The Boxster hit 38,000 miles 19 minutes after midnight on Monday, September 8!
It was a late night drive, so the picture is a little blurry. It happened as I drove Faris from South Bend to Chicago, just as we passed mile 69 westbound on I-80. It was my first longish night drive, top up. The car has fantastic headlights and is just a pleasure to drive. It's a phenomenal car!
Why was I driving Faris back to Chicago late on a Sunday night? Long story short, he came to visit, went to play pickleball with us, and ended up falling and breaking his wrist.
Within moments of the break, Allison got an ice pack to alleviate the swelling. I drove him to the ER where he was processed relatively quickly.
Since he has a clipped wing, I'll be driving him and generally looking after him as he prepares for surgery to repair the break.
One of my favorite reactions to the 38K milestone was Allison's reaction:
It makes me profoundly happy that she really enjoys the car every day. It makes me happy that she's experiencing the delights of owning something that is truly fun to drive, be in, and look at.
This time, the entire family was in the van. We were heading to Ohio for the annual Brewfest fundraiser to support Alzheimer's research. I decided to pile the miles on the grey van because, well, I'm trying to get that thing to the moon!
It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day. Luca and I were in front, Allison and Enzo were in the second row, and the girls had the third row. As is typical, I made a big fuss over the milestone and took my customary photo.
I was heading back from Indianapolis and had just merged off I-465 onto 31 heading north. I was on a Zoom with my Virtues and Vocations group, having just spent a couple of days at the AnalytiXIN summit.
Friday was yet another day in a string of abnormally hot, humid days. The GLI kept me cool and comfortable as I steamed north. I made sure to fuel up before I left South Bend, and the GLI easily did the 370 miles I put on heading down, driving around, and completing the return trip.
Every time I drive it I marvel at what a wonderful machine it is.
To help it breathe a little easier, I replaced the air filter with a K&N this past weekend. As you can see, the K&N is not nearly as wide as the stock air filter:
I've had a K&N in the 911 for over 25 years and it's been great. I hoping to have a similar experience with the GLI. I took it for a quick "around the block" shakedown drive. There is perhaps a tiny bit more intake noise, and it may have smoothed out the surging that appeared as part of the APR tune. I look forward to driving it a bit more to see if I'm just imagining things or if the increased airflow had this unintended effect.
The grey van rolled through 228,000 miles while we were out on the East Coast:
I presume Olivia was going about her daily routine. Maybe she was heading to work, or heading to go climbing, or going to the grocery store? Who knows? All I know is, she obliviously rolled through 228,000 and kept rolling.
The moon is 238,900 miles away from Earth. The van is getting closer every day.
The van cruised beautifully through 96,000 miles as part of our trip home from Boston:
This ended up being our longest single-day drive. Allison, Madeline, Enzo, and Sara grabbed breakfast from the Residence Inn on Tudor Wharf while I retrieved the van from the adjacent parking lot. We loaded up and started rolling around 7 am.
I made a wrong turn and we ended up driving out to Logan Airport, doing a quick loop through the arrivals area, before finally picking up I-90 and heading west.
We motored along, enjoying the light traffic while observing how jammed the lanes to Boston were on the morning commute. We made a quick pitstop in South Hadley to visit Jason and his kids, and to pick up a couple of items we inadvertently left behind when we stayed with them at the beginning of the journey. Unfortunately, Pam had to leave early to be part of an interview committee, so we didn't get to see her during this stop. The Estes are a delightful group of people to spend time with, and we could easily have spent a couple hours or days just being together. They are also super thoughtful, and packed us a little "cestino di viaggio" for the rest of the day.
Unfortunately, I had a conference the next day and the road beckoned, so we said our farewells and hit the road:
Heading west, we uneventfully rolled through 96,000 miles west of Manchester, New York, in the Finger Lakes region.
Since this was Sara's first trip to the US, Allison and I decided to surprise everyone with a little side trip to Niagara Falls. It only added about an hour or so to the trip, and it's definitely worth seeing.
After our break at the Falls, we pressed west. We stopped for fuel and food, and after almost 16.5 hours, we arrived home. Unintentionally, this ended up being our longest single day trip as a family.
The van did exactly what it was supposed to do. It kept us entertained, safe, and comfortable regardless of weather conditions. Over more than 2,500 miles, it returned almost 25 mpg. It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully competent it is.
