Honestly the 996 with the 986 Boxster are two of the most underrated Porsches. The 996 certainly drives better than most 993’s and 964’s before it, purists have tarnished the name. The 986 for me, is a far better drivers car than any 718 variant apart from the GT4 and Spyder
Welcome to the party, pal!!! I bought a 2004 Porsche Boxster S “50 Years of the 550 Spyder Edition” back in 2015 with 25,000 miles on her. As of 8/25/24 she now has 86,000 miles. She is my “Forever” car. Multiple drives across the United States. The latest big trip was from our Louisiana home to Laguna Seca for Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 last Fall, with a parade lap on the track. We then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego and then back home. We drive her to Colorado next month for the Aspen color change “Leaf Peeping.” These 986’s are the greatest vacation car ever made. Cheers, and good on ya’!
Welcome to the mid engine Porsche family Sam. Several years ago I went from a 911 to two different Ferraris, and missed having a manual so I bought a base 987 manual on a whim, and after the drive home (Ohio to Texas via theTail of the Dragon) I had never laughed, smiled, and giggled as much in any car in my life as I did in that Boxster. Now, several years later I"m on my 5th Boxster (a 2015 Boxster GTS) and have turned several of my friends onto the absolute most fun and engaging cars to drive.....The Porsche Boxster! Cheers!
The Cayman / Boxster platform is imho the most overlooked of all sports car platforms. They are simply a joy to drive and never fail to put a smile on my face.
Compared to 911 mid engine cars are overlooked. Makes me smile, when I think 911 owners are enabling the cheaper better handling mid engine cars to be made, its like a best kept secret.
My 2003 986 Boxster 2.7, which I've had since new, remains a wonderful driving experience. I have other cars in my garage with over twice the power that just cannot get close to the Boxster's visceral enjoyment on UK roads. Have really enjoyed your vids of the trip.
Love to hear that, I want a Boxster, I've test driven a fair few thus far. Visceral however would not be a word I'd use to describe it, it doesn't feel like there is enough harshness or rawness going on to get that vibe, especially in an S where the engine's fallen asleep by third at normal people speeds even with an aftermarket exhaust and no snorkel on the intake. It's not twitchy, it's not aggro, it's really delicate and balanced. That's the magic though--you're not trading away anything for it to deliver how good of a drive it is and that is special. I am curious to try a 2.5 manual now to at least see if the gearing is more eager! But yeah, these are highly underrated cars and I'm not surprised he's gonna keep it, it's a beautiful experience driving one, would love to find the right one soon 😃
I bought a Boxster as a joke to make my brother drive around when he was in town..... I haven't sold it.... I drive it almost everyday over my AMG GTS or Cayenne Turbo. I LOVE my 986 boxster.
Just a roundabout way of showing off your money and cars. We are very impressed that you like your “cheap” Porsche over your fleet of other expensive cars . Pathetic
Sam… for the love of god, we’re supposed to be keeping these 986 Boxsters a secret!!🤫😂 I’ve had 4 over the last 20 years amongst many other far more expensive & faster cars. But they are, without any doubt, the most under rated, overlooked pure drivers cars out there. DO NOT SELL YOUR 986. If you sold it for say… £10k, in 5 years time, you’d have no idea where that money went. Money has a tendency of evaporating. Cars don’t. It’s the PERFECT car to use for US trips. Keep it. Make memories that’ll last a lifetime. It’ll never be worth less than it is now right now. You can put miles on this car guilt free of declining its value. You won’t regret keeping it, but you’ll almost certainly regret selling it. Loving these vids mate. I know a hell of a lot of graft goes into making them. Keep up the hard work🙌🏻
Boxsters are and will be slept on, because it's not the iconic 911. But the revvy engine, pure steering and overall balance make it a great Porsche. I really do love my 987.2 Boxster S manual.
I own a 987 base as my daily runabout as well as other ”better” cars but my little 987 is my favorite car to take out on a Sunday drive for exactly the same reasons you stated. During car week it kept up just fine even behind a GT3RS and I was having way more fun than he was. Everyone thinks I’m crazy and I have to let everyone I know drive it to let them experience it too. My brother even bought one. He agrees it’s a perfect little sports car for the roads we actually have rather than the roads we wish we had. We saw you at Quail and wanted to ask you about your 986 but you looked busy. This video is what we hoped you would say. But no matter how many times we say it, people still need to experience it for themselves to be really convinced. We all dream about owning a GT3 like your beautiful example, but the little Boxster may not be the poster on your wall but it’s the car that should be in your garage.
