After the demise of the front engine 928 and 968 in 1995, Porsche went a different direction with their new offering, the Boxster. Designed to bring Porsche ownership within the reach of a broader customer base, the Boxster had a mid-mounted, flat six engine which made packaging a bit of a challenge. While the car offered two trunks, access to the engine was limited, with most servicing having to be carried out from underneath. Not a car for the faint of heart do it yourselfer, then.
Today early Boxsters can be had for economy car money, discounting the obvious maintenance costs. This Boxster for sale in Missouri has low mileage for its year and is on offer at a fraction of its original price.
Year: 1999
Model: Boxster
Engine: 2.5 liter flat six
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 26,500 mi
Price: $13,995 Buy It Now
1999 Porsche Boxster on eBay
Excellent condition 1999 Porsche Boxster. Super low miles! Just in time for summer top down fun! Maintenance up to date. Synthetic oil! Contact me for further info!
One problem with the Boxster is the inevitable comparison to its bigger brother. People will almost always ask, “why didn’t you go for a 911?†Also, the Boxster has a bit of the hairdresser’s car syndrome, albeit not as profound as the BMW Z3/Z4 or Mercedes-Benz SLK. Given the mileage, this Boxster is reasonably priced and its black and red color combination is one of the better ones, in my opinion. You can expect to pay around $10,000 to $14,000 for a lower mileage non S variant. The more powerful Boxster S can wind up fetching a few thousand more dollars on average.
-Paul
I’ve only used synthetic oil in my GTI, I didn’t realize I could use that as a selling point now.
I may be biased, but there’s a lot to like with this 986.
The colors on this example are very good (the “Boxster Red” interior is not common, and rather striking), and the mileage and price are low. Earlier cars (pre-2000) had the 2.5L, so straight line power was acceptable, but not particularly impressive (even with the later 2.7L, the power is good, but still not great) . The 2000 and later “S” versions had more power and a 6-speed, but of course, cost substantially more.
So, to address the questions posed above: While the Z3 comparison is closer, it’s a front-engine RWD roadster to Porsche’s mid-engine Boxster – both were designed from the outset as convertibles. Handling and balance on the Boxster is outstanding. Personally at least, I never could warm up to the Z3’s looks, and the SLK? Well, that’s a just a chick car.
“Why didn’t you go for a 911?†Quite simply, I wanted a convertible, and the 911 Cabrio was twice the price for a comparable car (similar generation, condition, mileage, options, etc.) Besides, the 996 and 986 shared numerous design elements and features (including the their decidedly non-Audi-like interiors).
Very nice find. Lots to like about that Boxster. Still, you have to deal with the “Porsche for women” and “couldn’t buy a [i]real[/i] Porsche” stigma. OTOH even if you drive a 911 Turbo the haters are going question the size of your manhood. Drive what you like since it is a no-win situation.
Agreed Wes. “Drive what you like.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
On another note: This is the kind of fun, impractical car that I will buy for my daughter when she turns 16. Hopefully I will still be able to find something with a manual transmission in 10 years.