Since the journey was over 950 miles, crossing a thousand mile milestone was bound to happen. 96K came and went uneventfully, just part of the fabric of the longest day.
Having missed 94,000 on this trip, I resolved to not miss 95,000, and I didn't:
Allison, Madeline, Enzo, Sara, and I were in the car. The context for 95,000 was much more emotional. We had spent the day on Narragansett Beach, by far my favorite beach in Rhode Island:
For the first time that I can recall, we spent the entire day on the beach, primarily because we hadn't been there in years, we brought a shade canopy, and took advantage of Salty's 2-for-1 lobster roll deal at the concession stand. It's really hard to beat a lobster roll on the beach.
After our beach day, we headed to Hammond Hill to visit Cara and Colin. This was the first time back since Allison's folks moved away, and none of us felt happy to be there without going "home" to 51. Enzo was fully weeping, and Allison was similarly volatile.
We visited the horses, then headed to get pizza at Kingston Pizza, followed up with an ice cream from Brickley's Baron's. We flipped 95,000 miles as we drove away from the horses and were climbing Gilbert Stuart Road. Marking the milestone was an absolute footnote given the emotional load of the day. If I didn't mis 94K, I probably would have missed 95K.
We hit 94,000 in the blue van embarking upon our 2025 camping trip to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Allison, Madeline, Enzo, Sara (Gianna's daughter), and me hit the road early on a Friday morning. It was raining when we departed, which I think is the first time we've ever set off on a road trip in the rain.
Olivia and Luca woke up early to see us off.
As is our routine for long road trips, we started heading east on I-80 and had breakfast in the car. Perhaps because it was raining, perhaps because it was an atypical start (folks weren't immediately hungry), or perhaps because I was distracted and excited by the prospect of a road trip, I just flat missed the 94,000 milestone. 94K came and went on a long overall day:
I suppose it's like I've said before, we were just living our lives and enjoying the moment, so 94K came and went without fanfare. The van was just the backdrop, the context for facilitating the journey.
Allison and I had a gym date the other day. It's one of my favorite things, we're both working hard, separately, but in the same space. I headed out earlier than Allison, and caught the cars having a date of their own. I composed a shot where the curves blend into each other and thought it was cool:
The Boxster turned 37,000 miles this past Thursday.
Once again, it wasn't an extraordinary or atypical drive. In this case, I was taking Madeline to her evening lacrosse practice. It was a gorgeous evening, top down, lovely weather.
Actually, it was an extraordinary drive, because I'm increasingly aware that I won't need to drive her places. In a couple of weeks, she will have her license and the ability to just go wherever she wants, whenever she wants. I'll miss the car time with her. I love being in the car with any of the kids. I think as humans, we like being in motion. Walking, bicycling, horseback, motorcycling, driving. Being on a boat, a train, an airplane. How do we soothe children to sleep? By rocking them or walking around with them or going for a drive with them. I really like being in motion with one of the kids, because there's a sense of movement and adventure and excitement that is just part of every journey.
Based on the mileage the night before, I was thinking Allison would roll 37,000. However, when I got into the car, I saw:
Soon there will be a mileage milestone that I'll miss. Hopefully, Allison will just blow past it because she will be just doing her thing, driving around, enjoying being in motion.
Strangely for me, I caught the milestone entirely by happenstance. I was taking Madeline and Enzo to Prairie Winds Farm on my way to teach. We'd just gotten off of 31 south, had snaked underneath 31 heading east on Kern Road, and had just turned south onto old 31 (931, Michigan Street) when I happened to glance at the dashboard. 38,000 miles had already rolled, so I quickly grabbed my phone to take the shot.
I'm trying to figure out why I wasn't more in tune with the mileage. I think it was a combination of factors. First, I was super low on gas and was doing the mental math to figure out if I could drop them at the farm, go to work, and make it to Costco without putting in a splash. Secondly, I wanted to make sure the kids were on time. Enzo was attending camp while Madeline was working. Third, I suppose I was thinking a bit about the class I was going to deliver.
Either way, I'm glad I glanced down at the right moment and took the shot. It was a drizzly, gray morning. It was a delightful reprieve from the intense heat of the past couple of weeks.
As a footnote, I did make it to Costco. I rolled in with 0 miles of estimated range remaining. When I filled up the tank, it took an indicated 11.955 gallons. The GLI has a 13.2 gallon tank, so it's good to know that even when the estimated range reads 0, there's about a gallon of cushion. Conservatively, that's another 20 miles. Good to know.
