Crazy Boxster prices - who’s buying them? - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I’ve just had a look on Porsche approved cars and noticed that there are a number Boxsters advertised for £200k. Ok they are limited edition 718 model but we all know they are a boxster. So who in their right mind is willing to pay £200k for one? I remember buying a 2year old Boxster S for £17k from an OPC about 12years ago, 1owner, ultra low miles. Cracking car. Similar car now £62k. Car market is still crazy. £200k funds a very nice collection and variety of cars.

Spyder 4rs posssibly, if not, got any link to said cars?

[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.] https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/55057/202407117704575?resize=720

The spider RS is not really “a Boxster” in terms of what I would consider a Boxster to be….i recently had a Boxster 987.1, 3.2s bought for 8k and sold for 8k, I guess that was a 50k car new. It does seem a huge amount to pay for what a lot of people will see as just a Boxster but these are quite special cars.

Haha, first post i have seen comparing a new Spyder RS to a 20 year old Boxster and asking why one costs 20x the other. Chapeau.

R33FAL said: Haha, first post i have seen comparing a new Spyder RS to a 20 year old Boxster and asking why one costs 20x the other. Chapeau. Because it’s still a Boxster? Plus your maths needs a little practice on both age and value.

W12GT said: R33FAL said: Haha, first post i have seen comparing a new Spyder RS to a 20 year old Boxster and asking why one costs 20x the other. Chapeau. Because it’s still a Boxster? Plus your maths needs a little practice on both age and value. putting aside values so lets say a current Boxster S , if you think thats in anyway similar to a Spyder RS well you could give Joe Biden a run for his money

These are both called Capri These are both houses There is more to what something is than its name.

PaulD86 said: That is not a house - it's a dog's dinner. If you want to use it in a car comparison thing thread, this is a very expensive restomod, that turned-out badly. (hope it isn't yours )

Orangecurry said: That is not a house - it's a dog's dinner. If you want to use it in a car comparison thing thread, this is a very expensive restomod, that turned-out badly. (hope it isn't yours ) I can confirm not mine. Mine is more tasteful. And smaller.

I guess it's like asking why does a GT3 RS cost way more than an equivalent 911 Carrera? The Spyder RS is effectively a convertible version of the Cayman GT4 RS - a very capable motor car, and very different to a base model 718, as good as those are.

W12GT said: R33FAL said: Haha, first post i have seen comparing a new Spyder RS to a 20 year old Boxster and asking why one costs 20x the other. Chapeau. Because it’s still a Boxster? Plus your maths needs a little practice on both age and value. A little digging in what a Boxster actually is will explain things a bit, in as much as a lot of people get caught up in model line up marketing and price point. ie "oh the Boxster is cheaper than the 911 and doesn't have as much power...that means it's "worse"... or "not as status-y" This was all done by Porsche, for numerous reasons. It wanted to expand it's line up. Expand the customer base, increase profit. There's zero point in having two model ranges with the same performance. The most cost effective (profitable) way of doing this was using the 911 almost wholesale, putting a new body on it, offering smaller engines or de-tuned "911" units and charging less (as the development and tooling was already done) Now there's no denying the 911 heritage and iconography, or even its performance. The one thing that's always set it apart but actually hampered it a bit of late was it's engine position. Most race engineers acknowledge that a mid engine'd layout is preferable... so a Boxster isn't the poor relation in that regard. The singular thing then that really needs to be bared in mind is that for each generation (save the 718) the Boxster has been the relevant 911 underneath. 986 was a 996 987 was a 997 981 (and 718) was a 991 An Aussie bloke bought a 981 and loved it so much he bought an insurance write off to take apart and understand. Everything* from the seats forwards (aside form the bodywork and dashboard) has a 991 part number. Even the interior dimensions are the same. Behind the rear seats is basically a swap around... a 911 is space and engine, the Boxster is engine and then space... The software that runs the thing for each generation has 911 coding - until it comes to the ECU for power outputs as the Boxster was never allowed to tread on 911 toes. So you see, not only is the Boxster(Cayman) not "just" or "still" anything, it actually represents the best, especially for vfm, and especially if you don't need the space for small children or pets. Considering what's on offer it could be argued that the smarter money goes on the Boxster product....to get a 500hp GT open top product with a 911 moniker would take CONSIDERABLY more than £200k. I'd also argue if you wanted an open top Porsche full stop the Boxster offers way better looks (subjective I know) I feel it's only how it makes you feel in front of other like minded types that 'you'd' use the term "still just a Boxster".... as a lover of driving, design and engineering, mine isn't "just" or "still" anything... I prefer terms such as "relative bargain" or "smart choice". I haven't watched it for a while, if not "everything" its an absolute shed load https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RDTsr9POA Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 12th July 10:04

Having seen what can be achieved by the factory with the Cayster and a N/A 4.0 motor a punter with no bias either way could easily conclude that buying a 911 is equally mistifying.

