981 Boxster GTS - does mileage matter? - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hello all. First post with a first world problem question. I have a 781 on order for Q1 24, fingers etc crossed. In the meantime I’m interested in a 981 Boxster GTS for the gap period only. I’ve seen a couple of 2016 cars with similar spec but quite different mileages (48k vs 16k) and commensurate price difference. Should I be concerned about mileage or is it largely irrelevant if properly maintained? Thank you

I would buy based on condition. My 2015 BGTS has done 41k miles but is in great condition and has a full OPC service history, N rated tyres etc. It’s a fantastic car. Low mileage is nice but if the price is right, I would not be put off by 40k+ miles.

Thank you. Are there any particular longer term reliability issues I should look for or any essential maintenance beyond normal servicing, such as a timing belt change?

Belts are every 6 years or 60,000m. This is the schedule, it's the same as for 718 models: https://files.porsche.com/filestore/download/uk/no...

Get an inspection done, it'll cost around £300 and will inevitably throw up some issues which you can use to negotiate on price. It'll pay for itself in my experience. Usual Porsche issues of corroded components to the suspension, exhaust brackets, heat shields etc are also items to look out for, can easily throw a £3k bill at an OPC of half that at a good Independent.

As above. 981 GTSs are great cars. No major issues to worry although bits and pieces do go wrong. Be prepared to pay for those or for a decent warranty - the official Porsche one is A1.

I'm still amazed that anyone could think that 48k is high mileage on a 6 year old car. It's barely run in. It's covered 8k / year. The other one has covered roughy 2.6k / year. I'd buy the higher mileage car, on the basis that garage queens are the ones that are more likely to have problems (assuming you plan to drive it, not just look at it).

Twinfan said: Belts are every 6 years or 60,000m. This is the schedule, it's the same as for 718 models: https://files.porsche.com/filestore/download/uk/no... That adds about £80 to the service. Dynamic engine mounts and PSE valves are two ‘issues’ talked about. They’re warranty items but I reckon 100k+ miles is not a problem and I’d buy on condition not mileage

Thank you. Are there any particular longer term reliability issues I should look for or any essential maintenance beyond normal servicing, such as a timing belt change?

Magnum 475 said: I'm still amazed that anyone could think that 48k is high mileage on a 6 year old car. It's barely run in. It's covered 8k / year. The other one has covered roughy 2.6k / year. I'd buy the higher mileage car, on the basis that garage queens are the ones that are more likely to have problems (assuming you plan to drive it, not just look at it). The one at 2.6k a year might have been driven weekly, just on weekends (maybe check MOT record for recent mileage). I agree though. I would always rather buy a car that has been driven regularly than sat for very long periods of time.

Klar said: Thank you. Are there any particular longer term reliability issues I should look for or any essential maintenance beyond normal servicing, such as a timing belt change? The engine is chain driven, not belt. The engine in this car doesn't have an IMS, so the IMS bearing failure that plagued earlier cars is not going to happen. The bore-scoring issues that plagued earlier cars were resolved from the 987.2 onwards, so no issues there. You may get the odd suspension component wearing out, but these aren't particularly expensive or problematic to replace. 6 years isn't old enough to start worrying about cooling system components, and I think (I may be wrong) that the cooling system pipework was re-designed for the 981, so the cross-over pipes that corrode away on the 987 aren't a problem for 981s. The more I think of it, the more I realise that there doesn't seem to be much that breaks on 981s.

I sold my GTS last year, approx 40K miles, FPSH etc, never missed a beat. But it was starting to show a few signs of wear and tear, exhaust tips, bit of rust (probably from stone chips), rear spoiler mech stuck occasionally, but I suspect this was a dying battery (due to lack of use through the pandemic) rather than the mech itself.

