Hi guys,

I am planning to buy my first car during this summer. As soon as I graduate, I will be looking at purchasing either a 986 2003-2004 Boxster S (facelift), or a 2003-2005 BMW Z4 3.0 (pre-facelift) within the following weeks. The car will not be daily driven, it will mainly be used in weekends during the summer. Perhaps I will be doing a few roadtrips each year, and if possible, one or two trackdays. Not much more. As the car will not be used daily, I will be able to keep costs (mainly depreciation) down as well as the miles of the car. I do not value interior space or luggage space, hence I do not need a 4-door car (I can always borrow my dads). What I do consider important is; low levels of depreciation, chassis, steering-feel, exhaust-note, build-quality, design, and preferably an open top (for this type of car - I mean, it's not a GT3).

After having considered everything from the BMW 330ci (E46), BMW M3 (E36), BMW M3 (E46), Honda S2000, Evo's, Impreza's, R33 GT-R, Porsche 944/968, BMW Z3, Z3M, et.c., et.c., I am now eventually torn between the Boxster S and the BMW Z4 3.0, as they seem to be the best options for me, considering the amount of money I am willing to spend. They both offer plenty of performance for me, and they seem to have really good resale-values, exhaust-notes (removing the foam from the sound-generator in the Z4), open tops, et.c., et.c.

Having driven both a Z4 3.0si Coupé at a trackday a few years ago, as well as my uncles 987 Boxster S, I experienced a very noticeable difference in chassis and steering feel. While the Z4 feels like a sporty car, the Boxster feels like a proper sports-car. The exhaust-note of the Boxster, as well as the build-quality (even comparing the 986 to the Z4), is definitely on another level compared to the BMW. On track, the Z4 had lots of body-roll and the chassis (even with the M-sport suspension) was way too soft (the Roadster is not likely to be any better...). On the other hand, I do prefer the styling of the Z4 and its reliability. The Z4 is also a bit cheaper to own than the Boxster S, but the driving experience is nowhere near that of the Porsche. What bothers me about the Boxster S though, is the RMS and IMS failures which have been discussed a lot on different forums. An engine-failure would be my biggest nightmare. How usual are these problems? Should I be avoiding the Boxster S and go for the Z4 instead due to the aforementioned? Moreover, I have not gotten any actual figures of the service costs of the Boxster, but I know that the Z4 is not pricey at all. What am I looking at for the Boxster?

Something I should probably mention is that I will be working at our official local Porsche dealer here in Sweden during this summer, thus I would probably be able to get a few discounts here and there when it comes to the servicing of my car, as well as spare-parts. I also have a few contacts which have offered to help me with the service.

The BMW would be bought locally in Sweden, whereas a Boxster S would be imported from Italy. Whatever I do, I will make sure to get a PPI before the purchase at an independent shop. My contacts at Porsche here in Sweden have also offered to check the VIN of the Boxster, in case I purchase one in Italy.

I will not be doing any modifications to the car, other than perhaps a set of wheels and suspension.

Based on the above information, what would you recommend? As I said, I'm torn between the two.

Thanks for your input! Please note that cars such as the Lotus Elise, Exige, et.c. are already out of the picture.

 

another Italy buyer here


well,consider it this way..
if you get the Boxster as first car you`re not gonna be able to be cool with any of those wannabe sport cars out there which are still cool but not the real deal when it comes to handling etc

if you go for the BMW you still have a lot to experience and lust for and eventually can have a lot of fun with,...say a 335i as well

go for the BMW
otherwise you`re gonna be infected and that`ll mean $$$ in no time

 

So your telling him to buy the BMW because the Porsche is a superior car and will have him wanting more? He should buy the Z4 so he can aspire to a 335?

There is no substitute.

 

ECB is clearly an idiot. Get the superior car, the Boxster.

 

Lol.

Get the boxster. If you're going to be working at a Porsche dealer it'll help out when it cones to fixing anything.

 

boxter. definitely.

 

I have owned a BMW Z4 (2003) and I now have a 987 S (2006).

I really love both cars and I think RickyZone summed them up pretty nicely.
It's pretty obvious that they are built from different philosophies. BMW basicly starts by drawing up a "standard" car (in this case using 3-series components) and turns it into a sporty car. Porsche designed a racer and turned it into a sporty car for street use.

Two different ways of approaching the task of building a sports car. You can feel it whien driving the cars. The Posche feels so much more alive and suffers less from the compromises that BMW was forced to handle when building a sports car from standard components.

I found the Z4 to be a great daily driver and it looks beautiful. However, if you're looking for a weekend and track car, go for the Porsche!

I don't remember exactly what I paid for service on the BMW, maybe slightly less than for the Porsche, but they are in the same ballpark when it comes to maintenance costs.

 

First things first, I hope you get a manual gearbox. First car and especially these two choices need to be stick. That said, I'd recommend the Boxster S. I've been a Porsche tech for 7 years and I've always respected the later generation Boxster S. It is a great car at the price point. The later ones typically do not have engine failures and if they did they would have already. The RMS can leak but usually not bad enough to really worry about. A little oil loss can be topped off and will typically be less than the Porsche turbo engines consume normally. Those cars are a piece of cake to work on for Porsche guys so make friends with one of the techs a your dealership and if something happens you can get some help.

 

just go fvck yourself,..yeah just do it

 

yes,..I know it sounds stupid but out of experience it is just impossible to be satisfied with anything lesser afterwards..spoilt for life at young age
but I don`t regret now going that route back then