Here's Why a 2.5L 986 Porsche Boxster is NOT a Complete Waste Of Time (Review) 

People need to remember what Porsche was about in the first place. This car is more of a Porsche than any GT2 RS, or even a 'normal' modern 911.

This 22 year old 986 looks and sounds better than the actual base flat 4 718

Having driven many many Porsches, including GT3's, turbos, air cooled, water cooled etc..... I honestly think the original 2.5 boxster is possibly the most pure and enjoyable sports cars of modern times. It's light, its direct, it's analogue it's not full of nanny electronic trickery and it's pure. It's not so fast it will have you worried about your licence and yet it's fast enough to be able to push on and enjoy the perfect balanced handling at sensible speeds. Top down, the howl of a flat six engine behind you and all for around £5k. One of my all time favourites.

how can anyone say this is the worst porsche when the cayenne, macan and taycan exist.

986’s are so underrated. I drove my buddy’s 986 base and almost regretted my 996.

I have a Porsche Boxster s love driving it, wouldn’t change it

Nice review: just shows you should never listen to bar-room "experts" and key-board warriors who've never driven the bloody thing!

Finally someone who speaks sense- my rather simple view is- it’s still a Porsche and I’d rather drive that than a fiesta 🤣

These are actually brilliant to drive and the 2.5 is quite reliable and the lack of torque actually makes it feel asif it's rev happy. Not the fastest or best build, but feels soooo sweet to drive.

Ref the power output, a 2.5 litre Boxster has more power than a 3.0 911 super carerra, and umpteen variants of 911 that came before it. Superb cars.

2.5 was my first ever “proper” sports car back in the day. Still have fond memories of it to this day......this video makes me want to go out and get one and relive the days of when I had hair on my head!!!

Have owned an 04 Boxster for a year now and am delighted with it. Always a pleasure to drive without all the electronic aids of more recent cars.

I purchased a used '00 Boxster S after having owned an Mk2 GT3 clubsport. I decided I needed to downgrade my car obsession a bit and I had never owned a convertible before. I test drove a S2000 (supercharged) and 986 Boxster S on the same day and just fell in love with the Boxster. This is AFTER having owned a GT3! I had the Boxster for a year, took it on a vacation in southern Europe, and daily drove it. After that I realized how good the Boxsters are and bought a 987 Boxster S (an '07 with the 295hp engine). The 987 Boxster is a big step up from the 986.

Nothing wrong with a 2.5 986 Boxster. Good looking car in my mind, sounds great & enough power to have fun. It’s a Porsche it doesn’t matter if it’s old or new it’s still a Porsche.

Love my 2.5 boxster it's a great sound above 4.500 rpm and fantastic to drive with roof down or up never seen a yellow 2.5 before thought they were on the 2.7 or the s and mine only has 16" alloys

Bought me a 2002 2.7L 5 spd. back in June, and what I can tell you is that every time I drive it, I have a smile on my face. This is my first Porsche and my first manual, which i learned on this car. Cheap insurance, maintenance isn't terrible and you can honestly do a lot of work yourself if you do your research. My advice is if you want a car, no matter what it is, go for it, because were all gonna die one day so might as well have some fun while you can and take some risks.

My daily is a NA Miata and this is my next car. I just love the design and feels great to drive. The yellow is amazing along with the silver and red.

Love my 99. Same sentiments! My comments with people talking trash about the Boxster is, "Dont knock it until you try it!"

Nice little runabout for uncomplicated drive moving joy👌🏻

As a hobby mechanic, this is how I tackle engine reliability issues. I owned one of these 986 boxsters. After buying the car, I then bought a second engine from a wrecking yard. Now while I'm driving the boxster as absolutely as hard as I can, I'm also tearing apart, rebuilding, sometimes upgrading the second engine. Then once the engine in the car goes, or I become impatient, I'll swap engines. Now I'll have a fully rebuilt engine to use, and a second engine I can now rebuild, then sell. This isn't the cheapest thing to do, but with the sale of original rebuilt engine, it covers alot of the cost of doing this. I also never once worry about something like a IMS bearing,etc. I've done this sort of thing with a E36 M3, C4 Corvette, Z32 300zx, Z32 300zx, etc, etc.

