Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Don't buy just for the badge.

If you want a convertible sports car that a bloke can drive consider a late Mazda MX5 as recommended on Top Gear. Choose a 2.0 160 bhp model and you won't be disappointed - your wife will enjoy driving it too. We've had ours from new, bought March 2007, done 95000 miles in it, and apart from service items all it's cost is two drop-links at a total of about £30 (fitted them myself). Fuel average is 37mpg, it's more than fast enough, handles like a go-cart, and the MX5 constantly tops the surveys as 'best roadster'. I can't fault it and would not swap it for a Boxster - I just don't see the point. My wife has looked at Boxsters, preferring them to the BMW Z4, but I doubt she'll get one.... and our budget is £24000 so we could have a quite recent model. She has not ruled out buying a new MX5.

If you want a 'blokes' Porsche within budget then Jon's guide is right - but your wife won't like driving it as everything is quite heavy.

944 S2 - £4000 to £6000
944 Turbo - £6000 - £9000
968 - £6000 to £9000

It's each to their own and other sports cars are available.

Good luck with the search.

Edited to add - I would have a 944 / 968 convertible though - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 6483704212

I'm as big a fan of Japanese sports cars (ran an MR2 from new for 12 years and can testify to uncanny reliability and a fabulous drive (this was the Mark 1B I got in 1987, before the MR2 went all flabby on us in later incarnations).

So the advice to look at an MX5 is eminently sensible, but the accompanying advice to "ignore the badge" misses the point somewhat. An enormous part of the pleasure and satisfaction we get from owning and driving cars is related to the badge. A Volvo driver may rightly or wrongly derive continuous satisfaction from the feeling of safety they have in their vehicle, despite tests showing that other marques are equally crashworthy or have greater dynamic safety (I have no idea if they do or not). Equally the original poster's wife may be thrilled at the idea of driving a Porsche, and find the entire experience more enjoyable than that of driving an equally capable alternative.

Car brands can put us off too. My old BMW 328i was - as the ads say - an amazing driving machine (the engine itself may well have been the best in the world, it was like pouring cream). The performance from a very ordinary looking 3-series was part of the appeal, but in the end I was just too uncomfortable with being a BMW driver. No offence to BM fans here - we're all different thank heavens. But now my daily driver is a Saab Aero. Again a nice drive but an important virtue for me is that it's not a BMW!

I've spent past 20 years of professional life understanding how people relate to car brands so I don't under-estimate their value, even if it may seem highly irrational to some. We're dealing with very emotional things here...

Cheers

Adrian

Thanks to everyone who has posted!!
This is one we are considering, went out for a spin and it felt fantastic from a passengers point of view.

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/clas ... bhp/748864

What do you think????

It looks very good, price is toppy

Looks good, it talks of full service history but doesn't say who with. Quite high spec & has had some big jobs done such as RMS/IMS seals. This won't have been cheap, shame they didn't do the IMS bearing at the same time. Lowish miles as well. I reckon the price is a little high but not outrageously so.

Going for another look and a test drive.
Any suggestions as to what I should look or listen out for during a test drive?
If all goes well I will offer £9k ish, that seem a reasonable price from what I have looked at so far.
Thanks again for your comments

Thanks for all your advice.
Didn't buy that one in the end, but are now the proud owner of a 2001 Boxster S, with full service history, and 43000 miles on the clock..
It's fantastic

Pics are needed ASAP!

http://www.lewisjamesporsche.co.uk/porsche-boxster-s-in-huddersfield-west-yorkshire-2249138

Haven't figured how to post a picture so here is the link..

Isn't she lovely!

Car looks great, well done

Lapis & Grey look good together. Well done, look forward to see it at an event.