Now for something completely different. We've been taking care of my mom and father-in-law for a while. We had both of them in our home until we could no longer support their needs. For my father-in-law, the catastrophic event that resulted in moving him to a care facility was a stroke. He went from walking the dogs with us on a Sunday to having a stroke Monday night/Tuesday morning. Allison called me at work because she was unable to pick him up off the floor.
So began a week of intensive care. We picked him up, changed him, bathed him, fed him, transferred him in a wheelchair, and generally took care of him. As we were doing that work, it occurred to me that we were doing the same things taking care of him that we did when our kids were infants. The infants and the stricken require the same thing - basic care and lots of love.
We were putting him to bed one evening and needed to slide him towards the head of the bed so he had enough space to lie down. We could tell he was agitated and nervous. He kept holding his head up instead of relaxing into the pillow. I supported his head and rubbed his forehead and told him, "It's OK, you can relax, we've got you."
Now, historically, Warren isn't a super emotional guy. He's more the quiet jokster type. Anyway, once we got him to relax, I said, "OK Warren, you can relax and rest and go to sleep. I love you." Expecting no response, he shook me by turning his head, looking deep into my soul, and saying, "I love you too."
At that moment everything just snapped into focus. The only thing that matters at the end of life is the same thing that matters at the beginning of life - love. That's all there is. And I'd argue that it's the only thing that matters throughout our lives. It's just that we're human, and we get distracted by ego and desire and ambition and whimsy and passion and rage and all of the wonderful things that make us human.
I think we'd do well to keep love a little more front and center throughout. I think we'd all be in a better place.
I couldn't take it anymore. The cars were disgusting, and I needed to clean them. It was the first time I washed the Boxster, and I just needed to give a quick shoutout to the folks at Porsche Fox Valley. They did a great job preparing the car, and the moment the hose hit the car, it was evident they take car protection seriously.
The water instantly beaded up:
Having such a well-protected car made my life much easier. After a bit of cleaning and post-wash care, I decided to play around and have some fun with photography:
I worked hard to line up the reflection in the door to make it seem like the car just continued. I thought it was a cool shot.
We continue to delight in the Boxster. It's a lovely place to be, has abundant performance, and truly impressive cargo capacity. Yesterday, I took Enzo to taekwondo, then popped over and did some grocery shopping. The big question is, would all the groceries fit??
The answer is: absolutely. The Boxster swallowed the groceries with ease, including my laptop, Enzo's taekwondo bag, and with room to spare:
Front trunk
Rear trunk
Porsche did a truly outstanding job when designing this car. It is ready to go anywhere and can haul more cargo than most people think. One of my friends has a Jaguar F-Type convertible. I'm pretty sure he can fit a duffle bag in the trunk, and that's about it.
This past weekend, Enzo and I had a lovely 1,300 mile trip in the Boxster. It was the first time I'd had the opportunity to use the car for a serious road trip. I gave Enzo the option of taking the 911 or the Boxster for this trip, and he chose the Boxster. Thanks to Allison for letting us take her car for the weekend!
On Friday, we went from South Bend to New Glarus, where we stopped at our favorite bakery. As I've mentioned before, we try and swing into the New Glarus Bakery any time we're in the area. We also enjoyed a tasty lunch, in which Enzo discovered some extra-long fries:
After New Glarus, we continued on to Eagan, Minnesota, for a cousin's high school graduation party. The next day, we headed back to Chicago where we had dinner with Faris before sacking out. We got up early the next day to attend a pretty awesome Cars and Coffee event at The Exchange, where one of the stars of the event was a Ferrari Daytona SP3:
Enzo? Ferrari!
After a very cool event and a relaxing lunch, we headed for home, taking 294 around Chicago.
So, what was the trip like? I'm quite simply amazed at how fundamentally good the Boxster is as an over-the-road car. If you consider a two seat car to be practical, then the Boxster has to be the most practical two-seater on the planet. The frunk is massive and the rear trunk easily swallows a duffel bag and a pair of back packs. The interior is comfortable, and as modern as I need. The air conditioning works quickly, the seat coolers and heaters work wonderfully, the car is comfortable, and with the top up, it's snug, weatherproof, and relatively quiet.
We drove through sunshine, terrible air quality on account of wildfires in Canada, and a bit of rain. The rain-sensing wipers did their thing, the car kept us cozy and comfortable, and I never wished for a softer ride. The suspension absorbed bumps and kept us comfy.
