the car that save Porsche Co.

The BOXSTER! - probably one of the best production Porsche model in existence.

 

And the Cayenne.

 

I think its universally accepted that the Boxster reinvigorated the brand. When it debuted in '97 Porsche was recovering from the poor 964 and woefully dated 928. Thankfully, they righted themselves with the 993 and the quality & price point of the Boxster was the magic bullet Porsche needed.

IMO, the new Boxster Spyder is exactly what the car should have been from the start, which is why I'll be ordering one in custom Mexico Blue for fall 2010 delivery (according to my dealer).

 

Agree completely. The Boxster was a grand slam.

 

You know, with as good as the Boxster is... unfortunately I don't like convertibles.

I was really pleased when they brought out a hardtop version (the Cayman), but I'm not sure why some people refer to it as a "poor man's 911".

To my mind, the Cayman is a great car.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Yeah, roadsters are chick cars ...
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Didnt VW help at one time?

 

Actually, it's more a safety aspect of convertibles for me. I've been in a serious car crash before and want the additional protection provided by a solid roof.

I just feel very exposed and vulnerable in a convertible, so don't really relax and enjoy the experience any more.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

My mom drives one. Guards Red. I have to admit my wife and I take long Sunday drives in it during warm months. By the way it's auto and non-S, so definite chick car!

Edit... I was referring to the Boxster not the 550 Spyder.

 

Whoa! Don't diss the 964 - it was an excellent car. The 993 is certainly better in some respects, but the only reason it helped Porsche was because they cut production costs dramatically by studying the Japanese.

The Boxster was certainly a pivotal model for Porsche & the Cayenne was another lucky save...

 

Sorry about that! However, the 964 does/did have some serious & costly mechanical issues. Perhaps I should have said "unsuccessful" rather than "poor"

In any event, the 964 was a necessary evolution of the impact bumper 911's that every Porsche enthusiast knew inside & out. I suppose it was only natural that it would be met with hesitation. Look at it this way...it took the shortcomings of the 964 to develop the 993 and its lagging sales to initiate the Boxster project.

Hmm, so maybe the 964 is actually the model that saved Porsche!

 

All --

Actually, it was the 356 that really saved Porsche.

Dale

 

Me too, so when the Cayman came out, I waited a few years and bought a used '07S cheap last May. Terrific design. It might be the best all around sports car I've ever owned. I take it to the grocery store, track and long trips.

Dave

 

Understood. My daily driver always has a solid roof.

For weekends -- clear weather, daylight, familiar dry roads, etc. -- I like roadsters. The mechanical immediacy is hard to resist.

The Cayenne kept Porsche independent a bit longer during the Great SUV Delusion era, but ultimately I think it and the Panamera will go away once Porsche is reabsorbed into the VW empire.

Probably a good thing, IMHO.

 

i have had 3 911's and 2 turbo cayennes.
i am think the cayenne is all around the best daily driver.
especially in the snowy climates.

 

I've been fortunate enough to drive many exotics and can honestly say that my friend's TPC Turbo Cayman S is one of, if not, the best cars I have ever been in!

 

A friend of mine in High School designed the Boxster. Carrera GT as well.

http://www.miad.edu/content/view/173/121/1/8/

My brush with fame.
This and four bucks gets me a Venti Frappachino.

 

I think the question is 'which time'?

In the '80s it was the 944 that saved Porsche.

 

That was a great car. My dad had one... when he eventually sold it, it had 244,000 miles on it and the engine was still going strong. Thing is, having young children throughout ownership (sorry dad!) the interior had been climbed all over and was starting to show a lot of wear. Also, some of the electrics started becoming expensive to repair, like the pop-up headlights. Having just been promoted at work and given a company car, he couldn't justify the expense of keeping it as a third car and getting into a better condition, so it went to an enthusiast who said he was going to fix it up.

I have this really vivid memory, about 9 or 10 years old, where the headlights popped up only a quarter of an inch out of the hood and my dad goes: "Hey Andrew, would you mind giving those headlights a little tug to see if you can get them to pop up?" Being the dutiful son that I was, I leapt out of the car without question (into a torrential downpour) and pulled the headlights up.

When I got back in, I go: "Fixed it, but it's raining really hard - I'm soaked!" and dad goes: "I know... that's why I didn't want to get out and do it."

Mom was not happy. Dad tried to pass it off as a life lesson to "look before you leap". Mom was even less happy. Anyway, I dried out and it made for a good Porsche memory with dad.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

A comedian once summed up the difference between moms and dads.

Mothers give you knowledge.

Fathers make you earn it.

 

LOL! Very true!

 

The Boxter is always compared to the 550 spyder but thats like comparing an Enzo to a 308 worlds apart in value and heritage for its time.

Porsche made and is still making a fortune with the Water cooled engine failures on the Boxter and 996. Infact it was the only car company to make profit in 2001.

The 944 saved Porsche in the 1980's and was far more reliable in water cooling than the Boxter. The 964 93+ cars turned out to be the better car in the 90's than the Boxter after all.

 

Actually, the 550 Spyder was a race car. The Enzo and 308 -- and Boxster -- are/were road cars.

 

The Cayenne (2002), abandoning factory based race teams (1998) and loading-up with debt saved Porsche........until recently.

 

I doubt engine replacements/service was why Porsche made a profit. 986/996's are about as common as Honda Accord's here in San Diego. People wouldn't still be buying them if the engines were junk.

I know this doesn't mean much, but I've owned two 996 GT3's (and a 996 Cup) which I drove the snot out of with no issues whatsoever. I've had my Boxster since new in '99 and the only problems I've had have been with the roof switch - never leaked a drop of oil. Moreover, I probably know 30 people who have owned 986/996's with no engine failures or RMS issues, nor do those guys know of anyone who's had one. That's certainly not to say that they don't happen but I don't think they're as common as most people would have you believe. I'd have no problem recommending a solid 996 to anyone.

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