W12GT said: I’ve just had a look on Porsche approved cars and noticed that there are a number Boxsters advertised for £200k. Ok they are limited edition 718 model but we all know they are a boxster. So who in their right mind is willing to pay £200k for one? I remember buying a 2year old Boxster S for £17k from an OPC about 12years ago, 1owner, ultra low miles. Cracking car. Similar car now £62k. Car market is still crazy. £200k funds a very nice collection and variety of cars. Uh-oh, school's out for the summer...

kmpowell said: Uh-oh, school's out for the summer... Must have failed quite a few years

I think it is a good point, the fact we now have Boxsters at £200k at an OPC. If you had said that would happen around the time the last generation had launched people would have thought you're mad. The world has gone a bit nuts. The 911 GT3 was £81k list back in 2010, the RS was £104k and could be leased for £1200 a month. Things have changed very, very quickly. The fact a 2 year old Boxster S could be had for £17k is also crazy of course, but was the back end of 2010. But they listed for £44k and could be had for just under £40k new. I think it is a fair comment, only yesterday it seemed like the Boxster was the baby Porsche, now it seems to be an alternative with some of the best engines Porsche has to offer in it and a price tag to match.

I think second hand values might get a little boost as Porsche announced that for Europe, it's game over for Boxster and Cayman as of mid 2025, as they cannot / don't want to meet the new car cybersecurity rules from the EU... (see same story for the Macan). Maybe UK will still get them as one of the Brexit benefits... :-)

kmpowell said: W12GT said: I’ve just had a look on Porsche approved cars and noticed that there are a number Boxsters advertised for £200k. Ok they are limited edition 718 model but we all know they are a boxster. So who in their right mind is willing to pay £200k for one? I remember buying a 2year old Boxster S for £17k from an OPC about 12years ago, 1owner, ultra low miles. Cracking car. Similar car now £62k. Car market is still crazy. £200k funds a very nice collection and variety of cars. Uh-oh, school's out for the summer... It is actually a sensible post, you could buy a 987 Boxster S for £15k, a nice Elise for £20k, Old Jag or Roller for 25k, lovely 2014 Range Rover of some sort...and so on...if you have the space it is a good way to enjoy lots of cars. Horses for courses. We have 6 cars and the total value for all of them is easily under £200k

I agree that it is a sensible post and question. I still live in the world where £200k is a house and not a boxster. And this from a man who bought a 30 month old 987 2,7 in 2008 for £20'500. Now people are paying more than that for a bloody 10 year old 2.7 boxster!!!!!!

pbe624 said: I think second hand values might get a little boost as Porsche announced that for Europe, it's game over for Boxster and Cayman as of mid 2025, as they cannot / don't want to meet the new car cybersecurity rules from the EU... (see same story for the Macan). Maybe UK will still get them as one of the Brexit benefits... :-) Last run Spyder RS and GT4 RS early/mid next year.

Again, you could just as easily replace Boxster with 911. A useable 997 can be had for less than £20k and a 996 for a lot less than that so why would anyone spend well over £100k on something new and shiny? If the question is about perceived value you can't start by assuming everyone thinks the same way.

