986 vs 987 driving enjoyment

[TheFungle]

Hello All!

First post in this forum, hopefully it won't be my last

A local specialist has two gorgeous Boxsters in, both in fantastic condition, however one in a late model, fully loaded 986 'S' and the other a mid-spec 987 'S'.

Ignoring all the sensible things such as running costs how do they compare in terms of the driving experience? This will be a daily driver and my priorities are a car that offers an engaging drive, not just one which will 'flatten' the road.

Thanks

[mrdemon]

987 every time, it's a much nicer car imo.

[BRMMA]

mrdemon said:

987 every time, it's a much nicer car imo.

I have a 986 S and agree the 987 is the better car (looks better, better interior, more refined etc) but on the specific point of being an engaging drive i don't think it's better, to my mind the 986 is slightly more raw and feels a bit more fun.

at some point i'll upgrade my 986 to a gen2 987 but i know there'll be certain things i'll miss from the older car

[mayes911]

avoid 986 go for the 987 better built and lesser chance of ims failure as this was upgraded for 2006 model years onwards (had one fail on a 986 had to have new engine so speaking from experience and not internet bull).

[mayes911]

BRMMA said :but on the specific point of being an engaging drive i don't think it's better, to my mind the 986 is slightly more raw and feels a bit more fun:


totally disagree had a 2003 986s(boxster) went to a 987s(cayman)and the 987 is no less raw or fun,infact the opposite if you avoid pasm cars and run 18" wheels

[BRMMA]

mayes911 said:

BRMMA said :but on the specific point of being an engaging drive i don't think it's better, to my mind the 986 is slightly more raw and feels a bit more fun:


totally disagree had a 2003 986s(boxster) went to a 987s(cayman)and the 987 is no less raw or fun,infact the opposite if you avoid pasm cars and run 18" wheels

The 987 I drove was a Boxster S on 19's and i found it to not feel as nimble as the 986, still very good though. perhaps i need to try some more as so far my experience is very limited

I'm still pretty sure a Gen2 987S will be my next car though

[Mutt]

Steering is much nicer on the 986 but other than that the 987 is a similar but ultimately better drive. Personally it's also more of a feel-good car, due to the quality of interior and peace of mind knowing that the 987 is (mostly) better built.

Porsche made the 9x6 cars when it was strapped for cash and it shows.

[chris7676]

It's worth noting that 987 has the variable steering (I think it's the ratio), so this could matter from the drivng point of view (bad or good). Also they tend to have higher profile tyres in the old models which influences how the car feels, not just rides.

[lastexile69]

OP
Welcome to the Forum!

I posted a few months back my experiences of driving a 987 for a few days in comparison to my 986 and I must admit I fell totally for the 987. The interior is a massive step up - far more comfortable and better finished, and with a lot more room as well. Ride is much quieter and there's way less road / wind noise for the odd day when you can't get the roof down!

Go for the 987 IMO.

Cheers

[RB_987s]

Welcome to the forum! I've owned both cars and recommend the 987, it's much more modern (the 986 is 16 years old now) and more sure footed so more fun on a spirited drive. My 986 didn't have traction control, I learned the hard way about being careful driving over manhole covers in the wet…..

[jakesmith]

987 2.7 isn't far behind 986s in speed
I've had 986 and 987, 987 far nicer place to sit & appears to be better built & more reliable
Interior in 986 looking very dated now

[mrdemon]

BRMMA said:

The 987 I drove was a Boxster S on 19's and i found it to not feel as nimble as the 986, still very good though. perhaps i need to try some more as so far my experience is very limited

I'm still pretty sure a Gen2 987S will be my next car though

19" is over wheeled for them, I swapped out my 19" wheels on my Cayman S and put 18" back on, was loads better.

I would go as far as I would take a 2.7 987 over a 3.2 986

[lastexile69]

RB_987s said:

My 986 didn't have traction control, I learned the hard way about being careful driving over manhole covers in the wet…..

Errr...yep, been exactly there and done that right outside my own office!

Early autumn mornings when there are leaves all over the road have pretty much the same "rabbit's nose" puckering effect with no TC to assist - the gent in the Land Rover coming the other way didn't look amused as I executed a perfect spin fifty yards in front of him after exiting a low speed corner with what was evidently a hair too much throttle....

[Mutt]

lastexile69 said:

Errr...yep, been exactly there and done that right outside my own office!

Early autumn mornings when there are leaves all over the road have pretty much the same "rabbit's nose" puckering effect with no TC to assist - the gent in the Land Rover coming the other way didn't look amused as I executed a perfect spin fifty yards in front of him after exiting a low speed corner with what was evidently a hair too much throttle....

You treat the throttle as a switch, don't you?

[lastexile69]

Woah steady on there fella .... unfounded allegation .... errr .... well yeah I guess so

[Chase27]

I’m just about to do the NC500 in my 986S with a mate in his 987S.
We shall be discussing the finer points….

[CanAm]

A bit of a thread resurrection there. A mate of mine bought a 986 Boxster just under a year ago, and has recently upgraded to a 987.
He said that, "The engine, ride and cabin upgrades were definitely worth it."

[CanAm]

>
>
An hour after posting the above I got a message to say that last week his alarm went off in the middle of the night and the following day the windows, spoiler and soft top started going up and down while he was driving along. The car is now back with the dealer.

Edited by CanAm on Monday 13th May 17:25

[DarkVeil]

Which 987 is it exactly? First or second generation? Base model or S model?

[CanAm]

It's a base 987.1