The Porsche Boxster is the "IYKYK" of the Porsche line-up. Even from day one with the 986 Boxster. "IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW" it is hands down one of the best handling cars period. Pure joy to drive and must be experienced on a great canyon road. If you can get past your ego you will realize it is truly a special Porsche. It is because of the Boxster that I took the Porsche red pill 25 years ago and purchased a 1998 986 Boxster. Since then I have owned many Porsches and have the 911 as well. Today Next to my 911 is my 2nd Boxster. Can't seem to live without one. Love it to bits. Great to see you sharing the love for the Boxster. I have enjoyed watching your trip across America. Have lived in America my whole life and still have yet to do a cross country road trip. You have inspired me.
Great to see that you're finally growing out of the " I'ts just a Boxster " mentality 😊! Porsche marketing has fooled many into believing that the 911 is " The sportscar !" The Boxster / Cayman is what the 911 used to be, small, light and compact = MOST FUN 💪
Owning a pretty much identical 986 Boxster you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say “pure analogue driving joy”. A great reminder that you don’t need to spend tens of thousands to be grinning ear to ear behind the wheel. I’ll never sell mine!
90+% of cars have no issues, dont let fear win. IMS wont be an issue if on an 06 chassis or newer, bore scoring only relevant on the 3.4. The 3.2 has iron coated pistons which dont cause scoring.
My dads still got his 1999 Boxster he collected from the factory in Stuttgart. It does the job on UK summer roads, only got 25,000 miles on the clock. Loved this series!
I've driven hundreds of cars over the years, and my 981 Boxster base remains one of the very best. It's just such a well made, capable sports car, and it's absolutely quick enough on a mountain road.
This is my dream affordable car and I been following you since the start, this trip has just confirmed everything I thought about that little Boxster, thank you for this series
Your reaction is carry similar to most everyone who has experienced a Boxster of any generation! Owning several cars myself, and fortunately being able to drive many expensive sportscars, I tell everyone I know that the Boxster is the best value in the entire sportscar world! I love mine and drive it all the time. It is truly unbelievable how inexpensive they are! Top down, revs up….cant beat it!
Brilliant! So glad you're keeping it.. Got my 2000 Boxster S last summer and we're currently touring around Scotland. Absolutely loving it (even in all the wet!) and I can never see a time when I'll want to sell it! I actually got one with ambers as I love the look of them so much! 😂
I share your opinion exactly. My 997.2 is carrera s, boxster 986 plain jane non s with 2.7, 5 speed, and 17” wheels, with conti’s. Why does the boxster move me in ways the 911 cant? Balance, perfect polar moment, more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow! Thanks for your great video, and correct opinions, lol!
My wife has a base 718 Boxster. Standard wheels. 295bhp, absolutely brilliant car, perfect for UK roads. Often take it in preference to my much more powerful Aston.
Glad to see Boxsters getting some recognition now. I'm on my second one and love it. Sam, Eurospec Motoring in Mid City is your place to go when you need to get your 986 serviced when you're in LA. Been going to them for eight years.
Enjoyed this series! It reminded me of a friend, who years ago, toured the US with his brother, buying a cheap car and selling it at the end of their trip. Seems like a great way to get around. Might try it myself 👍.
Great content and thanks for sharing. I completely agree with your assessment. I've owned 9 Porsche's through the years, including 944's, 928's, 911 Turbos, Carrera, SC, etc. But the one that stands out to me as the most fun driving experience is the 04 986 Boxster S 550 Anniversary that I had. I'm currently considering selling my 17 Maserati Granturismo (which is an absolutely fantastic car with heart-stopping looks and sounds) for another 986 S in black/black. Every time I see one driving by, I have to stare at its simplistic beauty of design.
Go for a “clean” oem+ lower it, exhaust, airfilter that go on the oem box, remap and a bluetooth radio. Also repair the thinks that are not comfy if don’t work.
I used to have a 986. I have owned a 996 GT3 Mk II for 10 years now and absolutely love it. There are days though, when I miss the 986. It‘s a fantastic car.
Thank you for this amazing share. I just bought a 2006 987.1 Cayman S with bore score for £5k. I’m having the engine rebuild and upgrade to 3.8. I’m a Brit who lives in Asia, planning to go home to drive the car as soon as it’s ready. I’m kid level excited. Hoping my experience is as great as yours.