Regardless, the Spyder RS is a £200k Boxster with 911 parts bin extras added to it. Even Doug agrees, and I think he knows a thing or 2 about cars. https://youtu.be/KiNwJhG9jT8?si=Vz7t9ZqMD6pwtFiQ

maz8062 said: Regardless, the Spyder RS is a £200k Boxster with 911 parts bin extras added to it. Even Doug agrees, and I think he knows a thing or 2 about cars. https://youtu.be/KiNwJhG9jT8?si=Vz7t9ZqMD6pwtFiQ And the 991 Speedster is a £300k 911 with 911 parts bin extras added to it...and you don't even get the fabled extra seats... Special Porsches are especially expensive, regardless of where they are perceived to fit into the line up. worth watching that vid at 26mins 15 seconds ish... Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 19th July 09:33

Quickmoose said: maz8062 said: Regardless, the Spyder RS is a £200k Boxster with 911 parts bin extras added to it. Even Doug agrees, and I think he knows a thing or 2 about cars. https://youtu.be/KiNwJhG9jT8?si=Vz7t9ZqMD6pwtFiQ And the 991 Speedster is a £300k 911 with 911 parts bin extras added to it...and you don't even get the fabled extra seats... Special Porsches are especially expensive, regardless of where they are perceived to fit into the line up. worth watching that vid at 26mins 15 seconds ish... Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 19th July 09:33 He's as difficult to watch as Schmee - fast forward/ delete

Quickmoose said: And the 991 Speedster is a £300k 911 with 911 parts bin extras added to it...and you don't even get the fabled extra seats... Special Porsches are especially expensive, regardless of where they are perceived to fit into the line up. worth watching that vid at 26mins 15 seconds ish... Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 19th July 09:33 Ya agree. Its pointless trying to break it down to "a boxster with 991 parts bin". Guessing a 911 ST is also not special as its just a base Carrera. Look at all these mugs paying £200k over list to buy one....

If we're going down that road all Porches are full of Audi and VW parts so why buy one at all, get an Up GTI, have some fun and save a fortune.

Plenty of suckers with £200k burning a hole in their pocket. On a serious note you used to be able to buy a Clio with a V6 in the back that you could describe as, just a Clio. Porsche probably make more profit on the RS Spyder than a base spec Boxster retails for but there's still enough people that are will to pay it.

maz8062 said: Regardless, the Spyder RS is a £200k Boxster with 911 parts bin extras added to it. Even Doug agrees, and I think he knows a thing or 2 about cars. https://youtu.be/KiNwJhG9jT8?si=Vz7t9ZqMD6pwtFiQ Hardly a parts bin special, it has 'the' 4L GT3 engine, the same which differentiates the GT4RS from the GT4.

Voodoo Blue said: If we're going down that road all Porches are full of Audi and VW parts so why buy one at all, get an Up GTI, have some fun and save a fortune. Or get the bus think of the wad ££ you'd save.

GT Product tax. I think list (assuming you were lucky enough to be invited to buy one) the Spyder RS was 130k plus options, think the weissach pack was 10k. So yeah, it's a pretty hefty mark up on the original price. The flip side is, currently they're not going to replace it, the next Cayman / Boxster is going to be an EV so it's a rare last of its kind car. I think most people would be happy with a regular Spyder and save 100k I think if you got it at list, it's effectively free motoring, assuming you got on the entry list.

Whatever it is it is extremely unlikely that Porsche will make another as they seem to have said Boxster/Cayman replacement is EV only. I suspect in a few years when they have found genuine homes they'll out perform most other Porsche around the same price level right now. Seems like most of them went to people who wanted to flip....don't think there is any money in them any more so maybe genuine buyers will get them.

Av185 - wow an RS bus - i wonder how much an RS porsche routemaster rs 4.0 will cost. Can they chop it to make a spyder? Will manthey offer a ring pack? Surely worth more than £200k!! Cant wait….btw Spyder RS - wonderful thing!

When I made my original post the most expensive one available was 200k, now the most expensive one is under 170k, in fact there are now a number of basically new cars for under £150k, one is available at £136k and there’s still a deal to be had on that! Seems there is little appetite for these even at that price point…. Edited by W12GT on Sunday 8th December 13:49

That Racing Yellow £145k 24 plate few hundred miler is the best value effectively £30k off list before negatiations for a top spec car with mags and ceramics been around for months so maybe £140k would now buy it.

The market is odd on these .a new unregistered one can be had for under £133k. Looking back to my original post where one was £200k, that s one hell of a bitter pill for owners to swallow. Certainly shows how over priced they were back then. Possibly a good buy now compared to other cars available??? The specification isn’t economy class either. Edited by W12GT on Thursday 5th June 17:11

Here you go, should match OP's user name.