If you are reselling in 18 months, I would expect the lower mileage one to retain its value better and be easier to sell, especially if the economy tanks during that time. 48k miles is nothing of course, but the market perception in the UK under normal circumstances is very mileage sensitive, just look at those poor b ds with their GT4s afraid of putting on more than a couple of thousand a year in case it knocks the value…

Hi, I have a 2015 BGTS in the beautiful sapphire blue. It’s in immaculate condition, PDK, and has Porsche warranty until January 2024 with FPSH. Having done 62k miles, I’d be interested to know what the true value is - but I’m not selling, the other half would murder me! 😂

cheesebrough0 said: Hi, I have a 2015 BGTS in the beautiful sapphire blue. It’s in immaculate condition, PDK, and has Porsche warranty until January 2024 with FPSH. Having done 62k miles, I’d be interested to know what the true value is - but I’m not selling, the other half would murder me! ?? Why not just key the reg & mileage into WBAC ? Should give a rough idea…

I have done but it seems very low at circa £40k when the cheapest on autotrader is a Cat D at £50k!

[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.] https://thumbsnap.com/sc/kfmWJqxC.jpg

cheesebrough0 said: £30,000 Tops Edited by gordon1955 on Thursday 14th July 19:12

I ran a 981 Cayman GTS up to c.65k miles. I think I bought it at around 50k miles. The car never missed a beat and was utterly faultless. You would have no clue of the mileage if you didn’t know. Sailed through the warranty extension….. brilliant car, don’t worry about the mileage, just keep on top of the normal maintenance!

Klar said: Hello all. First post with a first world problem question. I have a 781 on order for Q1 24, fingers etc crossed. In the meantime I’m interested in a 981 Boxster GTS for the gap period only. I’ve seen a couple of 2016 cars with similar spec but quite different mileages (48k vs 16k) and commensurate price difference. Should I be concerned about mileage or is it largely irrelevant if properly maintained? Thank you Is the 48k one at Swindon OPC? Yeah that’s high mileage compared to others but it’s a fair few grand less. If it wasn’t that colour I’d have probably bought it. (My last three cars have been metallic dark silver and I want a bright coloured car).

I’m going to go against the grain and say mileage does matter. Sure, people say buy on ‘condition’ but a higher mileage car will always be more worn than a lower mileage one regardless of how it has been maintained. Bushes, components, radiators, pipes, bearings all will be closer to needing replacement and around 50000 miles many will need a refresh to drive as well as new.

I’d suspect that most 50k milers will only need some bushes/suspension arms doing - and the discount will more than cover it.. They’re very solid cars. My coil packs are going one by one - the warranty will only replace individual faulty ones unfortunately - but other than that it’s been faultless. Mine (981 S) is a low miler (19k) but it’s driven fairly hard which explains cooking the coil packs sooner

Magnum 475 said: I'm still amazed that anyone could think that 48k is high mileage on a 6 year old car. It's barely run in. It's covered 8k / year. The other one has covered roughy 2.6k / year. I'd buy the higher mileage car, on the basis that garage queens are the ones that are more likely to have problems (assuming you plan to drive it, not just look at it). I don’t think anyone thinks it’s high for the car but it’s high for the prices people are trying to get. A like for like car with say a 48k mile car vs 16k mile car is separated by only a few K. In my book the few K is worth the extra 2-3 years of millage you get.

TTmonkey said: Is the 48k one at Swindon OPC? Yeah that’s high mileage compared to others but it’s a fair few grand less. If it wasn’t that colour I’d have probably bought it. (My last three cars have been metallic dark silver and I want a bright coloured car). Yes, that’s the one. And the 16k one is/was at Sidcup. The only spec difference of consequence to me is 2-way vs multi-way adjustment on the seats, for ease of swapover when my wife drives it and, more relevantly for me, the adjustable lumbar support.