I bought a '99 Boxster with the 2.7litre motor for my son. I bought it from a friend for $4k USD with 97k miles on it. I replaced the top with a glass window version and serviced it, but otherwise it has been a great little car. My wife and I took it on a road trip from Silicon Valley to Paso Robles in CA's central coast for our anniversary. Great little car! Handles well, 217 bhp gives stronger performance than the 2.5 and the ride is very compliant yet still sporty! We have the all leather interior (silver car and black interior) that looks classically German. I also love the engine note, much better than a 911 sounds. I can hear the intake honk! Reminds me of my 308 Ferrari GT4! A steal second hand.

The 2.5 is a great car, with shorter gearing than the other variants it reacts really well to a lightweight flywheel and acceleration really improves. Reduce some weight and put some Koni suspension on and you have a wonderful sounding, great driving sports car.

Bloody loved mine when I had it, late '90s. I'd had way more powerful cars before it and after it, but it remains strong in the memory as being a joy to drive.

This specific car is actually for sale on gumtree at the moment. Absolutely brilliant road that one up to glenshee ski centre too

I had a black 1998 one. It was a childhood dream to own one. I purchased mine for £4k in 2012. It's not a slow car. It is faster than a ep3 civic type r. Its handling is brilliant. Great car.

For a bit of perspective the Ford Sierra Cosworth of which I have fond memories had 205bhp and I guess a similar weight the 986. The 4x4 Sapphire version was bumped to 227bhp to offset the extra weight of the awd transmission. No one called them slow or under powered.

This is the start of the evolution of the latest GT4 and SPYDER 718 , mid engine rear wheel drive normally aspirated flat 6 manual if it wasn’t for the 986 2.5 boxster in 1996 we probably wouldn’t have them now ..

I have had my 2003 Boxster Base for 5 years. I really love this Porsche. I always wanted a Porsche when I was young, but could not afford what I wanted. I was 69 years old when I saw my 03 Boxster in a dealers lot, in USA. I bought it within a couple days. It was not taken care of by the last owner, but I made up for that and never was upset or regretful for buying this car with 95,000 miles on it. Nice video you made here and keep up the good work.

Very professional and exact review. I own a 2.5 for 10 years now and still enjoy it!

I have a 2000. It’s a great car, 5 speed is a little frustrating on the highway. But otherwise it’s a fantastic cat. You can tell they truly engineered this car for the track

Great video. I own one 2004 2.7L for 18 months now, and just love it! As you said, really good on corners, fast enough to have some fun without going crazily fast (and losing your license), and so far very reliable. Have had any issues, and as a Porsche fan I am really pleased with it. Don't think I need more power, a 911, a 'S' version, whatever. Not too bad on fuel as well. Mine does close to 25mpg in the city, and around 33mpg cruising at 70mph. 😊🤘👍

I have a Dec 03 2.7 Boxster owned for over 8 years 😊 road trip down to southern Spain and back what a joy would never let go 😊 and yes it’s a proper Porsche puts a smile on my face every time I take it out 👍

I have one of these with a full bilstein coilover kit, h&r sway bars, exhaust and 997 C2S brakes. It’s definitely the most fun car I have driven. Even friends who have much higher hp sports cars loved driving it and agree it is a riot.

I have one and it's brilliant dude It has enough power It is very reliable... I changed the IMS bearing seal and it s all ok

I’m a proud owner of a 987 Boxster. The Boxster is what saved Porsche from going under, a true Porsche vehicle.

Great review - it’s looking increasingly classic by the year, values seem to be reflecting that too 👀

Thanks for the Boxster video. I have enjoyed mine for years!

I’m so torn between a 986 2.5 or 2.7 and a MX-5 nc 2.0 roadster or RC! I thought the 2.5 would be a little underpowered, but in reality all I want to is own a Porsche and experience that flat 6 engine note and typical Porsche ride/handling balance while I’m still young enough to do so. Having driven (and thoroughly enjoyed) an ND and NC MX-5 already, I think you’ve helped me make up my mind. 986 it is!!

