Martin,
Your fit of Intra-Porsche snobbery has given me a fine way to post what will probably be my last post to AAP, since I am getting out of the Porsche stable shortly.
You said: "Boxster has been 'designed' by Wiedekings bean counters to be cheap to build."
I paid almost 50 grand seven years ago for a chance to play in that 'cheap' environment. Maybe that's chump change for you, I dunno. But comparitively, the cost of entry for the venerable 914 (what, don't like that 'cause it wasn't a real Porsche, either?)was less than Boxster. Likewise the 924, certainly (most Intra-snobs hate that one too, so go ahead and malign it)was also relatively inexpensive. A base 944 (hate that one, too, even though it is a cousin of 968? or only hate the four cyl?)was not too pricey. And 356's weren't outrageous to build or buy, or at least they didn't compare to the out of pocket bite of a 'Whale Tail 911" back in it's glory. I'll bet you think that is among the 'true' breed, yes?
You go on: "It's only recently the engineers got a chance to improve the stupidly named thing to deserve the P badge."
So, when it was released as a perfectly balanced, mid-engine, long-lasting, new design, with features some would think of as sport-car-like, i.e. excellent brakes, nimble handling, responsive but not overpowering free revving motor, tightly built, snugly fitted, reasonable on fuel, FUN to drive, ...etc, etc, you find all of that to not measure up somehow...? What exactly are the faults that kept the Boxster from meeting muster, in your amazingly jaudiced eyes? I guess all those buyers and almost everyone in the automotive press who heaped (and continue to heap) praise on it must be stupid, to you?
You even malign the very *name*? Even though a bit unweildy and quite likely to be shortened to "Boxer" by the auto press and even potential buyers when it first arived, I don't recall that it met with any resistance or untoward comment until you say it now.
Huh.
Did it have some glitches? Sure, any ambitious and complex undetaking is hard to do perfectly on the first pass. Cheesy windshield wash aiming. Quaint spelling on the climate control. Optimistic speedos. Are those really the hallmarks of a dismal design concept failure?
Of course, you go on with: "(But I still don't like it.)", so maybe you should just not answer anything I ask here, because after all, it's more fun and easier to nurture our ignorance and stupid preconceptions/superstitions than it is to go through the *effort* to actually examine them and confront them head on, and consider whether they are even worthy of holding...
Hey, don't think I am a wild eyed "Boxster's-rule" nut -- I did enjoy my car immensely, but right now it is on the auction block as I pursue a totally different automotive adventure. You know, Variety. You ought to think about it sometime.
Farewell AAP!
GS Arctic Silver 1998 Boxster w/ sport package