[QUOTE=steven975,Nov 14 2004, 09:23 PM]I don't think there is anyone here who would take a base boxter over a S2000, though.

 

So are you saying the base Boxster has better handling and brakes than the S2000? That, I have to find out by test-driving one extensively. I wouldn't mind having a Boxster, but I have to do more research on it.

 

I have a family member that might be selling his 01 996 Carrera, 6 speed manual, Black exterior "mint", Alpine Grey leather, carbon fiber trim, only 5000 miles, it's in pristine condition. Not a scratch on it. Awesome car. He hasn't decided on price yet. If you're interested I'll ask.

If you go for the Boxster get the Boxster S, upgraded with Sport Package.

 

No one can really influence you on the purchase, but another P-car in the 40k range to consider would be the 993 911 Carrera. Just a thought.

 

a good thought at that.

 

I doubt it'll be in the price range I'm willing to spend. But ask him anyway.

What I'm looking for is a new or slightly used sports roadster, not a very used car like a 993 911. If it is 2 years or older, I'm not interested. If it is not a roadster, I'm not interested. If it is over $50K, I'm not interested. Thanks!

 

http://parkplaceltd.com/make.asp?brandid=23

Good luck.

They're on Northrup Way - in between BMW of Bellevue and Acura of Bellevue, in case you haven't heard of this dealer. Quite a few Porsche on this lot.

 

I would advise against buying a new Porsche, they have brutal depreciation. Have you looked at the pricing on used Boxster S? Especially this time of year, you can buy them all day long with low miles for $35,000.

As far a "better handling" than the S2000, that depends on what you define as handling. I consider everything short of the point the tires break adhesion as "grip," and what happens then and thereafter as "handling." In that case, the Boxster is considered one of the best handling cars in the world because of how predictable it is at the limit, while on the other hand we all know the S2000 can be quite a handful.

I think the base car suffers from looking faster than it is, while the Boxster S really doesn't need much improving. There are lots of cars that are faster in a straight line, but that's not the point of the car, and you obviously already know that.

 

When I was buying my car last April (on a decent day for the PNW in April, meaning not raining at the moment), I test drove the base Boxster and the S2000 back-to-back. Although we made it plain that we were serious, and would be writing a check for whatever car we bought, the Porsche salesman (at Barrier in Bellevue) was not very interested in selling us a car--he didn't want to put the top down, either for my wife or me, and he gave us both a very short test drive. Although we had been heavily inclined to buy a Boxster going into the process, we came away from that saying, essentially, why should we spend $52,000 for this car (the cheapest Boxster on the lot--and they had many of them--was $52,000 for a base Boxster, with all the "extras" they piled on the car). His only answer was a disinterested "because it's a Porsche." We went directly from there to the Honda dealer in Kirkland, and test drove an S2000. The salesman put the top down without being prompted, and let me drive for about a half hour. I had a huge grin on my face after that, especially considering the $20,000 price difference.

I don't think that we got a good look at the Boxster. Porsche does not make lousy cars, so I'm sure that the Boxster is a very fine car. My problem was twofold--I could not begin to justify spending $20,000 more for a car which, on paper, is not quite the equal of the S2000 (and which certainly did not give me the same thrill on the test drive as the Honda), and I was very turned off by the haughty attitude of the salesman (and, to be fair, we had had a very bad experience with Barrier service with our Volve a few years earlier). Even not considering the $20,000 price difference, in the end I decided that I would rather have my car serviced by Honda mechanics at Honda rates than Porsche mechanics--especially Barrier Porsche mechanics--at Barrier Porsche rates.

Now, the Boxster S, by all reasonable accounts, is superior to the S2000, if one ignores price. If money were not an issue, I certainly would buy a Boxster S over an S2000, but I really doubt that, if money is an issue, the base Boxster is worth so much more than the S2000 (or even any more than the S2000).