Is a Boxster a poor man’s Porsche?

The Porsche Boxster was released 21 years ago, and people used to believe that the only reason you’d buy a Boxster is that you did not have enough money for a 911. Or you were a woman, and you actually prefer a softer, smaller car.

These days the Porsche lineup has changed dramatically, and there are 4 additional models since the early Boxster days. The compact Macan SUV costs around $52k, or about $10k less than a Boxster, and nobody has ever called the Macan a poor man’s Porsche.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Cayman is also cheaper than the Boxster, and that was always the case, but people never considered it as a poor man’s car. You have to be extremely wealthy to say that a $60-120k car is a poor man’s anything.

It’s fairly safe to say that this is not true whatsoever. In the older days, the product placement of the Boxster and the 911 was fairly similar, and the 911 brand name was way ahead. But nowadays, the Boxster platform is way more appreciated.

Boxster vs 911

For a long time, the Cayman/Boxster platform was predominantly occupied by stepping out of the 911 shadow. But as time moved on, even the most stubborn of people realized that the Cayman/Boxster platform had its own thing going for the entire time.

But compared to the 911, pretty much every other sports car model pales in comparison because the 911 with almost 60 years of heritage is a definitive icon of the sports car world. But the Boxster is a different car predominantly because of the mid-engine layout.

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Nowadays, an entry-level 718 Boxster costs around $62k, an entry-level 992 911 costs around $101k. The 911 offers 80hp more, and a more car enthusiast-friendly flat 6 engine, while a 718 Boxster offers a turbocharged 4-cylinder.

The 911 has a 0-60mph of 4.0 seconds, while a Boxster does 0-60mph sprint in 4.9 seconds. The power to weight ratio is fairly similar, but the driving experience is completely different. If you opt for the most athletic Boxster Spyder and 911 GT3 models, the difference becomes even more apparent.

Boxster vs Macan

The Porsche Macan is a compact sports SUV aimed to offer a Porsche-like experience in an SUV. The entry-level Macan retails for $52k, a good bit of $10k less than the Boxster. The Macan offers a turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine with 250hp.

The power to weight ratio of the entry-level Macan is way worse compared to the 718 Boxster. Porsche has sold a bunch of Macans, and the Macan is for all intents and purposes the cheapest way into Porsche ownership.

But no one calls the Macan a poor man’s Porsche because the Macan has a completely different customer base compared to a Boxster. All Porsche models including the Macan and the 718 Boxster offer amazing interiors and upscale build quality.

Porsche does not skimp out on the more affordable models, and you can option these out with pretty much the same options as the more expensive models. A new Boxster/Cayman generation is soon to arrive, and the gap between these two will move even wider.

718 Boxster

A 718 Boxster/Cayman platform represents a completely separate product range compared to every other Porsche model, and the identity of the 718 is as confident as a 911 identity is.

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Many Cayman owners also used to mock Boxster owners, the logic was that a Boxster was not made for a car enthusiast, but rather a hair-dresser or a woman. But these days models such as the Boxster GTS or the Boxster Spyder are being adored even by Porsche 918 Spyder owners.

Some 918 owners actually think that the new 718 Boxster Spyder is somewhat of a baby 918 Spyder. A shred of further evidence that the 718 platform is valued as much as the 911 platform is the fact that the 2nd hand prices for a Boxster GTS or a Boxster Spyder are way higher compared to a regular 911 model.

A Boxster is not a poor man’s Porsche, and that dreaded image is now gone. There are no ”poor mans Porsche” models. No Porsche was, nor is cheap, nor will ever be cheap.

FAQ Section

What is the most expensive Porsche model on sale?

The most expensive current Porsche model range is the 911 Turbo range. The ”regular” 911 Turbo retails for $174k, and it offers 572hp, a 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds, and a top speed of 199mph. If you want a 911 Turbo cabriolet, be prepared to pay at least $187k.

If you want the biggest, and the baddest 911 money can buy, the 911 Turbo S will set you back for $207k. The Turbo S offers 640hp, a 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds, and a top speed of 205mph. If you want the cabriolet, or the most expensive current Porsche model on sale, be prepared to pay $220k.

What’s the depreciation like for a Porsche Boxster?

Pretty much every Porsche model holds its value better compared to most premium German luxury car brands. And the Boxster is no different with a 50% depreciation rate after 5 years for the least popular models.

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If you opt for the top-of-the-line GTS and Boxster Spyder models, you might never lose any value because these two might end up appreciating in the coming years. But if they don’t appreciate, they will most definitely hold their value promisingly.

Can I buy a Porsche Boxster for investment purposes?

Some Boxster models might be a good financial idea, and that’s not something akin to a poor man’s Porsche now, is it? The models in question are the GTS and Boxster Spyder models. The newest 718 Boxsters have been plagued by the inevitable turbocharging/downsizing disease, which only indicates that the newer models are all eventually be turbo or EV.

That being said, a Porsche Boxster, or a GTS, or maybe a few limited-edition anniversary models might be a solid financial investment. But you should not buy these cars for investment purposes, the days of an internal combustion engine are coming to an end, and now is the time to enjoy them as much as possible.

Marko Mikulic

Why do you love writing about cars? I love writing about cars as cars are a huge personal interest of mine. I was raised in a car enthusiast community and ever since I was young, I always wanted to do car-related work.

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