997 Carrera 2S

[MikeHunt]

I’m really missing having a convertible for the 2nd summer in a row and considering taking the plunge into Porsche. After a lot of searching and YouTube, looking closely at a 997 Carrera 2S.

For roughly the same money I could pick up a newer, lower-mileage 3.4 987 Boxster, equally, for a lot less, I could have an older Boxster of the same age as the 911.

Even with a bigger budget, for a road (not track) car, is this still the way to go? There’s always the thought in the back of your mind that, great as the Boxster is, it just isn’t a 911, unsure does this really matter or just a line parroted by armchair experts? Am I better off with a lotus/another mx5/something else?


https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1881049
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1889589
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1899314

[Jobbo]

I think I'd be wary of a 997 gen 1 for the bore scoring which seems common. It's also a potential issue on the 987.1 3.4 though. At similar money I'd definitely go 987.2 over 997.1.

[GG.]

If you are after "a convertible" rather than "a 911", I would go with the Boxster and get a newer / nicer example. The 997 and before generations of 911 never looked great as convertibles. They improved the silhoutte significantly with the 991 and onwards.

987 3.2S I owned personally and loved it. They are less susceptible to bore score than the 3.4S and amply fast enough. 2.7s are just not acceptably quick enough IMO (having also driven my dad's 987 2.7 all across Europe).

[Mito Man]

I think a 911 in Targa guise looks the bollocks. Get one of those

[DeskJockey]

Get this one!

[MikeHunt]

Get this one!

Wins fred!

[IanF]

You can get a good one for 6 grand..

IMG_0903.jpeg (216.85 KiB) Viewed 1903 times

https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/ ... 303-gOBLM8

[Sundayjumper]

Get this one!

The Touareg cabrio was better:




(and only an April Fool photoshop)

[Ascender]

I'd go 987 S over 997 too if the budget is similar.

Have they ever made a bad Boxster?

And where on earth is the replacement, are they still going for the fully electric replacement? Not having one must be costing them a fair chunk of profits at the moment, although I guess 911 prices are always going up.

[MikeHunt]

I’ve been out in a friends 997.2 earlier, it was a 3.8 coupe not a cab.

It reminded me of my biggest reservation on the boxster when I last looked at them. The manual box is basically pointless on the road, it’s doing way over 60 before it gets near the redline, in fact it’s closer to 80.

Compared to the mx5, it’s difficult not to use the little Mazda as a baseline, it almost feels like the Porsche is missing a gear. I already have 1 car that’s too fast for 90% of road situations.

For anyone who has owned either 991/987 manual, did you find this with the gear box or am I overthinking?

[Jobbo]

I had a 986.2 Boxster 2.7 which would do 70 in 2nd and felt too high geared. Can’t avoid it in the later cars because the gearing is higher still.

[Explosive Newt]

I had a 987 S which had the 6 speed so the ratios were a little closer but I found the engine had such decent low down shove that often 3rd was a great working gear.

[GG.]

I do get the long gearing issue - though arguably really only an issue in the Boxsters which were underpowered particularly in 2.7 guise.

In a 997 / 991 when you’re thrashing it down a back road you just need 2nd and 3rd but with 355 (997 Carrera S .1) 380 (S .2) or 424 (my GTS) a pull in 2nd from 40 to 80 is all you need on the road. Sure it could be ‘faster’ but how much do you really need. Better to find a twistier B road and scare yourself a bit more rather than just a breaking the speed limit exercise.

[scotta]

The answer is obviously an Elise...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... urce=share

[nuttinnew]

I think a 911 in Targa guise looks the bollocks. Get one of those

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... tq&fromsra

[MikeHunt]

The answer is obviously an Elise...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... urce=share

It ticks the box in terms of being narrow enough to be able to drive in a lane and have some room for adjustability, the opposite of my 5 series which is too wide for most lanes and has lost a mirror (not cheap)

There are few desirable sports cars that havent shot up in value in lat 5/10 years, but I do think that man maths aside these the Elise will prove to be a good investment.

[Broccers]

A neighbour had a 997 4s then moved to a boxster gts. Said the latter is far more fun to drive. But a 911 is a 911 so tops it for pose value.

[MikeHunt]

A neighbour had a 997 4s then moved to a boxster gts. Said the latter is far more fun to drive. But a 911 is a 911 so tops it for pose value.

Agree with the pose value, not something that sits well with me. Also as petrol heads I think there is an additional appeal around the drivability and engineering. On the other hand, I do think that a current 718 GTS is a better car than a 911 costing 2 to 3 times more.

[Jobbo]

Comparing a 2024 718 Boxster S with a 2024 992 Carrera S at Silverstone back to back last year, the Boxster may be pure and objectively 'better' but it's definitely less fun. The way the 911 moves around is more unique, though it's not likely to bite you now. What amazed me was how different they felt; they aren't just the same thing packaged and priced slightly differently. The 911 did not feel heavier or larger, either.

[Broccers]

A neighbour had a 997 4s then moved to a boxster gts. Said the latter is far more fun to drive. But a 911 is a 911 so tops it for pose value.

Agree with the pose value, not something that sits well with me. Also as petrol heads I think there is an additional appeal around the drivability and engineering. On the other hand, I do think that a current 718 GTS is a better car than a 911 costing 2 to 3 times more.

It's a dilemma for sure. My boxster is nearly 20 years old and yet the charm of an aged car without the modern gadgets is preferable to me.

A Porsche is a Porsche tho, they are all great.