Advice on buying a Boxter?

[Guest]

A Nubee here looking for advice on the purchase of a new or nearly new Boxter.

Looking to aquire the car around September. Budget is £25k s/h or could be pushed to buy new if can be convinced of the benefit.

First sports car I have bought, got tierd of being dad and fancy having some fun before I collect my pension.

I know very little about Boxters mechanically but I want to make sure I dont buy a dog if I go the s/h route.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum[]

There are some links to threads on this topic in the FAQ at the top of the Boxster Forum ( http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=46951 )

Anything in particular you want to know?

 

[Guest]

Nothing in particular. If I go s/h I will HPI and AA check but I wondered if there was anything common to look for when viewing a car. I thought this would be useful to save me the expense of the inspections if could dismiss a car on first viewing.

Regarding new or s/h which way would you go given what you know about the model having owned for for some time?

 

[Mark_Bennett]

With regard to a check - don't go AA, they don't know the cars (with all respect to the AA).
Use a Porsche Speciallist or an OPC (Official Porsche Centre). They know what to look for.

I bought new, so I can't really comment on the SH route. At least buying new you will get exactly the spec you want, but you will have to wait 6 to 9 months to get your new car.
The book by Peter Morgan mentioned in the FAQ is excellent by the way - really useful - especially if you are unfamiliar with the range/model.

 

[Guest]

My local dealer is Guildford so I guess I have to go to them and see what they can do with regards inspecting s/h. I assume by OPC you mean a main dealer?

I corresponded with a member of their sales staff but he was particularly kurt in his replies so I thought I wont bother with them again. I assume they get alot of time wasters so unless you place an order there is little interest. Can you recommend a dealer?

I have no problem waiting 6 - 9 months but I object to loosing 000's on a new car. I have been suprised at how many s/h cars there are on the internet and their prices compared to new.

I will get the book and digest its contents.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: mrsmith

I assume by OPC you mean a main dealer?

Yes. OPC is Porsche terminology for Official Dealer.

I assume they get alot of time wasters so unless you place an order there is little interest. Can you recommend a dealer?

Can anyone else help here - it's been a while since I had the "pleasure"...

The book will not cover the new car (it was facelifted late last year - new interior design and reshaped external panels) but if you are looking secondhand then it will be most helpful.

 

[Ivor]

I would certainly go the "new" route if you can afford to. As Mark says, you will get the specification that suits you although once you get into choosing options it is an expensive business. It took me months to choose my final spec and it is worth reading, listening to other people, searching forums and asking lots of questions before making the decisions. You also have the huge pleasure of knowing that it is "your" Porsche. It is also one of the slowest depreciating cars on the market, if not the slowest so you'll lose your initial investment less quickly.

The downside of going new is the expense of those options. You may come across the perfect match for your wishes if you buy secondhand but it could be a more difficult search.

Above all, take your time. Choosing is half the fun!

Good luck. You won't regret buying a Boxster!

 

[Guest]

I have flirted with the online configuration feature but I cant get a true impression. If I bought new I would go for 18" wheels, metallic paint, leather interior, wind defelctor, speed hold. That lot on a Boxster will set me back £37k! I have seen an 02 Boxster S with everything but the speed hold but with the addition of a tracker, 6 CD system, and a few more goodies for £26k. £10k+ lost in 3 years is a bit steep in my view. But still I hear what you are saying, its a once in a lifetime experience for mortal men so I can see the value in choosing your options and waiting for it to arrive.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Ivor]

Just another thought - if you go for an 2003 model year car, you get the glass heated rear window which will not crack when lowering the hood in low temperatures. Just the job for those bright sunny winter days, especiallly with heated seats!

 

[Dapster]

The debate between a brand spanking new 2.7 (at the £37k you calculated) vs the previous shape 3.2 S is interesting. Porsche have done their usual trick of improving on the unimproveable - the previous generation car was winning group tests in magazines in the last few months of its life despite being 7 years old. The new car is better in every area, and I would suggest you invest your hard earned in a new 2.7 to your spec rather than a used 3.2. If the thought of waiting 9 months or loosing money on a new car doesn't appeal, you will be driving almost the best sports car money can buy in the old shape.

Everyone has different experiences with their dealers. I use the OPC in Colchester and it is the best I have experienced between that, the OPC in Bow, East London, and Chiswick. Tip is to visit, introduce yourself, get a brochure and kick a few tyres. Then go home and call the dealer for an appointment and a test drive. Most time wasters would never do that so you would get better service. Oh, and your new spec should include electronic climate control as without it it'll be difficult to sell on.

