Other Porsche models? Bitten by the Porsche bug!

So I completely have the Porsche bug and I am considering buying a second one so I am curious to your experiences with others. I am intrigued with the older Boxster because they can be bought for well under 10k and seem like they could be a blast to drive. I feel the S models are pretty quick, and with the mid engine they must handle fabulously. There is something about the look of the 928, and the idea of an 8 cylinder car has me feeling like I may get that "torquey" feeling that you get in some of the American muscle cars. The 944 was always a joke to me growing up, my uncle had one and I always felt it was just a sad excuse for a Porsche, but now I am starting to see the appeal of them (Price vs Performance) and I wouldn't ming having a turbo model. There is something about when a turbo starts to kick in, its like the power band on a 2 stroke motor dirk bike. Of those three I feel as if I like the 928 the best. Let me know your thoughts guys.

I just watched a Doug DeMuro vid on the 928. Cool car but I don�t think he was that impressed by the power. Looks like good ones are pricey. I test drove an 06 Boxster (not an S) before I bought my 996. Handled well but I don�t think any better than the 996, and it wasn�t as quick. How about a well sorted 914?

Boxster S was my entry to modern Porsches. It's was so fantastic and bone stock! Loved it for commuting, track days and just to detaill. 10/10 would get again it my garage was an airplane hanger!

Don�t underestimate the 944. Especially the turbo. The extra horsepower on these cars in combination with the perfect balance makes it a real fun car. Besides the 996 I own a guards red 944 with a 968 engine which I use for the occasional track days I drive. The +250bhp it makes in combination with the shorter gear ratios of the 2.5L transmission makes that its really quick around the track.

Of the three mentioned, I've owned two of them. Never had a Boxster, and really have no desire. Maybe the last of the breed possibly. If we peg a price at $12k asking, one can get a pretty good 951(944 turbo). The top of the heap in the 951 is the 90 or 91 models with the bigger turbo bolted on, and some tighter suspension. It would be hard to find a decent 90-91 model for that price, but possible. Warning - most of the 951s you will find have at some point been thrashed, or modded to a point where you would want to start over. Try to find one that is bone stock, and with at least some recent mx history. In the 928 world, you can get a fairly decent model for $12k. There are four general ranges of the 928 and the oldest might be your best bet for the price point. Finding a well loved 1978-1980 with decent paint and interior is possible but you would be shopping for quite a while. Also, the 928s are generally cosmetically ok, but will require plenty of catch-up mx on the wiring, electrical, and maybe brakes, etc. I have no opinion on the Boxster, but for $12k I'm guessing you could get a pretty sweet S model. Look for a car with the IMS already done at that price I guess. Two cars you have left out which bear honorable mentions. The Cayman is the coupe version of Boxster. Not sure what you can find in the $12k range, but worth a glance. The S model is supposed to be quite a performer. The other is the 968. One of the more un-loved of the transaxle cars. The 968 is a rebadged and reworked 944S. It is not turbo, but has a very large 4 cyl engine with lots of torque. A decent one can be found for $12k but the best ones are going for $15 and up now.

I often see the Porsche history divided into "before" and after. The Boxster and 996 started a new generation of technology, and the prior phase ended with the 993, 928, and 968. Or in other words those 3 models plus everything before (944, 914, etc.) have the older technology. So you might want to focus on the cars before the Boxster to get a more varied experience in your Porsche exploration. If the 944 Turbo is interesting, then certainly check out the 968 because it has about the same power with a very broad power curve without the drawbacks of turbo charging. And yes admittedly I do have a 968 sitting next to the 996, but really wish the complementary car was a 914 or 912.

Depends on what you plan to do with the car. I owned a 944Turbo since 1998. If you don't mind fixing things, literally every repair/mod/upgrade you can think of has been thoroughly documented on rennlist or other sites. And as far as working on it yourself its not too bad as soon as you figure out the right tool for the job. But even a low miles stock one would probably need all new hoses and seals. Not too mention the engine plastic parts on the wiring harness. To be fair, mine is heavily modified street legal track car and has been abused for 20 years so it gets way more heat under the hood. Maybe others that just street drive theirs don't see any issues. My fear about the 928 is you would run into the same issues since they are all getting old. The 944 is a simpler car to work on IMO. If I was just street driving it, I would get a non turbo version. I would get S2 or 968, I'm not a fan of the early body style.