Speaking of the suspension, I have a "favorite bump" approaching the Dan Ryan from the Skyway. The entry to the express lanes begins as a left-handed curve before entering the on-ramp that dives down and to the right. There is a pronounced bump in the midst of the left-hand corner before the on-ramp that can upset cars. I was thinking about that bump the entire time between South Bend and Chicago, looking forward to seeing how the Boxster would handle it.
How did it do? Impressively well. The car felt rock steady stable and the suspension ate the bump, which I heard more than felt. I was super impressed by how easily the car handled it and how it didn't pogo on the suspension. It just felt planted, stable, and inspired confidence.
The other thing I was super impressed with was the fuel economy. Similar to the GLI and the 2019 Odyssey, I thought the tank was a bit on the small side. Well, it's only small if you flog the car around town. Loping along at interstate speeds, the car returns over 32 mpg:
The entire leg from South Bend to Eagan, which included some spirited manually-shifted back-road driving to New Glarus, netted 31.3 mpg with an average speed of 67 mph:
I was super impressed. The overdrive 7th gear keeps the engine spinning around 2,200 rpm at highway speeds. On the return leg, I put 448.5 miles on a single tank with an indicated 46 miles of range left when I stopped for gas. I think if you were deliberate about it, you could put 500 miles on a single tank on an interstate run.
The PDK made dealing with Chicago traffic simple. Instead of using the paddles, I just left it in drive and let the computer figure everything out. I discovered that I prefer using the PDK's sport mode, particularly in traffic. Sport mode holds gears a little longer, leaving a bit more torque available under foot without the need to downshift. I definitely prefer the way that feels.
The Boxster was definitely a more comfortable, quieter, less-fatiguing choice for this type of journey. While the 911 could do that trip with zero mechanical issues, it's spinning over 3,000 rpm at highway speeds, is louder, and the air conditioning isn't nearly as good. It all stands to reason, as the 911 is fully 21 years older than the Boxster.
If you only could have one sports car, it's really hard to argue with the Boxster. It's modern, comfortable, spacious, has plenty of storage, fast, makes that lovely flat-6 music, and has the added benefit of being able to operate the top in about 9 seconds as long as you're going under 30 mph. It really is an outstanding car.
I'm very much looking forward to our trip to Cedar Falls in a couple of weeks. It's about 400 miles each way, which should give plenty of time to compare the Boxster, 911, and Faris' RS.
In keeping with the spirit of keeping track of what was happening at the start of a new thousand, we rolled 36,000 miles in the Boxster this past weekend:
Enzo and I drove to Eagan, Minnesota for a cousin's high school graduation. It was a lovely time, just so good to be together:
As we rolled out, we were 8 miles away from the 36,000 mile mark. We hit the big number shortly after merging onto 494 for the journey home. It was a warm, sunny day. The top was up as we were preparing to "lope" across Wisconsin.
I have a favorite bumpy road that I enjoy "loping" over. Due to it's gentle undulations and pretty uneven pavement, it's is a great place to evaluate a car's suspension.
A long time ago, I was obsessed with making the 911 more capable on the track. I spent many a track day at Blackhawk Farms, particularly enjoying coming out of Turn 3, a third-gear "carousel corner" that leads into a hard braking zone and a quick second-gear right-left combination. Going into Turn 4, I got feedback from other track day participants that my inside front wheel was off the ground. The stock suspension was surprisingly soft, and when compressed with the throttle on in second gear, the inside tire would float.
That didn't seem like a good idea to me, so I made a couple of modifications to the car in pursuit of more traction. The stock 16" wheels were 6 inches wide at the front and 8 inches wide at the back, with 205 and 225 series tires, respectively. I replaced them with 17" Fikse FM5s, 8 inches wide in front and 9.5 inches wide at the back, wearing 225 and 255 series tires. The increased contact patch definitely helped with turn in!
The other thing I did was replace the stock springs with sport springs from H&R. These are the somewhat well-known "green springs," which you can see here:
The combination of the wider wheels, stiffer springs, and track tires solved the "cornering on three wheels" phenomenon.
Anyway, that's more words than necessary to say that the suspension on the 911 isn't stock. It's certainly stiffer than stock, and the springs lowered the car and got rid of what I thought to be excessive wheel gap. I don't find it punishing, but it is stiffer.
