Hey gang,

I LOVE the XFSC almost too much. It is blindingly fast, fits the family and can get good gas mileage.

However, I have an itch for a manual transmission convertable. I am going to spend cash and less then $10,000. There are a surprising number of 1997-2000 Porsche Boxsters with around 100k miles and a handful of BMW M Roadsters with similar mile. I found a 2000 M Roaster with some non accident frame damage (common problem $1000 repair) for $3000. I found a 1998 Boxster with low compression on one of its cylinders for $2000, I am guessing lifter collapse after listening to it and the owner. A 6 pack of lifters are $30 and my time and skill is priceless.

The BMW's are prone to have seperation of the spot welds in the rear fame subframe eventually the frame shears. There are 2 kits to keep it from happening and the cost of fixing the welds that have sheared.

The Boxster has a IMS bearing between the transmission and motor that can fail with no warning, often damaging the engine when it does. There is a $1,000 upgrade bearing that I can install.

My other issues,

1> I don't see any benifit to making modifications to the XFSC. The car is set up pretty well to keep the extra power from making it to the wheels. Gearing and weight are about the only places speed could be found.

2> The XFSC is also fragile driving it nicely things break that didn't ever break in over 5 years and 127,000 miles on my 2007 G35 sedan.

3> I love racing, I took my XFSC to the drag strip once. When I had my G35 Sedan (13.6 @102 mph stockish) I was at the track 3 times a month. I have no stomach for working on or racing this car.

4> I have put 6300 miles on it in 4 months (trip to vegas, 1 way from Denver) but still I am putting on the miles too fast. It is going to be off warranty by miles before July 14ht, 2016 when it goes off by date at this rate. If I had a little manual transmission rag top to drive a couple days a week it would really help out keeping miles off the Jaguar.

5> If I'm in a Boxster or M Roadster for less then $6,000 its pretty much bottomed. The M is low production and may become collectable at some point. I should be able to get my money back out of either car in 2-3 years and 15-20k miles. I take excellent care of my cars.

 

The only car that can compete with the Boxster for handling is the sister car: the Cayman.

The BMW will be slower on the track despite the power advantage. Top Gear tested both back to back and the BMW was a hairy chested handful on their track, if you prefer that sort of thing. I've not driven one and I don't. But then only an M BMW is worth a look in reality. That M roadster is not really much of an M with its hopeless rear suspension and shoddy interior, built in Tennessee or somewhere like that alongside the X3 and X5.

The Boxster/Cayman is just a sublime chassis. Four McPherson struts, just as Lotus pioneered with the Elite and Élan in the early 60's. It shouldn't work as well as it does, but, the handling is magic.

Watch the early 2.5 and 2.7 motors. The early ones suffered from cylinder liner seal failure at the crankcase. Most of those engines grenaded years ago but some might still be out there. Low compression on one cylinder could be a sign of this.

An MX5 or Subaru BRZ will be more fun at much lower speeds. It is practically impossible for a mere mortal non expert driver to overdrive a Boxster/Cayman. That and the noise, which is bloody awful, are reasons not to buy the Porsche. As a driving machine it just cannot be faulted.

Two must reads before you buy one:Paul Frere's The Boxster Story and the Ultimate Buyer's Guide to the Boxster and Cayman by Peter Morgan.

PS sorry, I cannot think of a valid reason not to buy the Boxster or Cayman as pure driving entertainment, except for the Subie or Mazda solution. I nearly bought a Cayman but now will buy the Subaru BRZ instead. For a reality check read Car & Driver's back to back comparo between the Subie (Scion FRS sister car) and the last generation Cayman S. It's a real eye opener.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

 

Buy the one that puts a smile on your face. Performance and cost don't matter if you grin every time you get in it. My aircooled 911s weren't fast by modern standards, but they were a lot of fun. So was my 99 Boxster before a truck hit it. Base model 2.5 litre, it was lots of fun, handled much better than the 911, and I didn't mind the engine note at all, in fact it had a nice howl above 5,000.

 

I'm in the same boat, I'm not going to talk you out of it . I appreciate the suggestions from others, didn't really think of a boxster/cayman actually since I didn't think I could get them in that price range. Going to start looking, I couldn't find any good old school 911's in my price range/area.

I actually had an mkii mr2 (around 2 - 4k) with an 3GSTE swap (roughly 4k all said and done) in mind as a project and beater to offset miles on the XF. Close enough to a convertible with the T-top, mid-engined, agile and can be tuned to be fast. Just another option.