I might have the bug too. My wife's told me I tricked her into buying a Porsche 958 for the daily drive. She loves it though. Lol. Base V6 Others. 955 TT and 928 S4 I don't own a normal car anymore.

Oh Man so many good comments suggestions etc. I had never even heard of a 968 but now I am intrigued. The 914 is not my style but the 912 looks fun. Docmirror, 12k or less isn't necessarily my cut off I just threw out there that I see plenty of Boxster at 10k or less (I see them all day long for 8k and under really) and it seems like a fun toy cheap. My biggest hesitation with the Boxster is I feel people look at them as the girls Porsche? Decisions decisions...

My case and point, how does one not buy this??? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...3098973547430/

944 Turbo or S2 or even a 968 would really tickle me the right way. Id love a 08-10 Cayenne GTS as a daily driver but it seems most of them have a ton of miles on them now. A wide body 993 Looks **** with some BBS LMs and PSS-10s. Add some hardback sport seats and a Fister exhaust.... heaven! But for the money, id be in a ton of other cars.

I had a 997.1 as well as my 996.1. Just bought a Cayanne Diesel.

Quotes source post: 15422856

Thats cool. I am looking for something outside the 911 family though.

Good advice in this thread --- depends on what you plan to do with it and how much you like fixing things... Of those mentioned here, the boxster would probably be the best and most reliable, but I'm just not a vert guy. The 951 is lots of fun (was my first pcar) but that they are old and will always need something, same w/ the 928. Of those two, the 928 would be the better GT car, the 951 more fun in town/mixed driving. I wouldn't consider either if i didn't plan to wrench on them myself. The 928 is about to have it's moment, so shop now if you lean that way -- the 951 still has a while, imho. I cringe at the thought of an AT pcar, but those in the 928 are actually not terrible.

I've also loved the 928. Especially the looks of the early models - so simple with the great retro interiors. I've had some real fun times in a very nice Porsche 944 Turbo as well. Not as fast as I'd have liked, but really great I thought. I loved it - but oddly my wife didn't, and she's a vintage 911 fan. When I say not fast, it didnt have that thump in the back accelation of a modern 911 or even a 996, but it went pretty quick. Maxed out on fast roads it felt really great. I'd by a 944 as a daily driver no question. I'd also like a Boxster oddly enough - never used to like them, but I see the appeal now. They've improved with age I reckon. Also a hard core Cayman variant would be nice :-)

Just remembered - Harry's Garage did an owners 928 review: You Tube

Quotes source post: 15422100

I had an 87 944S (after the interior facelift), and you couldn�t ask for a better balanced car. It handled well, and overall was a terrific car. My biggest gripe was that it was massively under-powered. If I was looking to expand beyond the 996, I�d be tempted to pick up a Cayman S. I think the Cayman has become what the 911 used to be, before the 991.x started gaining weight, girth, and complexity.

Quotes source post: 15422686

It bores me to tears. Make it free, I would take it and then donate for the tax relief. sorry...

Quotes source post: 15422888

That is the problem with the 944 turbo. Stock not so fast but with some mods they can be a beast. So you start modding and it turns into a money pit. But this is why I kept mine for so long. I started modding and until the past few years I could keep up with most modern cars on the track. And in many cases the only reason I can't keep up because of stability control, psm. tst?? or whatever the hell these new cars have. My 944T doesn't even have ABS. today's cars have so much tech you really have to be a horrible driver to get them out of control with the nannies on. This is why I recommend a non-turbo. Really no mods available to make them faster, easier to work on, and still fun to drive. For a four cylinder I think the sound good too at 4krpm and above.

Quotes source post: 15423070

To each his own, I wasn't to keen on them either but I am starting to see their appeal, especially the price tag. I feel like I could buy it, use it and still sell it for what I paid or more. I love my 996 but another toy would be fun right?

Quotes source post: 15423070

The car you've never driven bores you. How does this type of input help the OP?

Quotes source post: 15423164

It didn't help me lol. I do need some tax write offs so that part was helpful lmao!