My "take the kids to school" route includes my favorite bumpy road section. Moving briskly, the 911 moves about a bit on the bumps. While it never feels dangerous, the car feels very lively beneath me. In the spirit of evaluating suspension compliance, I decided to drive the Boxster over the same road.
The difference is immediately noticeable. The Boxster feels planted and secure, despite riding on 19" wheels to the 911's 17" setup. You hear the bumps, but the car doesn't move around in the same way the 911 does. Beyond the stock suspension, perhaps the longer wheelbase helps?
I then took the GLI over the same stretch of road. On its stock 18" wheels, the car just soaks up the bumps, similar to the Boxster.
I'm looking forward to doing a couple of passes on that road in my brother's Spyder RS, first in normal, then in sport, to see how it deals with this stretch of road.
It kind of reminds me of when I first adjusted the suspension on the FJR. Stock, it hammered me on rough roads. Adjusting the suspension per the recommendations in Sport Rider magazine transformed the motorcycle, soaking up bumpy roads while remaining stable in corners.
I continue to be impressed by passive suspension systems that smooth out the bumps while providing good body control in the twisties.
I've decided to start posting mileage milestones. I've been tracking them since 2004, but I've never written about them.
This morning, I rolled 141,000 miles in the 911:
Usually, I pay close attention and love to watch the four barrels roll. This morning, I almost missed it. Solo parenting this week and also attending the Virtues & Vocations conference, I knew I was close. I was taking Enzo to a friend's house who would graciously shuttle him to school. By pure luck, I looked down and the barrels had already rolled!
Curses! I wanted to point it out to Enzo so he could watch and mark the milestone.
While he didn't get to see 141,000, I'll try and make it a point that he's in the car for 142,000.
It was a grey, rainy morning, just the two of us in the car. 141,000 happened pretty close to home, just driving around, living life.
Since late 2008, my wife has been driving minivans. Minivans are great. I love minivans. Before I became a father of three (and ultimately four, and a dog, and a couple of cats...), I was a "minivan over my dead body" type of guy. But I have to say, with over 315,000 miles across two vans since 2008, I'm completely in love with them. For transporting my family of 6, I really can't imagine a better vehicle. Modern vans are powerful, fuel-efficient, comfortable, and fantastic at hauling people.
As an aside, did I mention powerful? Our 2019 Odyssey will 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and hustle through the quarter mile, VTEC screaming, in 15.2 at more than 94 mph. For perspective, Car and Driver's test of a 1996 Ford Mustang GT shows a 0-60 of 6.6 and a quarter mile of 15.1 at 92 mph. Go further back to when I was constantly reading car magazines and fantasizing about performance cars, a Car and Driver tested a 1983 Mustang GT did 0-60 in 7 and the quarter mile at 15.4 at 90 mph. It's wild to think that my family people mover can put the Mustang GTs of my youth on a trailer.
Anyway, vans are great. I really like them. However, they're not designed to maximize driving pleasure. I've been thinking quite a bit about this, and about how Allison enjoys driving a bit more when she's driving something that's a bit more fun to drive. As we continue to take care of our aging parents and witness their cognitive decline, I had my "Steve Jobs" moment. It was time to change Allison's car, and get her something frivolous and joyous and delightful.
I went into full obsession mode. I love driving, and want others to enjoy it as much as I do! I've also always had a "convertible fantasy." There's just something magical about a top that disappears. It's a bit like riding a motorcycle, except you don't lean into corners, and it's much easier to talk to the person you're traveling with.
What to do?
Anyway, my obsession quickly gained a focal point - the Porsche Boxster. It started out with a passing thought, "Oh, Allison would love driving a Boxster." I put a deposit on a Boxster S for European Delivery in May of 2000, but that didn't end up working out. I figured a Boxster would be a great car for Allison to drive around in. They're wonderful, light, reliable, and for a two-seat car, quite practical. The frunk is quite large, capable of swallowing two carry-on suitcases with room to spare, and the rear trunk easily accommodates work satchels and backpacks.
So, I started hunting. While completely capable of driving a manual transmission (she learned how to drive manual on our Passat!), Allison is also more at peace driving a car with an automated transmission, so I knew whatever I was looking for had to shift itself. I really wanted a PDK instead of a Tiptronic. Being a dual-clutch design, the PDK offers faster shifts than the Tiptronic, which is a traditional automatic with a torque converter.
