2003 Porsche Boxster S Review: A Fantastic Sports Car Bargain

The 986 Boxster S: A Bargain Sports Car

• 💡 The 2003 Porsche Boxster S is presented as a fantastic sports car bargain, offering an amazing driving experience and sports car feel for its price.
• 🚗 This specific Boxster S is a later model with a six-speed manual transmission and is being auctioned on Cars and Bids with no reserve.

Shared Components and Design Quirks

• 🤝 The entire front half of the 986 Boxster, including parts like fenders and the hood, is shared with the 996 911, a cost-saving measure by Porsche.
• 💡 The interior, including the dashboard and steering wheel, was also largely shared with the 996 911.
• ⚠️ A significant quirk is the headlight design, which was not well-received by enthusiasts as the cars aged, unlike the circular or oval designs of other Porsche models.
• 🌟 The Boxster S can be distinguished from the base Boxster by its dual-tip center exhaust and red brake calipers, while all Boxster models feature an automatically deploying rear spoiler at speeds above 50 mph.

Interior Features and Practicality

• 🧐 The interior quality is noted as a common complaint for this era of Porsche, featuring more plastic and larger panel gaps than expected, reflecting a transitional design period.
• 📍 A peculiar quirk is the placement of the rear spoiler control button, found unlabeled in the driver's footwell instead of on the center console.
• 🌍 Porsche's approach to translation is highlighted, with terms like "manual" for climate control and "menu" on the CD player left in their German-influenced spellings.
• 📦 Despite being a two-seater, the Boxster offers practical interior storage, including a glove box, a second locking storage compartment, and unique door panel storage.
• 🎶 The CD changer is located in the trunk, requiring an external trip to access music.
• ⏱️ The tachometer is the central dial in the gauge cluster, with the speedometer to the left and a digital speed readout at the bottom.
• 🥤 The cup holders are a pop-out design from the center console, revealing two holders that are somewhat flimsy and positioned over electronics.
• ⚙️ Wiper speed is controlled by a stalk, but the intermittent wiper speed is adjusted by a separate dial on the center stack.
• 💡 An unusual ambient lighting feature consists of a single light mounted on the door panel pointing towards the dashboard.
• 🔋 The battery location is humorously indicated by a riddle in the driver's footwell, pointing to the front trunk.

Practicality and Powertrain

• 🧳 The car features two trunks: a front trunk containing the battery, CD changer, and spare tire, and a surprisingly spacious rear trunk.
• 🛠️ The rear trunk also houses mechanical components like the oil dipstick, oil cap, and coolant cap, with a small window gauge for coolant level.
• 🚀 The engine is a mid-mounted flat-six, or "boxer" engine, which inspired the car's name "Boxster" (boxer + roadster).
• 💨 The base Boxster had around 200 horsepower, while the Boxster S, introduced later, offered about 250 horsepower.

Driving Experience and Historical Significance

• 📈 The 986 Boxster, along with the 996 911, played a crucial role in Porsche's financial turnaround in the late 1990s.
• 🛣️ Driving the Boxster S is described as exceptionally fun, tossable, and exciting, with a perfect shifter and clutch feel.
• ⚡ The late model Boxster S is considered legitimately fast and exciting, with easily accessible power and a potent performance even below 5,000 RPM.
• 🏎️ The car's mid-engine balance contributes to its light, tossable, and eager feel, making it a thrilling driving experience.
• 🔧 The availability of independent Porsche service shops makes maintenance relatively accessible.
• ✅ The 986 Boxster S is highly recommended as a fantastic deal and an exciting sports car for the money, offering a fun, analog, and enjoyable experience.
• 💯 The 2003 Porsche Boxster S receives a DougScore of 53 out of 100, praised for its exceptional driving dynamics and value.