Most people who have read this far are thinking, "So what? I don't want to read about some rich guy bragging about his toy." So I'm going to debunk some myths, Bust them if you will, and give you the real deal with owning a Porsche, and hopefully dispel, and create, some stereotypes.
I am not rich. I am a graduate student. I don't have a six or seven-figure salary, and I didn't defraud an insurance company. I save my money for things I want, and sold my previous car, rather than trading it in.
I have always wanted a Porsche. Two of my uncles have had them, they are unique-looking, and are race cars. I was finding deals on 356's as I approached my 15th birthday(When I got my license-God help us) and giving my dad my best sales pitch. Unfortunately, he was, and always will be, a Corvette enthusiast. I was given my mother's old bright green 1978 VW Rabbit instead, which I promptly totaled.
So, I waited. I drove the same Honda for 12 years. I'm putting a page together to highlight my rolling stock on my website HERE. I've had a lot of cars. My dad races cars:
I can't believe the size of the crowd! It's Woodstock!
So I know some things about cars. A lot, in fact.
So the time came where I was unattached romantically, and that detatchment took my dog and my car, and I had some money in the bank. I needed wheels, and, long but very interesting story short, I bought a Guards red 2004 Boxster with 30,000 miles, just had it's service done(which are expensive)for a great deal:$27,000. I know and see plenty of people that spend more than that on their car. Black interior.
I had driven Porsches before, but of course didn't drive them like they were mine, so this was a thrill on many levels. My favorite color is red, as well.
So that's some of the background, and here's the deal:
Myth #1(and this one is the worst): Convertibles, and roadsters are "chick cars."(The words used to describe the types of people that drive them vary). People that say that have either never driven a convertible Porsche, or a Boxster, like they were meant to be driven or have serious doubts about their masculinity. Many of my friends were members of this camp, and couldn't stop smiling after driving or even riding in it(at 146 mph). That may have been a smile of terror, however.
This car was a race car meant to be tracked. The fact it has a convertible top is an added bonus or negative, varying by the hour. If you're driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway on a nice Spring or Fall day, it doesn't get any better. If it's raining and you're wearing a suit and have a lot of bags, it sucks. Also, if you're taller than 5'2 and constantly are opening and closing the top so you never learn where the roofline is(like me), get used to hitting your head.
It has a front and rear trunk, which is very nice. Two bags of golf clubs can fit in the rear one, I'm told and have seen in a photo. I never even came close to filling it all up. But, to make that space, it has a mid-engine.
The mid-engine gives the car perfect weight balance. It handles like it was on rails, to use on overused phrase. It really does. The "S" has bigger brakes, wider tires, I believe more negative camber on the tires(they are pointed in on the tops), have Z rated tires, have more horsepower, and there is no reason anyone should buy a base model, of anything. I spit on the base model. If you can't spring for the extra, wait and buy it later, or buy the next nicest badge down's top of the line. I installed rear speakers, and a new stereo.
The stereos that go in them are garbage. That isn't my opinion, it's a fact. Actually, it is very common for the stereos to crap-out. They're the same ones that go in Lambos, Ferraris, and several other exotics. I don't know what's up with that or what kind of naked pictures someone has of somebody at Porsche, but they need to review that supplier. I have fairly high audio standards, admittedly, but these things actually break. Mine went crazy, I shipped it back to the manufacturer(whose name I will have to remember and repost here), and they told me water had gotten into it. There was no way. They offered to sell me another unit to replace it, at a "discount." I bought one from Crutchfield, sold the old broken one(Yes, they knew it was broken, and I sold the faceplace separately from the head unit) and was set.
Incidentally, the Blaupunkt stereo(which are the stereos that used to come in Porsches) I purchased came with a remote control. I thought that was ridiculous, but I came to use it a LOT. It's handy to have on your lap, if you have to scroll through radio stations, for example, or search for songs on a CD. And the next buyer, if you sell it, will think that's cool.
To access the engine is a small undertaking. Clips have to be undone, panels have to be removed, the roof is put back, but not a big deal. The only reason a non-mechanic would need to get in there is just to clean the compartment out. There's no room, and nothing really to access. The car sits about 3" off the ground, so you need a lift or have to buy Rhino Ramps because of the angle, and even then there's not much clearance. I'm not brave enough to put the whole car on stands by myself. But you may want to change your own oil, for example.
This car takes 12 (twelve) quarts of oil. An oil change at the dealership is about $350. If you don't know what you're doing, that may be worth it. That's a lot of oil to drain in a garage, on a very low-slung car. I changed my own, but I'm just saying...
Parts for this car, not surprisingly, are expensive. Don't mess it up. Fortunately, the car is so well tweaked out that you can't really do many mods to it. I know people do, all the time, but for the everyday driver, this car performs like a jet. I kept an informal count when I drove around, and I know I could take 99% of drivers around me at any time. That's just straight-line driving, or dragging. These cars were meant to be raced on curvy, winding tracks, not dragged.
This car is more expensive than average cars to operate, for sure. It takes premium gas, and doesn't get very good gas mileage, considering the weight and size. It just has a large engine. 18mpg was standard, but if I'm wearing it out, 14mpg. But I also got it for a steal, so I just applied my operating costs toward the cost to rationalize it. I recommend you do the same.
MYTH #2) This car is comparable to the Audi TT, Honda s2000, Miata, or any other small convertible. Possibly the Audi in terms of speed, but the Audi loses in terms of masculinity(important), storage room, handling, and comfort, something none of these cars have for long distances. The other cars are simply out of the Boxster's league. The guy I sold it to had been looking at a TT, until he drove my Porsche. Coincidentally, Volkswagen owns Audi, and was where Ferdinand Porsche worked before founding his company.
You will be asked the following questions every time you stop: What is that, what do you do for a living, how much did that cost, and how fast will that go? It becomes tiresome, but personally and vainly, I enjoy the eye appeal when I'm in motion, or at a stop light with pretty girls around.
If you take care of this car, which you should, you'll start wanting to steer even clearer of Wal-Mart and such parking lots. These cars are not safe to park alone in questionable areas, which sometimes is a worry. Few people only drive from one secure parking space to another. I was always worried someone would key it or cut the top just for spite. Both happened to a friend of mine in college all the time, who had a convertible BMW (black, no less) by hooligans. A funny thing happens, though. I would park it WAY out away from other cars at Wal-Mart, and other people would park around it. Ugh.
I eventually sold it to get an SUV, as I was doing a LOT of traveling, woodworking, and wanted to get another dog. This is a questionable "only" car. For a weekend, fun car it's ideal. You can buy a hardtop for it, although they are hard to find and expensive. Many people who buy these cars are, in fact, affluent, and have all sorts of hoists and tire racks for their summer and winter tires and go all out. It's recommended that if you live in a place that sees winter weather, you switch out tires. I drove mine in some very cold and less-than-ideal conditions, and I would agree-you need two sets. This also requires 2 sets of rims. They are VERY expensive, although a lot of people buy just the cheapest of both for winter, it that's fairly reasonable. Especially if you plan to keep the car for some time. I did not.
There are great resources online for Porsche owners. They are a tight bunch, and obsessive. There's probably a Porsche Club in your city, in fact. Many great forums and online parts dealers. I would recommend buying a used one from male previous owners. Not to be sexist, but I know how women take care of cars, IN GENERAL. Some are good at it, but I see some women driving these cars and if they aren't doing the maintenance themselves, they probably dropped dead at the price of the first servicing, and didn't go back. Of course there are a few that kept it up as it should be, but overall, I see more men, like me, that buy these and keep them mint.
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