I discounted the original 986 as being a bit long in the tooth and not quite modern enough. Plus, it only came in manual or Tiptronic. I also wanted a glass rear window, so that ruled out the 986. That led me to start searching for 987s. The 987 had two evolutions, the 987.1 and the 987.2. After a bit of reading, I focused in on a 987.2, primarily because it was the first time the Boxster got a PDK transmission instead of a Tiptronic.
I scoured the Internet for a 987.2. I looked everywhere. And I kept reading. Which led me to the 981. The 981 incorporated some pretty significant changes. First off, the wheels got pushed further out and the overhangs were shortened. The styling, always a subjective thing, got much prettier to my eyes. The PDK was improved. It lost a little weight. And much to my delight, it was with the 981 that you can operate the top at speeds up to 30 mph. OK, that ruled out the 987.2, and I now focused in on the 981.
Friendly Advice
I searched and searched and searched. I found ones I liked and plenty that I didn't. I thought the base car would be sufficient, as it has more power than my 911. Of course, I was running my thought process past a couple of my car friends, who said things like:
"but the S looks like the way to go, you can always rationalize the extra $$ by saying it'll retain the value difference so you're not really spending that much more money, just saving it in the form of a car ... a much more enjoyable form than your average investment. I've been pretty successful using that kind of 'logic' when buying cars... :)"
and
"if you get an S, you'll never say, 'gee I wish I'd gotten the base car.'"
Everyone needs friends like these to set them straight.
What's the difference between the Boxster and the Boxster S? I suppose the "typical" Porsche S treatment: better suspension, better brakes, better engine. Most significantly, the base car gets a 2.7-liter flat-6 making 260 hp and 213 lb-ft of torque. The S gets a 3.4-liter flat-6 making 315 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. The flat-6 has a delightfully linear power delivery, a top-end rush, and a 7,600 rpm redline. As my dad was fond of saying, "It's easy to like nice things."
After the 981 comes the 982. The 982 is a great car, with the base car making 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. What's up with the massive torque jump? In a word, turbocharging. The 718 has a turbocharged 2-liter flat four, while the S gets a 2.5-liter turbo making 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque. There's no question at all that the 718 is faster. By every stopwatch measurement, it's a better car.
Call me old, or opinionated, or both, I just can't get my head around the sound of the turbo flat four. It is definitely faster, and you really notice the extra torque, but...the sound! I love the sound of a flat six, and I love the feel of a naturally aspirated engine. This is true regardless of vehicle type. The FJR revs to 9,000 and gets progressively stronger as the revs build. I like that feeling. The 2019 Odyssey similarly gets stronger as the revs build, with a delightful VTEC scream over 5,000 RPM. The 911 gets stronger as it revs. Heck, even the 2008 Odyssey has that engine characteristic. I just enjoy the way a vehicle with that kind of powertrain responds.
The GLI has a wonderful EA888 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. From a drivability standpoint, it's somewhat like a 718 Boxster. Good horsepower and loads of torque. Things got even better when I did the APR Plus ECU upgrade. The difference in power and torque was very noticeable. There's no doubt that it's fast, and the torque is really fun. But because there's so much torque, there's no real need to wind the engine out to redline. Instead, you can just surf the torque and make rapid progress. I really love the GLI and enjoy driving it every time I get behind the wheel....and I just prefer the sound and feeling of a naturally aspirated engine. I like the exhilaration of the sweep of the tach corresponding to a surge in power.
I don't think I'm alone here, because Porsche also makes a GTS version of the 718 that has a 4-liter flat six, also available in the Spyder. Meanwhile, the Spyder RS gets the 4-liter engine from the 911 GT3, which revs to 9,000 on its way to almost 500 horsepower. That engine is an absolute monster and number one on my fantasy engine list. While history will be the ultimate judge, I can imagine a world where 981 values exceed their 718 counterparts. And in October 2025, the world will change when the Boxster goes EV. Porsche will still build a 2-seat roadster, and I'm sure it'll be faster than a 981, but I don't think it will be better if sound is important to you. The EV roadsters won't breathe. Think about that - they won't be alive in the same way a 981 is. What's going to happen when a kid on a corner asks an EV roadster driver to rev it up and make some noise? Nothing. While I have to believe that as a species, we'll continue to build interesting and wonderful cars, my Paleolithic brain thinks some of the magic dies when the cars stop breathing.
At any rate, regardless of what manufacturers are building these days, I know what I like. And I like high-revving, naturally aspirated engines. So, with my primary parameters in place, I started down the path of pursuing a 981S.