It’s still quicker than the majority of cars on the road aswell from 0-60

Great vid!. You forgot to mention that if you do your homework and hold out for a "clean" one, it won't cost you much more than one that has been "driven hard and put away wet". Now I will go out and drive either my wife's Miata or my pristine RX7 convertible... and gloat a little.

The sports seats on this car are a rare and quite valuable option.

What do you know James, was my first impression. You guys climb in a car and review it for 10 minutes and think you know it all. All respect, you know nothing! I drove my little 97 model now for over a decade, from 100k to 250000km's. What a dream car. Strong, tough and completely reliable. Perhaps one of the best (simple, tough, reliable economic, dirt cheap) little sports cars, would not be far off to the truth. (I owned to date 48 cars) Via you tube, even a (stupid) mechanic like myself maintains it very easily. I'm a (poor, stingy) perfectionist. On cross country rides I only once maintained 230kph in a Porsche Club convey run. Often I just cruise at 200 when conditions permits. What an simple vehicle to maintain. Cheap. (scary perhaps if you depend on w/shops) Since I have it, I serviced it myself. Easy. I only use synthetic oil. Still to date it doesn't burn any oil and its always super clean, never blackens. Mine is 'decatted'. I run with 19" 275x30's rear. (Ult max) IMS issues are the biggest bullshit on the planet! I even confirmed it at my local Porsche dealer. Since 4 years ago, I only reconditioned starter motor, cleaned throttle body, replaced engine and gearbox bushes, all (Coni) shock absorbers and coil springs. Easy as pie. (Got new w/bottle, clutch-kit, belt & pulleys w/pump, thrmstat/h etc just incase I will need some day because I can't see parting with it. Had some issues with door handle cable that broke, refitted some micro switches of roof. Fixed easily, thanks due to You Tube. Plastic window starts to crack. Me and my boys participate frequently in track race days with P Club. Awesome fun where you can enjoy safely all of its 200 horses all the time. Over and over. Still immaculate after 23 years. This, my friend, is the requirements you should have in order to review a good second hand vehicle. Note the safety factor when you say low power, low revs at 6500; the benefit is DURABILITY for decades to have guaranteed fun. Sorry for my critic, thanks for your review though.

Common things that go wrong on these: water pump with plastic vane separation / impeller separation from shaft, coolant expansion tank, HVAC vent flaps that disintegrate and blow out chunks of foam, easily clogged water drains, water leaks that require new immobilizer + programming, door locks that break internally, ball joints on lower control arms, ignition modules that crack, seat belt buckle switch, starters that retract too slowly and grind on the flywheel, convertible top mechanism gears (made of nylon), convertible top plastic windows that crack, air/oil separator, IMS bearing and seal (actual statistics debatable), later cars have front trunk releases that fail, shift cables that may detach from the transmission linkage, 2nd gear partial engagement on 6 speed (S trim) transmissions, clutch switch malfunction resulting in no start, battery drain, jammed ignition switch due to worn steering wheel lock mechanism, motor and transmission mounts, headlight internal lens overheating (halogen models). I've had all of these issues between a 986 and a 996, and a few of these issues on my 997. Less common but serious issues: cylinder wall scoring, cylinder wall separation (D-chunk failure), timing chain / guide / variocam wear (not very common).

Great review James! Love and respect your opinions on cars. I have a 987 S boxster and love it! The best car for the price and would only replace it with another boxster or 911

I got myself a 2000 2.7 and I love the car. It's timeless!

Always loved the 986, It will probably be my very first sports car...but I'll probably go for the 3.2 because 210 hp are just too few for a Porsche IMO

I had a 98 boxster just like this. Base. 5 spd. No options. Had zero problems at 180k miles it got totaled.

Crazy how they stayed with a 5 speed by this year when a 968 had a 6 speed from 1992.

200 hp / 1250kg and you drive it hard it will take a turbo NA / NB or NC MX5 to keep up .

Surprised people like that exhaust note. Sounds like a metal cutting disc in action

They are amazing cars! Porsche has been making mid engine cars for a long time. In my opinion - the Boxster is better balanced than the 911 and handle so much better! Mine is a 2000. Still looks and drives like new!