Klar said: TTmonkey said: Is the 48k one at Swindon OPC? Yeah that’s high mileage compared to others but it’s a fair few grand less. If it wasn’t that colour I’d have probably bought it. (My last three cars have been metallic dark silver and I want a bright coloured car). Yes, that’s the one. And the 16k one is/was at Sidcup. The only spec difference of consequence to me is 2-way vs multi-way adjustment on the seats, for ease of swapover when my wife drives it and, more relevantly for me, the adjustable lumbar support. I think the Swindon car is gone now. Does the mileage matter. Well yes. It put me off enough plus it’s not the colour I desire. But other GTS range from 5-10k more because mostly mileage is much better. For me, as I want to use the car a lot, the 48k would near double in mileage over four years, so would look very unappealing at end of term. Bit of a problem as I can’t really afford the 60k my ideal 981 GTS currently costs. Considering instead a much cheaper but high spec 981 S instead. I do have a deposit on a 718s but although I love the look, the engine doesn’t inspire. Such dilemmas.

TTmonkey said: I think the Swindon car is gone now. Does the mileage matter. Well yes. It put me off enough plus it’s not the colour I desire. But other GTS range from 5-10k more because mostly mileage is much better. For me, as I want to use the car a lot, the 48k would near double in mileage over four years, so would look very unappealing at end of term. Bit of a problem as I can’t really afford the 60k my ideal 981 GTS currently costs. Considering instead a much cheaper but high spec 981 S instead. I do have a deposit on a 718s but although I love the look, the engine doesn’t inspire. Such dilemmas. Residuals on a GTS will be better, but I agree that (unlike the 911 lineage) a 981 GTS brings little to the party over a well-specced S. A negligible BHP increase and some alcantara options is a lot for the 20k premium to me. My S has about every conceivable option bar PCCBs, and I haven’t for a moment thought I’d have been better off holding out for a GTS. If money was no consideration, then sure, why not. But the S has the same belter of an engine, and can be specced almost identically. If your S has the right ‘driving’ options (sport Chrono, PTV, PSE etc) you won’t know the difference when you’re looking out of the windscreen IMO. It isn’t a track car for me, so I prefer the interior options that aren’t exclusive to the GTS - 18 way seats, extended leather, Burmester stereo etc… So I’d literally be paying just for the badge. First world dilemma you’ve found yourself in! Edited by Royal Jelly on Monday 25th July 04:26

I picked up my Guards Red from Portsmouth OPC back in March and absolutely love it. Like you l had a 718 GTS on order allegedly due Q1 2023 but with all of the supply disruptions I got cold feet on the wait and went for a used 981 GTS and no regrets. The 718 is a nicer package overall but I preferred the front end of the 981 and more importantly the sound which is quite frankly ridiculous (in a good way) for a standard car to sound this good. I have no doubt now I have bought one the seemingly rock solid pricing on the GTS models will tank but that’s my general luck buying cars 😂 Good luck with your search, they are great cars.

I owned that one previously. Glad you’re enjoying it - fabulous car!

Loving it thanks Nick and Portsmouth we’re great to deal with, came from a 2005 987S prior and it’s a nice step up. Pic of old and new Boxster on a favourite road.

Riskins said: Loving it thanks Nick and Portsmouth we’re great to deal with, came from a 2005 987S prior and it’s a nice step up. Pic of old and new Boxster on a favourite road. That’s sweeeeett Just what I’m looking for. Was it through the OPC? Can I ask how much? PM me if you want to keep it private.

Riskins said: the sound which is quite frankly ridiculous (in a good way) for a standard car to sound this. The only thing I really miss in the 4.0 vs my old 981 GTS. The 4.0 does actually sound great, maybe a touch muted but it’s great when pressing on. But the 981….. that was glorious …..

OPOGTS said: The only thing I really miss in the 4.0 vs my old 981 GTS. The 4.0 does actually sound great, maybe a touch muted but it’s great when pressing on. But the 981….. that was glorious ….. Is there any part of you which regrets making the switch? I have a 4.0 on order but I do love that amazing sound from my 981 GTS.

