My Road to Boxster Addiction

Back in 1969, I owned, what was always my favourite car until, I bought my Boxster. It was a 1968 Karmann Ghia cabriolet. I always loved roadsters.



One day I had the Karmann Ghia into the local VW/Porsche dealer for an oil change. While waiting, I walked into the showroom. There, sitting on the floor, was a brand new beautiful silver 911 Targa with a whopping (for 1969) $23,500 price tag. I believe it was closing time that the staff finally had to drag me out of that car. From that day on, it was my dream to own a silver Targa. Whenever I was lucky enough to be sitting at a light with a Porsche beside me, I'd always roll down my window and hope the driver was on his way to a hot date. I wanted to hear that flat six when the light turned green.

Over the years, for one reason or another, I was never able to make the dream come true.

Then in January of 1993, at the Detroit Auto show, Porsche pulled the wraps off their newest concept. There it was, a drop dead gorgeous silver roadster. The Boxster Concept. It was silver just like the very first Porsche. My jaw dropped. OMG! Porsche actually designed a car more beautiful than a 911. The engine was in the middle, where Ferdinand Porsche had placed it in his very first car, the 356-001, to achieve the ultimate in balance. In that split second, my dream changed. I lusted after one of these fabulous looking roadsters. I really, really wanted a silver Boxster. Soon I had one - a model of the concept, sitting on my desk, where it still sits today.

The Boxster Concept at the Porsche Museum.





Porsche spent a month building up the suspense at the introduction of Boxster in 1996. It started with a pair of headlights in the distance. Every day I checked into the Porsche website, the lights came closer. And, after 30 days, there it was. Wow! It was now here in the metal. The Porsche Boxster.

It still took a few years, but in 2006, I was finally able to make the dream come true. I was actually able to do more than just look. It was time to buy a Boxster. I've loved driving all my life. This was going to be special. The only two options it HAD TO HAVE, were, silver paint and a manual transmission. There were a few Boxsters either in stock or on route to the dealer that fit the description, all with a longer list of options. I finally settled on one that would arrive at the dealers in a couple of weeks.

When it arrived at the beginning of March, I made the 60 mile drive to the dealer to have my first look. OH MY, what a gorgeous looking car! I arranged to have the dealer store it until the beginning of April. No way did I want to drive my Boxster while there was salt and slush on the roads. Every weekend in March, I drove to the dealer to bond with my car. I'm positive that March 2006 had over 100 days.

I started to wonder if, in my mind, I'd blown the capabilities of this car out of proportion. April 1st came (I couldn't sleep the whole night before). It was time. I had arranged with the dealer that they pick up my wife and me so we could savour the first drive in the Boxster together. My shaking hands had trouble signing the papers. FINALLY all the paperwork was done and the salesman was done going over the controls and features with me. My dream was coming true.
It was a chilly day with a stiff breeze right from the North Pole. I looked at my wife and asked if she'd mind if we put the top down for at least the first part of the drive. Her reply: "Well it IS a convertible!" Despite the 35 degree temperature, that was an incredible drive home.

From the first twist of the key with my left hand, my love of the Boxster did nothing but continue to grow. Every time I slide behind the wheel, I marvel at how everything is just where it's supposed to be for the maximum driving experience. The seats, comfortable, but firm enough to easily drive stretches of 500 or more miles per day. The shifter - right there were it belongs. The seating and pedal position are as if the designers at Porsche asked me where I wanted them and that's where they put them. It's like slipping on my favourite pair of sneakers and I'm ready to walk, dance, run, drive or whatever else I feel like doing. And, it can all be done to the intoxicating sound of the Symphony in Flat Six. It has always exceeded my expectations. I wanted to keep this car forever.

It was perfect for everything from short fun drives.





To longer cross county trips, like our California tour, including:

Death Valley



Zion National Park



Alas. Things change. It seems that, what to me, is an integral part of my driving enjoyment is disappearing at a frightening rate. Automatics, including PDK, are taking over. PDK, which admittedly is a fabulous piece of engineering, is being chosen for various reasons: need an extra couple of tenths at the track, too much shifting in stop and go traffic, don't have the co-ordination to shift and people even say that they're just too lazy to shift. All valid reasons to purchase PDK. Fewer and fewer people want the driving involvement that a manual provides. Without a manual, I know I can't achieve what I call the Zen of driving.

Then came the rumours that the fabulous flat six, heart and soul of the Boxster, would be replaced by a turbo charged four cylinder. No longer would I have the involvement of shifting, becoming one with the car to dance through the curves to the sound of the Symphony in Flat Six.

So, what would happen if I did want to get a new Boxster in the future when a manual and flat six no longer were options?

After some long soul searching, I decided to custom order a new Boxster to hopefully see me a long way down the road. After close to a year of wearing out the Porsche configurator, testing cars with various options and thanks to a few people here on Pedro’s Board, who gave me input and patiently answered my questions to help in my decision making. People like Roger in PEI, Laz, MikenOH and of course Pedro. I'd finally come up with what for me, is the ultimate Porsche.

In mid May, I placed my order for a 2014 BoxsterS. I had become a waiter. With an early June production date, I tracking the car on its journey from Stuttgart to the Emden ship yards, its voyage across the Atlantic, sitting in Halifax in what seemed like 6 months until its arrival at the dealer for a July 25 delivery.

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To this day, I still get that same tingle up and down my spine when I fire it up and drive it. I am a Porsche Boxster addict and don’t want a cure. I just enjoy scratching the itch.

It started for my wife and I 25 years ago at a new car show in Cleveland. At the Porsche display, the concept car was on display and it resonated with both of us.
At the time my wife had just picked up a '96' corvette to go with our Miata and while great fun, it fell victim to GM/s poor QC at the time and lack of customer support.
We started looking in the summer 0f '99' for a Boxster and found a GR car at a local dealer. One drive was all it took and the Vette& Miata were gone.

The 986 ran like a clock and handled like a dream, but was a little down on power. When the 987s appeared in dealer showrooms, we drove one and were swayed once again; we ordered a car and waited the 2 months. the car felt way different from the 986--more solid and the interior was definitely an upgrade. The extra 40HP didn't hurt either.
We drove the car for another 7 years--doing a few auto-x and a lot of track days. The car never let us down and ran like a clock.

When the 981 made it's appearance in early 2012, the styling really caught our eye and we drove one--Wow! Power, looks and great handling--it was an easy sell.
We traded the 987 and waited the 2 months, taking delivery Thanksgiving week 2012. Seeing the car for the first time in the delivery area, we were stunned at how gorgeous the car looked. Here we are at the dealer:



Those were--and still are--two very happy Boxster owners. 8 years and many track days later, we are still impressed with this car.

On a whim, we went with the X73 suspension when there was very little known about it. That was a good move since it further enhanced the handling without punishing the driver. I was so sold on this option I bugged Guenter about it until he went with it on his car .