Just saw an ad today the price is very reasonable and that car is in this exact color very very tempting to get one! 👀

F king great, simple, and honest review. It’s a fun car that has unavoidable costs to own. Disclaimer…Owns or owned 993, 996, 987, 997. Cheers all!

Bought a ‘97 Boxter as my first car for $3,750. Unfortunately it’s time to let it go so it’s up for sale now, but I’m glad to see there’s other people out there that appreciate them.

I know sound is all very subjective, and i'm sure you were implying that in general, 4 cylinders aren't as exciting as a flat 6, but I do like a 4 cylinder with ITBs. In my opinion, ITBs really do unleash a whole new dimension to the sound of an otherwise 'ordinary' 4 cylinder engine - which is why i'm frustrated that there are very few videos on youtube of BBR's 'Super 225' ITB package for the NC MX-5. But oh well, gotta be grateful to what we have for what is essentially free content!

The 986 Boxster might be a little under powered but it is still a very enjoyable car to drive. Handling, ride and engineering are all fantastic. Best ragtop deal out there. Miatas are fun but…… Boxsters are still the benchmark for two seater convertibles.

Always loved the boxster good cars for the money

Good review. I have owned 2 Lotus Elise, and 3 Porsche Boxsters. The 986 S Anniversary model I owned from new and did 108,000 miles in it which was plenty powerful enough for me, third gear was good anywhere between 20 mph and 106 mph. Wonderful car.

I have a 1997 and love it, in 20 years of ownership must have spent about $5000.00 Canadian for maintenance including new clutch and tires. 100,000 KM.

I'd be very interested to see you do a direct comparison between this and you're S2000

Great review as the 2.5L Boxster is a fantastic car. I have both a 97 Arena Red version and a MX5 NC sport so it has the 5 speed. I would agree with your comparison but the Boxster is the one I would pick. I also have a 996 Turbo X50 and a 996.2 GT3 and although of course both are amazing cars for the windy roads around here where I live the Boxster is most times my first choice to take out for a early morning ride.

I’ve been servicing my friends 1998 986 for a few years now and these Boxsters are definitely unrated car for sure drives amazingly and fun

Was listening to this without watching the screen and I swear to god I thought it was Murray walker talking 😂

I recon £10'000 spent on a nice boxster S manual is the sweet spot. Save £1'000 a year to a " fun or fix fund" and expect it's running costs for tyres,brakes,fuel and insurance to be above a " ford". Now a boxster with nice clean calipers/ discs and alloys is going to look the part on the drive ,and not disappoint on a drive.

I love this Boxter model. So beautiful!

Another enjoyable review there and reminded me of a time when a PB wanted to take on my Camry V6..... We parted company with mutual respect - that's all I'm prepared to say 😆. Before anyone asks...... no, the car was sold many years ago lol.

Great vid, before buying my cayman 987 I did strongly consider the early boxster and there is so much choice. Only addition advice would be there are so many ropy ones out there and although tempting at a low price avoid them and go and spend a couple of £0,000’s more and get a good example

If it needs more power just slap a turbo on it. A 2.5 with the turbo should get atleast 300hp. Lots of aftermarket parts to make these a good hobby too.

I love my 986

Lovely things I would like to add one to my fleet 👍

Wow that Boxster has the sport seats. My 986S didn't have those.

These love tight mountain roads, plenty of power for that and so much grip. How well it all works really convinced me about Porsches, they're perfect out of the box. The shocks on mine are still in great shape so there's very little body roll, it soaks up bumps without being uncomfortable or upsetting the car. It's an amazingly fun little machine. Especially pre 2000 with only two cats and the dual row IMS.

I was lucky enough to be invited to drive a brand new one of these in 1997 by a very generous owner. Not fast but absolutely sublime handling.

Buying an overpowered car is a waste of money and fuel. If you don’t routinely put your foot to the floor, why bother? Unless you take it to the track or The Autobahn, you can’t really put it to use. Holding your foot down with an underpowered car is a ton of fun!

I own a Mclaren 570s, Bentley GTC, Porsche Cayenne S and Range Rover Sport SVR, and... a Boxster S.. The latter is 2010 and its the best car I have ever driven. Its fast, great handling/mid engine, more powerful than the 2020 models (I took it 275kph with roof down), comfortable with plenty of interior space, and is practical with front and rear storage. Boxster S is also cost effective, even new...What more could you want!!