Boxsterjon said: Is there any part of you which regrets making the switch? I have a 4.0 on order but I do love that amazing sound from my 981 GTS. Yes there are a few things I’ll miss; Interior - My new car spec had the GTS interior with red highlight stitching, this car has a full leather interior which I’m really disappointed by but wanting a manual and an interesting colour (not grey, black, silver, white) left me with few options from the OPC network. Power - The 4.0 unit feels stronger power wise with a nice slug of additional torque in the mid range, just a shame on the Sound as previously referenced. I feel the 981 a little lacking power wise but doesn’t detract from it being a fun car to drive. Apple car play - I know the 981 can retrofit an aftermarket module to give you this but I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this to justify the spend. Looks - I think the 981 looks better from the front, the 718 better from the rear - purely subjective with aesthetics. I’ll be honest I’m not fully settled with the 981 and more than likely to change next year for something with a bit more firepower.

Riskins said: Boxsterjon said: Is there any part of you which regrets making the switch? I have a 4.0 on order but I do love that amazing sound from my 981 GTS. Yes there are a few things I’ll miss; Interior - My new car spec had the GTS interior with red highlight stitching, this car has a full leather interior which I’m really disappointed by but wanting a manual and an interesting colour (not grey, black, silver, white) left me with few options from the OPC network. Power - The 4.0 unit feels stronger power wise with a nice slug of additional torque in the mid range, just a shame on the Sound as previously referenced. I feel the 981 a little lacking power wise but doesn’t detract from it being a fun car to drive. Apple car play - I know the 981 can retrofit an aftermarket module to give you this but I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this to justify the spend. Looks - I think the 981 looks better from the front, the 718 better from the rear - purely subjective with aesthetics. I’ll be honest I’m not fully settled with the 981 and more than likely to change next year for something with a bit more firepower. What happened between 25th July and Sunday 31st for you to change your mind about your GTS.................? Edited by Spevs on Tuesday 2nd August 11:29

Nothings changed, I love it for what it is but I’m a serial car changer and it will go next year guaranteed. I have a 911 itch to scratch, or a GT4, or a Spyder etc etc

The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight.

Klar said: The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight. Not cheap but looks a lovely car - great spec.

oscmax said: Klar said: The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight. Not cheap but looks a lovely car - great spec. Damn those values look inflated. Only a guide of course, but the WBAC value is closer to 40k.

john41901 said: Damn those values look inflated. Only a guide of course, but the WBAC value is closer to 40k. Expensive yes, but I've been helping look for one of these for a friend recently and they are not going for anything hugely closer to £40k, particularly not late, low milers with a spec like that one.

Be wary by the lack of the alcantara ‘GTS’ interior, the Indy’s have advised this makes the GTS much less desirable and that’s top money at £60k.

That’s helpful feedback, thank you. It’s not a big deal for me now but I want to be able to resell in 18/24 months without undue hassle.

john41901 said: oscmax said: Klar said: The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight. Not cheap but looks a lovely car - great spec. Damn those values look inflated. Only a guide of course, but the WBAC value is closer to 40k. GTS values are very strong due to lack of supply. WBAC is not a car valuation site. They don’t want to hold a GTS in stock because they know that most buyers will only buy these from very reputable dealers/OPC. Their valuation is just an indication of what they will pay for a car, not the market value. They are happy to steal a car at £40k but that’s not the true value of a good car. There’s no GTS available that’s low mileage for anything like £40k unless it’s a write off or perhaps mega mileage. That does seem too much though given the lack of standard GTS interior (alcantara). The carmine red one at Mayfair motors is beautiful and 55k with very low mileage. At an OPC that would be £60k I think.