 

I won't talk you out of it, in the end it is a way different car and if you will enjoy it that is what matters most!

 

I really have to agree here. Not that all other considerations should be totally ignored but it should come down to what you like best personally.....and not which looks best on the technical specifications page or what some magazine road tester get a hard-on over that day.

Due to my job I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to drive a wide variety of really cool/performance/exotic cars, new and old, and more often than not I find myself grinning more widely while driving cars that are NOT necessarily the "best" in any particular category, the fastest (on track or off), the most expensive, the most iconic, or the most highly complimented by x-y-z car magazine.

Cheers
DD

 

I owned a '98 Imola Red M Roadster with a Dinan Stage II package, very fun car to drive. The frame issue can be resolved, mine had the S52 motor which I found to be a nicer than the S54, it was better sounding and the power difference was not that great from behind the wheel. The convertible top was not that great and I did not like the plastic rear window. I am 6'1" and the car really was to small for me, the main reason for me getting rid of it.

 

It makes sense that you would own one you make excellent choices in cars based on your garage list.

 

Hey thanks!
The '13 Camaro is my 52nd vehicle purchase. I love cars!

 

I bought an immaculate 2003 Boxster for my wife...at least I told her I bought it for her...Got it in Sydney (Australia) and drove it back to Adelaide.

Now, not because of the Boxster, but it was the trip from hell, planned by satan...a loooong story...

But at 3:00 am in the morning, 27C degrees, top down, long country road, only car on the road (only person stupid enough to be on the road at that time)...literally outrunning rising flood waters of the Murray River, I fell in love with this car.

The only downside for me is the rather cramped driver seating, and I still haven't quite accepted the rock hard ride. Other than that....do it man!!!!! The Boxster is sex on wheels.

 

One of my business parters has a Boxster S as a summer car. Tight car, classic looks. Took a 2.5 hr. business trip in it over the summer. Alot of fun with top down. Porsche over BMW in this case.

 

GDANGIT....I blame OP for this . Started out looking for a sub 10k roadster/t-top, but the boxster idea had me stretching my budget and I now have everything inked for an 07 boxster S being shipped in. Test drove everything from a miata to a z4, eventually ended up in an 07 base boxster after reading this post and couldn't stop thinking about it. What a fun car, and extremely practical for a tiny two seater (good mileage, two decent trunks).

I think the salespeople I dealt with were a little confused when I said I was looking for a used boxster for a DD until I pointed out the super clean XF SC. Did you end up with either of those cars OP?

 

I will start looking in earnest after taxes are done if there is anything left over. I also am gettting audited from 2008?! seriously. Oh well as long as someone bought a Boxster.

 

Well I finally bought a new car.






Is a 2012 4x4 Toyota Sequoia Limited they are giving them away. Driving home from the dealership it got 21 mpg according to the trip computer with the cruise set at 70 mph. 381 hp 401 lb torque and everything you could imagine except for cooled & massage seats (just heated).

I drove a M Roadster and am in love but that love may end up waiting another year or so. I used the rest of my Roadster money to by 283 shares of stock in a company that I think is going to breakout this year.

I have a 1965 CJ-5 in my garage that is 'almost' put back together. I am going to focus on gettng it put back together while I wait for my stock to do what I think it will do. Then I will get the M Roadster or a 911 vert. I drove the boxster and liked it but it isn't a 911. For me the boxster didn't feel AS special as the M roadster does. The M feels like a Shelby Cobra to me. The Boxster felt like a Miata (thats not a bad thing the miata is a excellent handling car that needs 50 hp to be fun) I didn't drive an S that might change my mind.

 

I drove a 2002 Boxster S at lunch. Huge improvement over the regular Boxster. The M will be easier to work on but will probably need more working on. The M feels more 'special' and is limited production. The 2001-2002 M is faster then 2001-2002 Boxsters even the S. The Boxster handles and looks better. The Boxster is a Porsche....

I am so confused.

 

You can now take home a boxster or a BMW M in the back of the Sequoia. Did you get at least 20% off MSRP on the Sequoia (if I may ask?).

 

46k on a 57 k msrp 52k invoice?

 

Nice!

 

They also claim they bought down my loan rate (I put $0 down but did trade a car). I think I could beat the rate they gave myself with my score on the market but the loan is through Toyota Financial so they may have kicked in something to make the rate something I would autograph.

 

Sounds like you made a good deal. The big Toyota 4 x 4's seem like solid vehicles.