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Coupes & Convertibles Porsche Boxster & Boxster-S Porsche Boxster and Boxster S
887 messages, Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 9:26 AM
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Replying to: ponderpoint (Mar 06, 2009 5:17 am) There are more Boxsters for sale on ebay than Mazda Miatas! Consistently! I've been watching this trend for awhile - at first I thought it was a one time anomoly on ebay but (excuse the farmer in me) it ain't! The Miata is the "Volkswagen Bug" of roadsters, the poor mans sports car being produced in great numbers for about twenty years now. The Boxster has only been produced for eleven or so years now in less numbers and a far greater price to acquire - it should be more rare but there they are, sitting on ebay, about 174 or so. There's only 150 or so Miatas...What's going on? My wife (the analyst) has a simple explanation: "They're upside down". She went on to say that in her opinion the Boxster appeared to be more affordable to the common consumer when in fact, it really wasn't. Not to insult anyone but she said it was the same consumer that thought they could afford it but were on a "Miata income", the payments looked reasonable in good economic time but now they want that car payment to dissapear. She then directed me to the "completed sales" section of ebay for Boxsters. Almost all of the listings were "reserve not met" or "zero bids" whereas the fewer Miatas that were listed DID complete with a successful sale. I did consider that the Boxster should be separated from the Boxster S, but the Miata enjoys different trim levels also, for instance, the difference between the regular Miata and the "spyder retractable hardtop" Miata. This is a chapter right out of that book "Freakonomics"..... When the Boxster becomes more "exclusive" again will this signal that we're returning to a better economy?
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Replying to: ponderpoint (Mar 06, 2009 6:26 am) Boxsters haven't been really "exclusive" since the day the first hit the used car market. Their resale value has always been on the low side compared to contemporary 911s perhaps due to the perception (undeserved IMO that they weren't "real" Porsches. The arrival of the Boxster in the late 90s signalled the start of a new era for Porsche in which the company geared up for significantly increased production numbers. That move was controversial then and it still is as Porsche moves into different market segments. As for the answer to your headline question Is The Boxster a Perfect Economic Bellwether?, I'd say "no", there are so many variables affecting the cost of used cars that the relative price of any specific model isn't much of an "economic indicator." We do not know for example how much of an effect the reports of an excessive number of engine failures has affected the price or the number of used Boxsters on Ebay.
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Replying to: andys120 (Mar 06, 2009 6:43 am) Of course not, I understand that. You raise interesting points but the main observation is a comparison against a Miata in resale availability and quantity - things are not adding up. I still stand by the point that more Boxsters for sale on ebay than Miatas is VERY strange. On an end note, I thought the engine failures/fires was an isolated situation with the very first Boxsters - am I incorrect? I thought the Boxster got rave reviews for dependability, almost approaching a Honda-like status....
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| Two crucial facets differentiate the Boxster S from its bigger brother the 911. First, this vehicle is a roadster, which simply means that it doesn’t have a fixed roof. Second, the car also benefit from a beautifully balanced set-up due to the mid-engine design. Compared to the 911, the Boxster S doesn’t suffer from a rear heavy body which is prone to oversteer. Read: it is the more planted handler of the two. Beginning in ’07, the Boxster S is fitted with a bigger engine as that found in the Cayman S. Engine displacement is raced from 3.2 to 3.4 liters, translating to peak figures of 295 HP (up from 280 HP) and 254 lb-ft of torque (up from 236 lb-ft). The Boxster S also comes standard with VarioCam Plus technology. This dual-stage valve lift and valve timing system allows for a more responsive feeling all across the power band since it improves low-end torque and high end power. Best of all, it optimizes engine efficiency for better allowing fuel economy. Having benefited from a mid-mounted power plant that not only makes more power but also boasts a better fuel economy, choosing between this car and its twin-brother the Cayman relies simply on whether you enjoy driving with or without the sun. Either way…both Porsches promise one engaging stint behind the wheel. Over and above all the details is the excellent performance of the Boxster. This is a Porsche in all aspects of the term. There's more than enough power, well-engineered auto parts,excellent handling, and surprising comfort. My experience with some sports cars is their relative discomfort, which is always mitigated by the performance. The Boxster's seats are deep enough for side support, yet flat enough to make entry and exit less of a problem. | |
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Replying to: ponderpoint (Mar 06, 2009 8:25 am) Look back about 20 posts for more info on Boxster engine failures. Even if you discount engine problems no one would call them "Honda-like" as routine maintainence is pretty expensive and frequent even if you go to an indie specialist. OTOH I just got this year's Consumer Reports Auto issue nd only the '05 model year of the Boxster shows above average incidences of engine problems. '06 and '07 models show much less than average for engine problems. They didn't have enough responses for '08 models. The plot thickens.  .
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Replying to: andys120 (Mar 06, 2009 10:35 am) Whoah!!!! OK, I never knew. Pretty substantial rap sheet on the engine. After reading multiple reports of problems suffice it to say I am extremely disappointed in Porsche - if they sincerely believe it is "reasonable" and "routine" to replace the engine at 100k miles.... They are living on another planet. We are coming into the age of 100k mile tune-up, not 100k engine replacement, apparently the folks at Porsche got the two mixed up. I'm not expecting "Honda-like" maintenance but that engine problem is NOT reasonable. I guess it explains the ebay oddity..... Pretty sad.
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Replying to: ponderpoint (Mar 10, 2009 7:37 am) Pretty substantial rap sheet on the engine I've come across some info in direct contradiction to the reports of Porsche engine failures we've been getting from TTAC. The 2009 New Car issue of Consumer Reports is out and I looked at the Frequency of Repair Bullet charts for Used Cars and only 2005 MY Boxsters show a higher than average incidence of engine problems. In all of the other four years where they had a big enough sample, the Boxster had a Much Better than Average incidence of engine repairs as well as a MBTA overall score which is probably why the 2009 Boxster is one of CR's 2009 "Recommended" buys. I know that CR isn't exactly the Bible and all kinds of things can skew the sample of a particular car but I've usually found the CR bullet charts to be a pretty good predictor of how reliable a particular car's going to be. It's also important to note that starting in '09 the 987s get new engines of different design that eliminates the Intermediate Shaft (IMS) that has been a factor in most reported engine failures. |
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I plan to purchase a new 2008 Boxster S within the next couple of weeks. Has anyone had any experiences in buying a new Boxster. I noted that the 2007 closeout discounts were around 10-15% . However , with the bad economy and the fact that Porsche delayed the introduction of the 2009 models for 7 months, I 've heard talk of 25%-30% discounts being given. I've also noticed that the RS60 and Design Edition II haven't sold well at all. Seems to be 100s of these still around. thanks for any advice
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I spotted a low mileage 2002 boxster and am considering it as a play thing. Is anyone satisfied with a similar item or know of reasons I should not proceed?
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