TTmonkey said: john41901 said: oscmax said: Klar said: The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight. Not cheap but looks a lovely car - great spec. Damn those values look inflated. Only a guide of course, but the WBAC value is closer to 40k. GTS values are very strong due to lack of supply. WBAC is not a car valuation site. They don’t want to hold a GTS in stock because they know that most buyers will only buy these from very reputable dealers/OPC. Their valuation is just an indication of what they will pay for a car, not the market value. They are happy to steal a car at £40k but that’s not the true value of a good car. There’s no GTS available that’s low mileage for anything like £40k unless it’s a write off or perhaps mega mileage. That does seem too much though given the lack of standard GTS interior (alcantara). The carmine red one at Mayfair motors is beautiful and 55k with very low mileage. At an OPC that would be £60k I think. A lot of concerning economic headwinds at the moment; interest rate hikes, inflation, gas prices, no more fraudulent Covid loans... As I said WBAC are not the market but their valuations give us a good guide of current auction prices, particularly if people were to end up needing a quick sale, and their valuations seems to be going down at present. Personally I'd be after something a bit newer for that budget, those 981s are at least six years old now; and maybe waiting a few months to see how the market progresses. But anyway if you think it's good value then that's all that matters, do crack on, & good luck.

Klar said: That’s helpful feedback, thank you. It’s not a big deal for me now but I want to be able to resell in 18/24 months without undue hassle. TBH I'd be very cautious paying nearly £60K for that GTS if I wanted to flip it within 2 years, I'm sure if you bought it from the OPC and took it back a week later they wouldn't offer you more than £50K to buy it back. IMO all prices are far too high at the moment, mostly fuelled by cheap finance which is coming to an end soon. I've been looking for a GTS for a long time and prices since COVID have gone bonkers. The problem you'll have when coming to sell is the GTS won't be special enough to attract lots of well heeled enthusiasts and you may struggle to sell privately over £50K.

john41901 said: TTmonkey said: john41901 said: oscmax said: Klar said: The Sidcup one is still for sale. Not my first choice of colour but anything else that should put me off buying it at the current price? https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thank you - it’s been 15 years since I last had a Boxster and I really value the insight. Not cheap but looks a lovely car - great spec. Damn those values look inflated. Only a guide of course, but the WBAC value is closer to 40k. GTS values are very strong due to lack of supply. WBAC is not a car valuation site. They don’t want to hold a GTS in stock because they know that most buyers will only buy these from very reputable dealers/OPC. Their valuation is just an indication of what they will pay for a car, not the market value. They are happy to steal a car at £40k but that’s not the true value of a good car. There’s no GTS available that’s low mileage for anything like £40k unless it’s a write off or perhaps mega mileage. That does seem too much though given the lack of standard GTS interior (alcantara). The carmine red one at Mayfair motors is beautiful and 55k with very low mileage. At an OPC that would be £60k I think. A lot of concerning economic headwinds at the moment; interest rate hikes, inflation, gas prices, no more fraudulent Covid loans... As I said WBAC are not the market but their valuations give us a good guide of current auction prices, particularly if people were to end up needing a quick sale, and their valuations seems to be going down at present. Personally I'd be after something a bit newer for that budget, those 981s are at least six years old now; and maybe waiting a few months to see how the market progresses. But anyway if you think it's good value then that's all that matters, do crack on, & good luck. I don’t think it’s good value, I think it’s crazy money…!!! A well specced S is just as good a car and 25k cheaper. But it has a certain appeal. I think the GTS attracts those that have more money and want to say they bought the top model. It will hold value well, but I think it’s days are numbered in terms of the 4.0 BGTS coming into the second hand market in about 18 months or so. Drive one the other day and it was Lovely, noise was epic.but the 718 4 cylinder cars are faster, sharper and more modern. Just, the noise.

anonymous said: [redacted] I sold my 987 3.4S in May 20 and after 6 months began missing it so started looking in Autumn 20 and I'm still looking, nearly bought a 2015 12,000 miles privately advertised GTS in Carmine Red for 48K but the deal fell through.

This one has been for sale for nearly 12 months now on PH https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/11940903 Lovely spec and perfect miles, but so expensive imho. Perhaps this one would be better for buying and selling over an 18 month period https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205175... Too many miles and owners for me, but I reckon your likely to lose less than the OPC one.