Boxster 981

[Draigflag]

Just had a Boxster 981 delivered, she's a 2013 model year with just 18,500 miles and two owners. I previously owned an old 987 S which was a nice car in it's own right. But the next gen, the 981 was a huge improvement over the previous model.

In direct comparison, this is far superior in every aspect, most noticeably build quality, this car feels like a £100,000 car as soon as you turn the key and start moving. In true Porsche fashion, it has nicely weighted controls, the clutch and steering are heavy and offer nice feedback. The suspension has far better dampening than the last generation, bumps are actually acceptable now, and body control is far better too. This gen is also far more refined, there's less wind and tyre noise, not to mention engine sound, making the 981 much better for long distance cruises. The six speed manual transmission is a slick, short and joyful operation that gives pleasure in every single gearchange.

My example is not the S so has the smaller 2.7 litre flat 6. But the performance decrease is un-noticeable, I forgot how much I love the sound of a flat 6 at 7500 rpm. It's also surprisingly efficient too, on a smooth run last night I achieved over 40 MPG. Overall, I'm over the moon with this car, when you drive one you realise they are worthy of the praise they get, and they hold thier value accordingly too.

[LDB]

That's a good looking car. From the photos you couldn't tell it isn't brand new.

[luv2spd]

Congrats on the new car. I'm more of a Corvette guy, big naturally aspirated engine. But I always liked the Boxster, even more than the 911. I haven't driven either, but I plan on driving them in the not too distant future. Also, I want to drive a Miata to see if the hype is real.

Maintenance can be expensive for Prosches, but if you only drive them as a second car it's not too bad.

[luv2spd]

I heard that the way to know if someone is a hardcore Porsche enthusiast is to have a look at their wheels, if the Porsche crest points towards the valve stem then the answer is yes.

[Draigflag]

Thanks. I've always preferred the boxster and Caymans over 911's too, I just feel like the mid engine layout favours handling, not to mention practicality as you have two areas for shopping and luggage.

I like the odd muscle car too, however they're too wide for UK roads, only come in LHD, don't handle especially well (handling is very important here) and with fuel at $10 a gallon, the fuel bill is crippling. The boxster does double the mpg of most muscle cars.

I like to think maintenance is relatively cheap, the servicing is every 20,000 or two years. The car failed it's MOT on perished tyres last month, so I can only assume with 18k they were the originals, so it must have driven gently.