YES YES YES Sam!! Brilliant idea! Can’t wait to see you back here in the states for another adventure in the boxster!! Well done on this latest adventure, most fun RU-vid channel out there!! Thank you for doing what you do to entertain us car guys (and this big time obsessed Porsche guy) 😊
That´s good news! I love those 986 Boxsters - sadly they are quite expensive here in Brazil - and I loved the content with it! A small project in the future with the mods you mencioned would be amazing!
Managed to bag a 986 for a mere £6k the other month, less than 60k miles and it is mint with very rare wheels from factory (never seen another with the same wheels) and it is a hell of a car, manual 3.2l that barks at you at 3k rpm, and then again at 5.5K rpm!!
Biased as an owner, But i always wanted a 986 Boxster S. Buying one has been absolutely worth every penny. They are fantastic drivers cars. Really very special. Watching your story with this one and you falling in love with it has been brilliant.
Love the Boxster videos. I just bought a 01 Boxster S on BAT that was in Philadelphia and drove it back to home in Denver, CO. If you want a wind defector, I have an extra one for a little $.
Loving your enthusiasm for this car 😊 I’ve had a 987.2 S for 11 years now and I can’t see myself selling it at any point. It’s such a good car, especially for the money 😁
What a wonderful summing up ! You make us discover the hidden virtues and strong points of this small modest Porsche which at first sight doesn’t look all that convincing. How wrong we can be. Well done 👍🏻😎
It”s fantastic that you can buy a $10k Porsche and experience the thrill of driving the canyons in the States or the roads of North Wales in the UK. In many ways this is “peak car” time! Sam thank you for sharing this trip with such enthusiasm - your approach is so refreshing…. I would put a car play head unit in it, upgrade the brakes and the exhaust, change all the relays and just drive it. 250 BHP is all you need for a road car.
Bought a 2001 two years ago. So much fun. I agree with everything you said about how good the 986 is. It’s just enough. For years, I slept on the 986-until I rode in a friend’s. After that, I knew I just had to buy one.
Love first gen boxster! Mine sat for 2 years during covid when I was out of town picked the dead mice out of it changed the battery and hit the backroads. It still drove better then my friends bmw lol
Sam, if you keep the Boxster (I commented to you before that my Boxster was one of my favorites in a list of Ferraris and Porsches owned, so glad you see it now) in US and come back through Indiana, how about doing a King of Cool tour? Birthplace of Steve McQueen inside Indy to Fairmount, IN to visit James Dean, then on to Indianapolis Motor Speedway...all in one day. Are there two bigger stars with immense Porsche credentials?
First Porsche I drove, was a 986 Boxster and I loved it. So I can fully relate to your sentiments, especially when you had it for such a great adventure in the US. I would love to see you back in it, so just hold on to it 😃👍
These cars are really sensational. The balance, precision and stability absolutely make it a formidable driver on a backroad. With a few light upgrades to the suspension and proper tires, you’re pressuring cars with over twice the horsepower on technical stretches….All with a flat 6 howling behind you. I knew as soon as you revealed that it was a 986 that you bought, you’d struggle to see it go. Here’s to 50k more miles, long live the Boxster.
I own a 2002 986 S, What howling flat six are you talking about because the 986 that I have with the stock set up does not howl at all . It sounds like a vacuum cleaner .
Couldn't agree more on the summation of the 986 Boxster Sam. When I reviewed a very poor version it was still an absolute hoot to drive. A well sorted example makes so much sense and has to be the best value Porsche sports car buy.
Sam , I have loved this series you have made with the boxster, fantastically well done. It really has given me the inspiration to buy another boxster. I had one in my early thirties back in the early 2000’s. I have been thinking about one again. Your joy of ownership is what I felt 20 years ago. Many thanks . Keep up the good work Dylan
I took a 986 in part exchange for a 996 I was selling, intending to sell it on shortly after... now 3 years later, I recently got it back from having various maintenance and mods done to it and I took it for a nice b-road blast this morning. They are great and people are starting to wake up to the fact they're not 'hairdressers cars' and they are proper Porsches.
Saved up for an Aston but did not make it, took a 2008 987 3.4s out for a test drive and was woooohooo moment! Bought a 3.4s and loved it, had three since! Much much better handling car than a 911. Ended up with the GTS 2.5, what a car, what a car! for those who have not driven, just have a go, you will be amazed! Great content Sam! excellent trip!
Love my 981 Cayman 2.7. Compact, sublime handling & balance. Agree you get more fun from pushing the engine than a larger engine. Prefer it in some ways to my 997TT!