LemonTart said: Here you go, should match OP's user name. Top trumps sir! Ouch! Except of course in my OP the price for a new RS Spyder was £200k and in my last post a new one is under £133k so not exactly apples with apples. Edited by W12GT on Thursday 5th June 19:53

Sorry

@W12GT, you were bound to get some flak round these parts, but your assertion that the prices seemed a little crazy was clearly a fair one with hindsight. The "overs" market on the top end 982 models had become a little silly, and unfortunately coincided with supply getting close to matching demand for new cars. Supply has possibly exceeded demand since then, and prices have tumbled. Not sure if anyone genuinely caught a cold to the tune of £70k without putting any miles on a car, but it certainly could have happened. You made a very good point, and ruffled a few feathers. Markets where products sell for more than list price when they are days, weeks or months old tend to be volatile. The £200k Spyder RS might need to be kept carefully for a very long time before anyone realises its investment potential. Of course if they bought it to love it and drive it, and they were willing to take a 50% loss over 3-5 years, they'll probably be OK. Some of us do some pretty stupid stuff around nice cars. I've been fortunate so far, and have avoided the temptation of paying over list for anything. But I did pay £85k for a previous generation Cayman at 2 1/2 years old, and only got £60k back for it 6 years later. Not sure if I played the long game, or just enjoyed the car, but it felt OK. I also bought a new Cayman for £146k "all in" last year, and I doubt I'd get much over £120k for it now. It would be quite a big notional short term loss if I was thinking that way, but I'm not. Sure, it was a lot to spend on a Cayman, but its financial value is pretty immaterial unless I intend to sell it. I can't see that happening for a while yet. Going back to the Spyder RS "crazy Boxster prices". Wouldn't be for me, but from anyone I've come across that own one, they seem to be winning in smiles per mile. The crazy prices were because it's a pretty unique car, and as the prices have subsided, that hasn't stopped being the case. Liam

Quickmoose said: W12GT said: R33FAL said: Haha, first post i have seen comparing a new Spyder RS to a 20 year old Boxster and asking why one costs 20x the other. Chapeau. Because it s still a Boxster? Plus your maths needs a little practice on both age and value. A little digging in what a Boxster actually is will explain things a bit, in as much as a lot of people get caught up in model line up marketing and price point. ie "oh the Boxster is cheaper than the 911 and doesn't have as much power...that means it's "worse"... or "not as status-y" This was all done by Porsche, for numerous reasons. It wanted to expand it's line up. Expand the customer base, increase profit. There's zero point in having two model ranges with the same performance. The most cost effective (profitable) way of doing this was using the 911 almost wholesale, putting a new body on it, offering smaller engines or de-tuned "911" units and charging less (as the development and tooling was already done) Now there's no denying the 911 heritage and iconography, or even its performance. The one thing that's always set it apart but actually hampered it a bit of late was it's engine position. Most race engineers acknowledge that a mid engine'd layout is preferable... so a Boxster isn't the poor relation in that regard. The singular thing then that really needs to be bared in mind is that for each generation (save the 718) the Boxster has been the relevant 911 underneath. 986 was a 996 987 was a 997 981 (and 718) was a 991 An Aussie bloke bought a 981 and loved it so much he bought an insurance write off to take apart and understand. Everything* from the seats forwards (aside form the bodywork and dashboard) has a 991 part number. Even the interior dimensions are the same. Behind the rear seats is basically a swap around... a 911 is space and engine, the Boxster is engine and then space... The software that runs the thing for each generation has 911 coding - until it comes to the ECU for power outputs as the Boxster was never allowed to tread on 911 toes. So you see, not only is the Boxster(Cayman) not "just" or "still" anything, it actually represents the best, especially for vfm, and especially if you don't need the space for small children or pets. Considering what's on offer it could be argued that the smarter money goes on the Boxster product....to get a 500hp GT open top product with a 911 moniker would take CONSIDERABLY more than £200k. I'd also argue if you wanted an open top Porsche full stop the Boxster offers way better looks (subjective I know) I feel it's only how it makes you feel in front of other like minded types that 'you'd' use the term "still just a Boxster".... as a lover of driving, design and engineering, mine isn't "just" or "still" anything... I prefer terms such as "relative bargain" or "smart choice". I haven't watched it for a while, if not "everything" its an absolute shed load https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RDTsr9POA Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 12th July 10:04 Quickmoose you are a star. Great reply. Super informative.