Ring a few dealers and ask what stock they have. When I asked OPC Colchester in Jan, they had about 8 or 9 brand new cars in the pipeline (all pre-specced) due for delivery within the next 3 months without deposits due to an increase in allocation - new cars specced from scratch were taking 9 months.

If you are buying second hand, then although prices may rise now the weather is getting sunnier, you will find tons more will be making it to the market place.

 

[dawn lang]

Well i'm obviously the pauper here as i've bought both my boxster second hand so I thought i'd add my two penneth![]

When buying both my boxsters I made sure that I went through the documentation thoroughly. Check the day that the car was 'born' and then make sure the service(s) have been done at the right time/mileage.

Both cars had only had one owner which thankfully meant they'd been bought from and serviced by the same OPC. Ultimately this makes the initial checking out of the car a piece of cake as you just have to have a chat with the dealer - give him the VIN plate or registration details. Explain that you're looking to purchase the vehicle and ask him about the car - has it had any major things go wrong? Generally they've been very honest and i've found both the dealerships I asked these questions to very helpful especially when I drop into the conversation about booking the car in to be examined by and ultimately and serviced by them when the time comes.

At the end of the day the initial £25k you mentioned is still a lot of money and any seller worth their salt will have no problem with you having the car inspected at your local Porsche dealership - it's also peace of mind. You also have the option then of taking out a Porsche warranty which covers most of the glitches that can occur.

Personally i'm going against the grain and saying that I wouldn't buy brand new.

If you do your homework, look at what options are necessary for resale coupled with the ones you want (which may not add to your resale price) then you can't go wrong in my honest opinion - and you'll lose a lot less money than if you bought brand spanking new!

However, if you can afford a new one and sod the expense then I wish you a wonderful relationship with your new car to be! The new car is wonderful but i'm probably a bit biased when I say that my facelift S is an absolute hoot!

Let us know how you get on.

[]

 

[Guest]

Now that sounds like good old fashioned common sense to me. I will most likely go the s/h route but follow the suggestion of taking the car to the OPC and having them confirm its history. £26k is better than £37k especially when its your first car of this type.

I thought I would go s/h first time round and maybe buy new next time if I get on with the car. Good advice about extras. I can see from what little I have read so far the extras really boost the resale of a car so it is wise o have a clear idea of your spec before you buy.

Another minor point, has anyone suffered any hassle from other motorists?

Thanks for your help all.

Nooobeee...No car yet

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

I am really curious about the 9 cars pre specced with no deposit. I was led to believe Porsche don't build unless a firm order has been taken. Does this mean the OPC are buying cars in at their own cost? Would guess it's an easy way of getting the cars to customers quicker. But a bit of a Bu**er if you happen to be sitting in the que waiting for a car you have specced yourself. Cars the don't technically have owners beating the que!!!

 

[JCB..]

The new car is better in every area

Except looks! []

 

[Helen Goff]

i bought my Boxster second hand through a Official Porsche Centre. as it then comes with a Porsche warrenty.

 

[JCB..]

Personally i'm going against the grain and saying that I wouldn't buy brand new.

Your recent post about an 18 month old car was most enlightening. Whilst there is a lot to be said about buying "your Porsche" it's a little meaningless if you end up selling it 2 years down the line.

It's also been my experience that what the media claim about Boxster depreciation is bunkum!

JCB..

 

[Helen Goff]

BTW. i too have found the sales staff very un-inspiring.some have been dam rude.so i have learnt to be more demanding and if i don't like one of the sales guys i refuse to deal with him and insist that someone else seals with me.

for some reason stroppy customers seem to be respected more.[]

 

[JCB..]

Another minor point, has anyone suffered any hassle from other motorists?

Only twice a week for the last 5 years with the exception of driving in Yorkshire and on the continent.

JCB..

 

[Helen Goff]

Another minor point, has anyone suffered any hassle from other motorists?

you get the odd chav/boy racer try it on at the lights or on the motorway but they do that to all powerful cars.. so i'd have to answer that in the 5+years i've owned Porsches i've had no real hassles at all from other road users.

i think it has a lot todo with how you yourself drive. eg if you drive like a knob your attract abuse from other drivers.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Actually I've never been hassled by other motorists. They seem more willing to give way etc.
While driving the other day with the top down, a guy in a stunning new Range Rover stopped at the lights beside me and offered to swap cars right then and there!

The only downside is BMW drivers trying to race me on a daily basis. As well as the usual japmobile suspects.