Best decision ever, the Boxster 986 is an amazing car.17" inches wheels are just perfect (handling+confort even with the M030 option). So happy that you experience this wonderful Porsche classic and I am not sure regarding the idea of installing a a louder exhaust...my advice is to remain as "OEM" as possible to keep a pure Boxster relaxing experience.
Great car Sam I have owned 3 and when I met you in 2019 had the 987. My best experience of ownership was the Anniversay Boxster which I bought new in 2004 and sold in 2019
I truly love my 987 Boxster. I have some of the best non track memories ever in that thing. As far as your wondering about brake upgrades. I have done the GT3 control arm air directors and stainless brake lines. Could really feel the difference. The parts were less than 100 dollars. If you are so inclined some coil over adjustable dampers have really made it a dialed in ride.
Happy to hear that finally Sam has discovered that a car under 20k and around 200hp can keep up with most stuff and shouldn’t be overlooked as a hairdresser car 😊 now he just needs to remember this for the future and be consistent in his opinion 😅
Can't really wait for other videos in this fantastic car, since I am kickstarting my career in these years it will be a few years for me to buy a nice car, but I am really thinking about a Porsche, the more I see them the more I fall in love with them
Boxsters, Caymans and even 996 Carreras are massively under rated cars. Anyone buying Golfs on finance and things like that to drive with sporting intentions have massively missed out. I have a mate who is obsessed with Honda Civics adn I keep trying to talk him into a 996 but he just doesn't see it
You just casually talking about the Boxster experience in the US that I d call its natural habitat (you d regret bringing it back to Europe) has been - just alongside the vid with Phil- the best video on this channel in months! Another standout feature of your channel is the drone footage, that s a constant in so many vids. Thanks for all this. Edit: I love to hate the chrome wheels BUT this is a part of the American car culture and it s such a quirky choice for the Boxster, so I d say they should stay... even if I think every time: what a truly horrible choice...but I say this smiling whilst crying on the inside lol.
I had a 2004 Boxster, loved it, drove it all over Europe and then I upgraded to a 981 Boxster, another great car but I wish I could have kept the 986 as well. Glad you liked it Sam
@@CinemaAtv I would say the 986 & 987 are analogue & the 981 is digital. Depends on your budget but for me the 986 was great down the twisty roads & you had to work at it. The 981 feels bigger so not so good down the really narrow British roads but on more open roads the 981 is almost too easy. The 981 is great for long distance touring having slightly more room in the cabin & is good in the twisty once you get there 😀
Soo pleased you enjoyed the car. I bought one in the uk as a stop gap and loved it. Perfect balance of fun, power and handling. Maybe could have done with a little power but the recipe from Porsche was near perfect. Why spend the extra for a 911? The repair cost is still ridiculous here but most of it is dyi’able now. I’ve replaced it with a much faster car and to be honest, I just can’t enjoy it on our roads like I could the Boxster S!
Very smart to keep it here for those American trips. ❤. Glade see you in America 🇺🇸. The boxster been always the one i wanted other than an old 944 or 911 .
I have always gravitated towards the Porsche Cayman due to the same reason highlighted by STG, the superiority of the midship flat six engine is unquestionable if you are an urbanite who for eg live in London or similar urban areas.
I used to own a 986 it was a brilliant little sports car! A friend of mine in Oz also had a 986, but he shoehorned a worked 911 engine into it & it was scary fast 😳
I’m considering taking mine off. This comment has made me reconsider. I thought it would make the rear look a bit cleaner but I should wear that badge with pride.
I am embarking on year four of my love affair and stewardship of my 31k mile 2002 Boxster S...much like yours with a little more equipment and in Seal Grey, with the same Grey leather interior. I paid a lot at the time for a mint example that had been properly maintained and garaged, and so far I have had typical upkeep (which is not to say inexpensive--but also not outrageous.) If you want low cost of operation and ultimate reliability, seek out a Miata for 50% less with 70% of the performance and 90% of the fun. Yes, I am fortunate enough to own a faster, more exotic sports car and an electric car that will blow the doors off the Boxster S in a straight line. However, this is the ONE car that puts a huge smile on my face every time I go out for an early morning Saturday drive in the Texas Hill Country. It took me several years to find my little gem, and it will go to my son (who also loves it dearly) when I'm gone. Until then, it is my favorite toy and will be the one constant in my garage. It IS far more rewarding to drive a slow-ish car fast, for sure! The 986 is only beginning to get the respect it deserves and prices right now are still a bargain.
I don’t know how, but you need to stop reading my mind…. Love your content, hopefully if you return to Australia I get to chat with you some day..?! 😎🤘🏻