Gathering Requirements
Now that I'd made a model decision, it was time to think about other "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves." The model year didn't really matter. The 981 was built from 2013 to 2016. Instead of prioritizing a model year, I was more interested in lower mileage examples.
Color
The first consideration was exterior color. Black is a pretty common color. I like black, but somehow I don't think it fits the personality of this car. The 911 is black, which I really like and think works really well. So, black was out. There are a couple of different shades of silver, which are nice. I like dark blue, but there aren't too many of those available. The ones I did see had the beige interior, which is not my favorite. I'm not a massive white guy, but the "stormtrooper spec" white with black wheels and interior is a pretty good look. There are a few red ones out there, but red didn't fit for me.
Interior color? Black is a winner. There were a handful out there with a red interior - hats off to people who are into red, but it's not for me. Also, it was an absolute non-starter for Allison.
Steering Wheel
The standard steering wheel has thumb toggles for shifting the PDK manually:
I'm not sure why Porsche ever went with the thumb toggle design, as most manufacturers go with a paddle behind the wheel on the right side for upshifts and another paddle on the left side for downshifts. Porsche did offer a SportDesign steering wheel with more traditional paddles:
So, a sport steering wheel went on the "nice to have" list.
Suspension
I like a well-set-up passive suspension. I think with the right combination of suspension damping, wheel size, and tire choice, it's possible to design a suspension for the street that works in almost any condition. Passive suspensions reduce complexity and can also reduce weight. In this case, I was looking to minimize complexity, so I was looking for a car that did not have Porsche Active Suspension Management.
Wheels
I also don't understand the industry trend around wheel design. Bigger wheels are not always better. In my opinion, the size of the brakes is what should dictate wheel size. Wheels should be just big enough to fit over the brakes, no need for anything bigger. One of my pet peeves is giant wheels exposing what look like little bicycle brakes. The 981S came standard with 19" wheels, with 20" wheels being a popular option.
Thinking about how the car would end up being used, I wanted 19" wheels. Generally speaking, 19" wheels weigh less than their 20" counterparts. The tires fitted to those wheels have a bit more sidewall, which should smooth out the ride. The car I was looking for will never see a race track. It will become Allison's daily driver for nine months of the year, taking kids to school, going to Whole Foods, date nights to Venturi, and generally just improving the fun of every errand. The improved turn-in of a 20" wheel will not be missed, and 19" tires are generally more economical than the corresponding 20" version.
Headlights
I love great headlights. I'll never forget the adaptive LED headlights on an S-class my brother and I drove through France - those were amazing lights. For me, headlights are a safety issue, and I really wanted a car that had Porsche Dynamic Lighting System (PDLS). Basically, PDLS swivels the headlights through corners. On a curvy road, it means the headlights shine where you're going instead of straight ahead. PDLS wasn't an absolute must-have, but I really wanted it.
Miscellaneous Considerations
Porsche is well known for the ability of customers to customize its cars. You can put leather on almost any interior surface. I wasn't going to seek out a leather-clad car, but I do like leather, so if a particular car had it, that would be fine. You can also go a little crazy with deviated stitching, colored seat belts, etc. Any of those would be delighters in my mind.
The 981 has a number of seat options. Sport seats, 14-way power seats, and 18-way adaptive power seats. I don't have a strong seating preference, other than I did want seats in the car....that said, I do like heated seats quite a bit, so heated seats are kind of a must, especially considering the Boxster is a convertible that is sure to be driven top down in cooler weather.
The 981 was available with ceramic brakes. Not many cars out there have them, as they were quite the expensive option. If I came across one with ceramics, that would be great, but not a must have. During my searching, I came across precisely zero cars with ceramics.
In terms of audio, I mainly listen to the engine in sports cars. That said, it is nice to have music as a viable option in a daily-use car. The base stereo isn't that great, and Porsche did offer a Bose system that improved sound quality a bit. A car with Bose would be nice, not a deal breaker, but certainly a positive. One thing the Bose system does is add a USB-A port for an "iPod' in the glovebox. Somewhat hilariously, the display in the car shows "iPod" as an input source.
These cars were available with a navigation system from the factory, but that wasn't really a consideration for me. What I really want is CarPlay in the car. While there are aftermarket options, I'm inclined to wait for what I imagine Porsche Classic is working on - a PCCM system for their older cars. Currently, they have systems available through 987.1, and I'm optimistic that when the 981 gets old enough, they'll develop a factory-developed replacement unit. Until then, a USB-A to -C cable can connect modern iPhones, and the cupholders work pretty well for holding a phone if navigation is needed.