LemonTart said: Sorry Nothing to be sorry for. You won!

Yeah, I think in around 2010 I bought my first Boxster, it was an S in Guards, 50,000 miles, full history and nicely specified, I kept it until into the first part of Covid, loved it. I am in the trade but paid, from memory, about £8,500 for it. The equivalent car today would be near on 4 times that and I'm not sure you'd get 4 times the driving pleasure.

GrandAndrew said: Yeah, I think in around 2010 I bought my first Boxster, it was an S in Guards, 50,000 miles, full history and nicely specified, I kept it until into the first part of Covid, loved it. I am in the trade but paid, from memory, about £8,500 for it. The equivalent car today would be near on 4 times that and I'm not sure you'd get 4 times the driving pleasure. Snap. Bought our 52 plate facelift Boxster in 2011 for I think 10 grand and put 60000 very enjoyable miles on it over the next 12 years. Replaced it with a 981 Boxster GTS, but the old girl is tucked away SORNed in a garage, just in case any of my sons want to put it back on the road for some classic car fun. This is it on the day we picked it up.

Looks lovely and nice to have it still for prosperity. Sold that and my cherished 205 GTi within a month of each other. Must have been some kind of breakdown!

Nice cars. Everything is more expensive than it was in 2010 though (good cars or not). Secondhand Boxster/Cayman still look like value to me.

Think this market has now adjusted. Re the OP’s post from last year: there are now very few Boxsters for sale at £200k

Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I’d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16

W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 A tough sell when for £3.5K less (the new car at £129k excludes the £5.5K OTR costs) you can get a barely driven one with WP and PCCB’s…. https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch...

kmpowell said: W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 A tough sell when for £3.5K less (the new car at £129k excludes the £5.5K OTR costs) you can get a barely driven one with WP and PCCB s . https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Indeed - and the configurator shows that if new, the used Spyder would be £152k plus the OTR costs. Almost feels like a no brainer!

W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 That’s not really a 50% loss though is it… based on the new price relatively little has lost. If someone has bought a car that’s appreciated to the tune of £45-60k and then the market cools that’s a different story. They’ve lost out on the inflated price. Anything is only worth what someone is prepared to pay.

HighwayStar said: W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 That s not really a 50% loss though is it based on the new price relatively little has lost. If someone has bought a car that s appreciated to the tune of £45-60k and then the market cools that s a different story. They ve lost out on the inflated price. Anything is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. It's a big actual loss if one paid overs and is now selling

crystalmethod said: HighwayStar said: W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 That s not really a 50% loss though is it based on the new price relatively little has lost. If someone has bought a car that s appreciated to the tune of £45-60k and then the market cools that s a different story. They ve lost out on the inflated price. Anything is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. It's a big actual loss if one paid overs and is now selling And particularly if bought from your local OPC who was doing you a favour sourcing the car ... knowing that this was a device for them to make the premium that they couldn't make by simply selling you the new car that they would not sell you ... !

crystalmethod said: HighwayStar said: W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 That s not really a 50% loss though is it based on the new price relatively little has lost. If someone has bought a car that s appreciated to the tune of £45-60k and then the market cools that s a different story. They ve lost out on the inflated price. Anything is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. It's a big actual loss if one paid overs and is now selling Exactly! If someone had bought expecting the overs to extend while in their ownership then the risk was all on them. Times have changed, some GT cars depreciate.

ChrisW. said: crystalmethod said: HighwayStar said: W12GT said: Brand new sub 130k. Decent options and with the sought after seats too. I d be interested to know what people are being offered for the £200k cars bought a year ago. Guessing a 90k-100k drop in a year? Can t think of many cars losing 50% of their value in that time. Now they are looking to be a more realistic purchase and must surely be stabilising? Edited by W12GT on Tuesday 16th September 23:16 That s not really a 50% loss though is it based on the new price relatively little has lost. If someone has bought a car that s appreciated to the tune of £45-60k and then the market cools that s a different story. They ve lost out on the inflated price. Anything is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. It's a big actual loss if one paid overs and is now selling And particularly if bought from your local OPC who was doing you a favour sourcing the car ... knowing that this was a device for them to make the premium that they couldn't make by simply selling you the new car that they would not sell you ... ! 100%