Bandit_287

A Boxster 987 Gen 2 replaced the S2000 a while ago and I thought I'd give you a comparison.

I've owned two S2000's, an MY00 in 2005 and an MY05 since 2007. I loved the cars, the individuality and the styling and of course the bonkers engine, the car was very far ahead of its time as we all know and It's a shame that Honda won't commit to a replacement. The MY05 was a better car IMO, the styling, glass back screen and non oil burning engine as well as a few other subtle differences. Apparently the suspension was softened on the later cars but I couldn't tell the difference and that the early cars were tail happy but I can honestly say in eight years of driving both cars I never once accidentally lost the back end.

The Boxster is built well, very well. Typical Porsche build quality, but we are talking about a car that was twice the price of the S2000 when new. It feels solid to drive and heavier than the S but it's nimble enough to whip around the twisty bits with ease. It has massive amounts of grip and it should do as the tyres are huge and running on 19's there's not much flex in the rubber. It's very well damped and absorbs the potholes, sunken drains and uneven road surfaces with a muffled thud. It's also got lots of nice toys in it like Bluetooth, heated seats, on board computer, climate etc. It's a nice place to be and is also very quiet at motorway speeds. I haven't had the chance to put the top down yet as the weather has been rubbish so can't compare about the buffeting.

The engine is gorgeous, pulls like a train from low rpm and has an induction warble from the flat 6 at 3000rpm which is addictive, it makes overtaking an absolute breeze, with the S you had to plan ahead a couple of seconds if you weren't in the correct gear and wait for the vtec to kick in but with the Boxster it's almost instant torque and pulls all the way to the red line at 7k. Is it quicker than the S? I think so but keep an S2000 on the boil and a decent driver behind the wheel and there's not a lot than can keep up with it. When you start up the S2000 it always reminded me of a Tasmanian devil itching to go but fire up the Boxster and the flat 6 barks into life, growls, settles down and then allows you to cruise away or light up the rear tyres if you wish.

Running an S2000 cost me not much more than it would have done to run a Mondeo or similar car, servicing and parts were pretty minimal, insurance was very reasonable. The biggest running cost was petrol however I don't do huge miles so it's not too much of an issue. The Boxster has cost me £17.00 more a year to insure, fuel economy is the same if not slightly better, I'm getting 28/29mpg around town and 33/34 on a run using Tesco 99. I put £60.00 into it initially(the same as filling up the S) and I got over 300 miles to that, I would get a consistent 300 miles to a tank of super in the S. Servicing on the Boxster is 20,000 miles or 2 years and that's about £500.00 at an indy for a major, around £400 for a minor. The S as you know needs it done annually or 9,000 miles so that's about the same. VED for the Boxster is the same as the S at £280.00 a year, tyres are expensive though, best part of £900.00 for a full set of boots. So providing I don't get any unexpected bills then I don't think it's going to cost me much more to run.

I did a 2600 mile Euro trip in the S in 2010 and I was impressed about how much my mate and I could store in the boot for the week away but the Boxster has loads of room, I can fit a small suitcase in the front boot And another in the rear as well as other bits and bobs. It's also got a proper glove box and other storage areas in the cabin and two cup holders!

Overall I'm really happy with the Porsche, it feels like a sophisticated grown up sports car. It's very easy to drive and even easier to get up to silly speeds, with the S you knew you were doing the speed but in the Boxster it gets there quickly and effortlessly.

I'll always have a soft spot for the S2000, they always catch my eye and will certainly be a future classic, if you've got a good one look after it as I'm convinced they'll start to go up in value when demand outweighs supply, there's not many left now and there's a lot of rubbish examples out there. The chap that bought mine definitely got one of the better ones. I always got loads of compliments about my car, probably because it was black and always clean and shiny, I was proud to drive it, friends wouldn't believe it was nearly nine years old. Let's hope Honda eventually throw caution to the wind and release a replacement to the S2000 and NSX, I might be tempted to come back then.

Nick Graves

Interesting update.

The NSX is getting there (2015?) and the S3000 (presently thought to be the same engine up front, tranny in the rear) is rumoured to be being resurrected and out around 2016.

tailhappy

Nice write up. I still maintain this early S2k oil usage is a myth. My 00 uses nothing, has covered 90k miles and gets regular road v track driving yet uses precious little oil wise. I'm talking 50+ lap trackdays 9k to the line bam bam bam all day long.

E4RTH WORM JIM

Where are the pictures?

noodels

Thought about a Boxter they seem very good price,perhaps engine rebuild cost issues and the expense of running costs put me off.Very nice motor though,The Honda community does have a great following

Also no oil top ups here,great wright up btw

tailhappy

I agree I was looking at 996's/Boxster S's but after reading all the problems with the modern water cooled engines it had me running big time. It's all okay then you suffer terminal engine failure and get presented with a huge bill IMS bearings failing, bores going oval, Nikasil liners literally cracking off in the engine, rear main oil leaks it goes on. You just don't get this with Honda (with the exception of the 09 issue!)

I really was trying to tell myself it was all Internet hype but then reading Hartech's engine advice (they are the authority when it comes to Porsche) I thought no way. The cars are inherently flawed in terms of engineering so you have got big bill waiting round the corner. It's not a matter of if but when it goes pear shaped. Hell they even have a scheme (or insurance affectively) for when you need to get it repaired to soften the blow of the monster repair cost you are about to get

Of course not every Porsche is going to break but the more I read the more I realised that it wasn't just the odd one that has gone wrong.

s2k4tony

The 987 is a thing of beauty, even the semi-auto box is a delight... but we all prefer manual. Baz is right about the inherent engine issues the later 986 / 987's have, i'm under the impression that these cars are almost GT's, you can't reliably ring the neck out of the Porker for years, it won't take the abuse like the Honda's can. That is the only advantage. Sports cars should be more reliable... shouldn't they?
The Porsche of course is the leader of the pack, better balance, fantastic looks and can be had for around 12k now in "S" form. Why wouldn't you?

It is a sports car, and probably the best... but reliable... who knows?

GiffS2K

IMS was modified in 2005 and done away with in 08, the 987 does not suffer these problems.

Small number of 3.4L cars have suffered bore scoring usually as a result of a damaged water pump and /or thermostat.

If you looked at the empirical failure data rather than the qualitative accounts you will find on forums then you would find that a 987 is as reliable as an S2000.

Starlight

I would agree with the statement above the 987 cars do not suffer the volume of issues of the older cars.
I would say that getting an annual warranty is worth it for peace of mind but that’s is just my thoughts.

Enjoy the car and the better weather when it eventually arrives

I love my Cayman S

lovegroova

The Warranty Direct Reliability Index shows otherwise

986 http://www.reliabili...lity/search/263 Index 361
987 http://www.reliabili...lity/search/262 Index 210
S2000 http://www.reliabili...lity/search/124 Index 54

(Lower is better and the average number is 100).

Here are all the open top ratings: http://www.reliabili...s/best/Open-Top