The Hunt
I spent weeks scouring the websites, auction sites, dealer sites, the Porsche Club of America classifieds, basically any internet site that had 981Ss listed. I found a beautiful black car in New Jersey and another black car in Kansas City. The New Jersey car was super clean, and the KC car had some questionable rough spots that weren't easily explained.
I looked on Bring a Trailer and thought about bidding on this car, even though I wasn't crazy about a gray interior. I created a Cars and Bids account and bid on this stormtrooper. I didn't win the auction, but that didn't prevent me from loosely making plans to fly out there with Allison and drive back together! My mania was at an all-time high as I route planned to drive through Winslow and get the famous picture. All that mental energy for naught!
There was a platinum silver car in the Boston area that looked good. One downside was that it had a front license plate. I really wanted an intact front bumper since Indiana is a no-front-plate state. I know you can get bumper plugs and they do a decent job of filling the hole, but ideally any car would be intact. It pains me to see the beautiful front contours of any car scarred by drilling holes for a front plate mount. We bought both of our vans in Illinois, and it drives me a little crazy that they came with pre-drilled bumpers.
With my brother's added sleuthing skills, he turned me on to a Porsche Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) car in Wisconsin. Logistically, this was the most convenient. It could be an easy day trip from home instead of doing the fly/buy/drive thing. The prospect of having a CPO warranty was a plus, as it is a two-year, unlimited-mile warranty with genuine Porsche parts and zero deductible. That adds a little peace of mind, and I think it's a testament to the quality of Porsche's products that they'll CPO cars up to 13 years old! I'm not sure how many other manufacturers do that!
Looking at the specifics of this car, it looked great in rhodium silver with a black interior:
It had PDLS, the SportDesign steering wheel, Bose, and 19" wheels, all of which made me excited. It had a brand new battery, a brand new original equipment windshield, and Hankook N-spec tires in great condition. It had the 14-way heated power seats, so it had seats, which is good! It also had some "delighters," including:
Leather Package, which adds leather to the dash, armrests, and door handles
Smoking Package, which adds a storage bin and an dditional 12 volt power socket
Ventilated Seats, which I have in the GLI - not a make or break feature, but nice to have
Wheel Center Caps with Painted Crest, a small nerd detail that replaces the monochrome Porsche crest in the wheel center with a version in full color. This is a tiny detail, but one I really like. The 911 had colored center caps on the stock wheels, it's a small touch, and I think it's cool.
Red seat belts, which I just think are super cool!
Clear front side marker lenses, which I think look great with a silver car. Stock (orange) lenses:
Clear lenses:
The bright silver with red belts made me think of 356/1, where it all started:
I think the bright sliver and red accents are a bit of an homage to 356/1:
Allison and I talked and debated and pondered. I lost plenty of sleep, while she slept like a stone. Ultimately, we decided together that this was the one, so we went for it!
The salesperson was professional, wonderful, and easy to work with. We were able to handle everything asynchronously and electronically. He took the paint meter readings I requested, and even waited until the car was cleaned up to do a walkaround video:
The video just hyped me up even more, it looked beautiful, and confirmed my belief that the car has no bad angles - it's gorgeous from any perspective, top down or top up:
We committed to the car and set about planning the trip to Wisconsin to retrieve the car on a Friday during spring break, so two of our kids could be with us for the experience. We were super excited, and I barely slept.
The Friday before we were set to take delivery, I started thinking about grill guards to protect the front and side air intakes. My brother's car comes with them from the factory, and I'm not sure why all air-breathing Porsches don't include the mesh that protects against damage. I did some quick Internet sleuthing and came across the Radiator Grill Store, which makes protective screens for the 981.
After a quick exchange with our salesman, I ordered the grills to be drop-shipped to his Porsche dealership in Wisconsin, where a technician would install them prior to delivery. I was a little worried about the timing, as I was ordering exactly one week prior to delivery. Just one more thing to lose sleep over!
In the end, it all worked out, and the guards were installed by the time we went to pick up the car:
I really don't understand why Porsche doesn't put this kind of protection on all cars of this type.
I suppose I'm getting a little ahead of myself - the purchase experience was absolute magic, and merits its own post. More shortly.
