jeffbrig

So my wife is turning the big 4-0 this year, and has mentioned wanting to get her own Porsche to daily. (Yes, it needs to be a Porsche - we're quite active in the local PCA chapter). Everyone's entitled to a mid life crisis, right? Well, as awesome as she's been with my car habits over the years, I'm thinking she's earned it. This may be the moment where we finally decide to part ways with our S2000, which we've owned for 16 years now. We've agreed that any Porsche taking its spot in the garage would have to be a convertible, so it's either a Boxster or a 911 Cabrio. Willing to go as high as mid-$50s. She's also dead set on a vivid color, none of that dull silver that's so common among Porsche owners. Yellow, orange, blue, etc. No Guards Red, since we already have one of those...

So I've been perusing the market. Here's a few that piqued my interest...
2013 981 Boxster S - 47k miles, PDK, $38k (yellow) - Latest gen, and by far the best looking Boxster generation. I'm ok with a PDK, since mine's a 6 speed. Obviously, any newer 981s would cost more, and GTS models are more than I'd be willing to pay.

2009 997.2 Carrera S Cab - 31k miles, PDK, $52k (bright blue) - This car is gorgeous in pics, definitely a contender. First year of the 997.2 revisions, no IMS issues. 3.8L, 380hp. I kinda like the variety of a 911 to go with the Cayman. Even though they're mostly the same generation, it would be quite a different car. Between the cabrio and pdk penalties, this one tips the scales at nearly 3400 lbs. Also has PASM (active suspension).

2004 996 Turbo Cab - 35k miles, $47k, black (boo) - Yeah, it's the ugly duckling 996 generation, but the Turbo models look pretty good. Don't know that I've seen a turbo cab in person though. It has that great Mezger engine, and no IMS bearing. The ad (PCA magazine) didn't list the transmission type, but tiptronic would probably be a deal breaker. I can talk myself into a PDK, but not a tip.

2011 987 Boxster Spyder - 33k miles, $52k (white) - I'm generally against another 987 because I have the Cayman, but a Spyder is pretty sweet. Not sure if we really want the manual top that takes a few minutes to raise/lower. It's one thing on a weekend car, but for a daily it kinda defeats the purpose. They sure do look good with the top down though...

Not sure what our exact timeframe will be, but I'm taking these 4 examples as representative of the options we might find. Of course, before buying one we'll have to check it out, have a PPI done, etc. I suppose we'd be smart to move while there's snow on the ground in most of the country, and no one is looking at convertibles. I'd love to hear others thoughts on any one of these vs the others.

mosesbotbol

Out of your choices, the 2009 997.2 Carrera S Cab - 31k miles, PDK, $52k (bright blue) would . You'll get the back seat which is good for groceries, hand bag, small pet, etc... It's a 911 since you already have Cayman. Which blue is it specially?

cbehney

I agree the 997.2 would be a strong contender. It's a personal opinion but I think the 997 cab is better looking than the 991 cab or the 996 cab. The 997 feels more direct and a bit more analog than the 991. It sounds much better, especially on downshifts, and with a cab that matters even more. I'm not familiar with Boxsters, so can't compare. But the Spyder's top would be tough for a daily. Might end up leaving it up more than she wants, just to avoid hassle.

blueprint

jeffbrig

It's Aqua blue metallic.

See if this works...

gerry100

Hopefully not a hijack but an entertaining fantasy.

Here's our plan...

1. buy a substantial winning lottery ticket.

2. Order a new 911 GT3 Touring. 500hp NA flat six, retracting wing and a stick. Arena red w light grey leather ( my color combo).

3. enjoy driving and minimal if any depreciation

mosesbotbol

Why are you posting and not running down there with the check book! That car is hot.

TheDonEffect

All this talk about buying Porsches and other things I can't afford is offending my millennial brain, I am not for sale.

I'd take the 911 cab.

jeffbrig

Ah, if only it was that easy. The car is about 3 hours away, and we're probably going to go see it tomorrow morning. If we like it as much as I do from the pics, we'll still do a PPI before moving forward. I've spoken with the dealer, and there's only one major question to be answered. The carfax says no accidents reported, but also lists "Damage reported - Damage to rear" in 2015. Could be as insignificant as a bumper scuff from a parking lot incident, could have been rear-ended. So the car definitely needs to be checked by someone more knowledgeable than me before we move forward. Between edmunds and kbb, a fair price would be $47-50k in clean condition. Maybe the "damage" history knocks a little off? Can't say for sure until I see it...

Bullwings

My vote is for the Boxster Spyder - it was originally engineered to be an open top and thus has the appropriate chassis rigidity (or at least more so) in mind for that purpose. And, it has an H-pattern shifter. It's also more limited in numbers and has a bit of rarity factor to it.

Second place would be the 2013 Boxster S.

My opinion is to cross the cabrios out. The cabrios are engineered to be coupes first and convertibles as a marketing/sales after thought.

However, as with any of these decisions, test drive and see what's preferred. At this point, it's all paper, words, and numbers.