I own a 97 2.5, and honestly i wouldnt remotely say its underpowered. It lacks torque in the low end … but when that motor winds up she MOVES. Not to mention the car is cheap to maintain… cheap to repair… costs less than a NB miata but handles better and has more power. Not to mention the better comforts such as power/ heats seats…power top, abs, digital climate control, on board computer read out, staggared wheels with factory 4pot brembos front and rear. Honestly. Its hard to argue for the price today.

Great review. Got a base 2.7L 987 and think the power is just about perfect for the public road. Quick enough to get in a good rhythm on a winding road, slow enough to hear that glorious engine note for a few seconds at a time. Like the owner, also used to have an Elise; on the perfect road on the perfect day it was sublime, but the Boxster is fun in a far greater range of situations. Also running a Golf R for sensible stuff. It's really hard to use the power on anything other than motorway on ramps, and the steering feel isn't on the same planet as the Boxster.

The audio recordings of the engine and exhaust sounds don't do the 986 justice in any of these YT videos. Ya gotta hear in person at 4-6k RPM to understand that it's a sweet rewarding experience.

If I remember correctly all the versions with the tiptronic boxes should be viewed with a great deal of suspicion

I have love for the boxtser. Thinking of picking one up for my wife to drive around town.

Love the video! The beautiful landscape takes me back to the very enjoyable trip I took around Scotland last year and the car looks brilliant too.

I buy these Boxsters quite often and they are extremely popular more on 2,7 version. They are expensive to maintain but it's a classic in making it will turn to the point where will suddenly increase in price.

I love the yellow. Good modern classic. You're gonna need 1.5k ish to fix one at that price though

Hi I have been driving boxers for 10 years now I had a 2.5 and I swapped it for a 3.2 I have no intentions of selling it, it is a proper driving car for the average man all I’m saying is just getting one and drive it Rob from Chatham🤓

My mum has a 3.2 986 S and it just doesn't click with me. It comes alive at about 5000 rpm, but it's geared so long that you can only really use it on motorway sliproads.

I dream of a 3.2 boxster...it would be a monster with coilovers and an exhaust

IMS is not big of an issue, the issue is bad oiling system :(, it can't cope with more than 0.8G, the X51 package for early 996 was helping but this is the only non Turbo non GT engine that was semi ok. I was able to reliably pull 1.2G in 944 on coarse concrete course, I would kill the Boxster that way, I know example of a car that engine failed on serpentines in Alps because of that.

Nothing like an underestimated car which overestimates itself and which handles really well.

I had exactly that Boxster in that colour and loved it. Even though I drove around in super car heaven Abu Dhabi, I got plenty of compliments at the traffic light. It's a fantastic car that is actually very reliable. Sure miss it.

More fun to drive a slower car fast than a faster car slow.

I could recommend trying a Mercedes R170 SLK 230 with a manual, amazing little car to drive and in Germany at least they are really cheap

What a beautiful colour

it was the best porshe to drive when it came out "is NOT a complete waste of time" nor complete or imcomplete it´s a very perfect car to drive not a show off car

I have 1997 model, I love it, I love its design

I remember when nobody wanted a used 914 ,4 or 6 cylinders. I truly believe that the boxster is going to be in the same situation by year 2030, everybody will want one and pay a dear price for it.

I've got a 99 2.5 with an updated exhaust, I'm in the owners clubs and it's respected by the guys with 911s. Had it years done over 100k miles not had a problem with it once and when I take it in for servicing porsche treat me like any other porsche owner.

I‘m planing to get a boxster or maybe a cayman 986 as 2nd car next year when my brandnew house is finished. Already drove a cayman, great car!

The 986 is growing on car enthusiasts. Is it because of the price? Is it because of the pure driving pleasure of this car which new cars lack? Hmm idk but even the look is growing on some enthusiasts.. Including myself..

If you get one with the M030 Sport Suspension, it's a much better ride. I have one from 1999 and it's absolutely wonderful on track as well. It's actually capable of keeping up with 997s, at least in the corners. ;)

Way better than any car at its price no matter what