Quotes source post: 15423164

"??" These are called 'question marks'. They indicate that a person wants to know something. In this case, the OP wants to know how someone does not buy the car in question. Perhaps the question was rhetorical. But - in this case, with the target of the question having a link, and asking other questions previously, I understood it not to be rhetorical, so I provided an answer. To amplify, a boring car, in a boring color, with a boring performance means it's easy as a peach for me to avoid buying. It is a data point in the OPs quest for knowledge. Others are free to provide their data point

Quotes source post: 15422686

Oh plenty of people dont not buy those! I've got a 996 and a 450SL in my two-car garage, so that's how I dont buy it. If you've got the bug, I'd highly recommend this or something similar! I've driven all you've mentioned. They're wonderful in each way and there's always a "racecar" version on a poster to put in your garage as you leave for your commute or spirited drive. I owned a 986 for five years before having two kids and justifying my 996. I am guilty of thinking my 73 911 was better that it or more pure when it first came out. But when I finally came around to it in 2013, it blew my and my friends minds. Remember, your care and love for the P car you choose will be respected among any die hard Porsche fans. Do it!

I'd look for a clean '91 944S2 or '95 968. Had the former and looked at the later before getting a 996. There are some interesting cars out there if you search enough. Just remember that jsut becuase these are older cars the parts are just as pricey as ours and harder to find in some cases.

Quotes source post: 15429980

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. Yea I know they are still super pricey to fix, but honestly I am not too concerned about that I understand the cost that is associated with the originally expensive toys lol. Looking into those now

If you want one of those girl cars, here�s a pretty good one, but ya gotta act fast.. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...ign=2018-11-15

Quotes source post: 15432335

HAHA Your attitude is the exact reason people don't buy them and they can be stolen cheap. I agree they so have a girly element to them but thats ok, its performance on the S model stacks right up there with all the 996s we have. Not many cars can be had under 10k that perform like these.

I have a friend who has a Panamera. Drives like a 911 but is more user friendly with more room. Would love to have one of those, but would need to sell my 996 in order to afford it.

Quotes source post: 15432688

Those are cool for sure, not what I am looking for. I have no need to another car that seats more than 2 people lol

I owned a 928 and sold it to buy the 996. At 12K, you're probably looking at a 16V car (before 1985). I loved the car, but on my 82 the three speed auto was a drag and all the 16V cars are slow. Manual trans in a 928 is rare, and pricey. I second the Cayman idea. I use the back seats in the 996 for the kids, but if that wasn't a concern I would have went with a Cayman S. I could have gone for a newer model year for the same money as my 2000 996.

Quotes source post: 15433105

Im not sure where the 12k number came from, I think it was just assumed because of the cars I posted. I would spend more on the right deal for sure. The Caymans are ok but not what I had in mind. Im also not too overly concerned with power as Its more of a "just owning another cool car" thing. Something about the 928 is appealing to me. I am now going to go look up some Caymans just to say I didn't exclude a viable option....

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/1296x968/aphoto_f3ec36325f0681ce993ca4bd85f220f821147489.jpg

Quotes source post: 15433136

yeah, they are cool looking cars. The S4 is a good performer but prices are getting up there. I would drive one before you decide, compared to some other Porsche�s they can feel �heavy.� Really reassuring when you wind it up on the freeway, but not as nimble as other Porsches. Some things to watch out for, especially timing belt service and thrust bearing. The 928 board on here is extremely active.

Quotes source post: 15433699

Thank you, good information!

I love my 88 928 S4. It’s a good mix of the muscle car meets Porsche. Don’t expect a lot of interest in it, people don’t know what to make of them. I don’t care much what anyone thinks, mine drives great and sounds delightful. The early cars are neat and are starting to climb, just don’t expect them to be fast. My S4 gives my 996 a Run for it’s money and is rock solid at the top end.

My first Porsche was an 86 944 as a daily/winter car to my Alfa Romeo. I'll say this, with winter tires it was a blast to drive in the snow. Plus, pop up headlights!! But it was very high mileage and ended up causing some headaches so I let it go. Out of of the options listed, I'd love to get into a well sorted 968. My sister has a newer Cayenne which I've found to be practical and surprisingly sporty. Between a Cayenne and a 996 you'd have a lot of bases covered, but I can't get over the auto trans.

Quotes source posts: 15434162, 15434219

Excellent helpful info thanks guys!

Porsche bug? hm, yes. I've had air cooled, water cooled, front engine, rear engine, mid engine....you name it. I love Porsches; especially the cheap ones which make great project cars