bit better than the S2000 (my Z was modded, so not a good comparison there ) but having read all the hype and Porsche ad copy in auto mags, the Porsche heritage and all, I was expecting to be just blown away--and I wasn't. I just kept thinking to myself--you paid how much $$$ for this car?

All that said, they're still great cars, and if it's what you want, ESPECIALLY if you are into your "mature" years, I still say go get you the Box S. Just be sure to let us know what you finally decided.

 

i havent driven the porsches, but to me its just not worth the extra cash