Mike M100 - as long as you won't be in the position to have to bale him out, I'd say let him buy one and experience it. It's very hard to convince someone once they obsess about a certain car, they'll conveniently develop deaf ears about anything involving common sense, even if they are on the ragged edge involving budget. Just make sure that he knows the weaknesses and researches it carefully.

www.revolution-porsche.co.uk/buyers-guides/buying-...6

Thanks for the link to revolution.porsche.co.uk

Most informative site and tells us what we need to know from a mechanical point of view.

The question is from whom he should buy ?

I read a lot of car magazines, more than is healthy(!), and i have certainly read articles on porsche boxster's. A couple of key points come up often;

1, don't buy a 2.5. This is because, while, in the grand scheme of things, it is not a slow car, it simply is not as quick as you would expect a porsche to be.

2, probably the most important factor, buy the best example you can, not the cheapest. The cheapest be the cheapest for a reason. No service history, unsympathetic owner, poor condition, etc. It will cost more in the long run, and ultimately cause more heartache.

If your son can only afford to spend £5k on one, he will end up with a duffer, no question. If that is his budget there are far, far better options for an open top 2 seater, most obviously the MX5 already mentioned.

Another thing to bear in mind, and this is something which gets brought up on this website every time someone asks about buying a cheap used example of a premium car, that is running costs. Even if your son finds a £5k boxster which he decides to buy, the running costs are going to be those of a £30k+ porsche, not a £5k used car. An MX5, by comparison, will have similar running costs to a mazda3.

But it sounds like your son has 'an itch', which needs to be scratched. You have done your best to dissuade him, and at the end of the day, that is all you can do. It is his choice and his money, you will just have to refrain from looking too smug whist saying "i told you so", when it all ends in tears, as it almost definately will.

<< Even if your son finds a £5k boxster which he decides to buy, the running costs are going to be those of a £30k+ porsche, not a £5k used car. >>

BBD, I think you have got that the wrong way round. If it cost 30k it should be cheaper to maintain than the 5k one ?

No, he's right - he means that a car that originally cost well over £30k when new but is now worth only £5k will still cost in the same price bracket (and more as it probably won't have been well maintained) as a new one, rather than a £15k - £20k original price car also now worth £5k second hand. It's the same reason why many of us advise people on a budget not to buy a similar priced BMW or similar and go with a robust, and perhaps slightly dull Japanese equivalent. If you can only afford £5k to buy a car, then it's likely that you can't afford the higher running costs associated with such a premium make sports car.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 09/10/2017 at 01:08

Twenty years ago i fixated on buying a sub £10k Porsche 911 - feasible then. I did loadsof research and ultimateley decided I was not prepared to buy a heap and spend another £5-£10k to fix all that went wrong or spend £20k on a good one (which is a pity as I wanted a 1973 2.4Litre now worth nearer £100k in excellent condition).

It was the correct decision.. Advise your son to ensure he has the £10k to insure,maintain and repair it in the first two years and (forcefully but tactfully) make sure he is aware you will not bail him out - as he is likely to need it.

In terms of actual car ability the MX-5 is brilliant. However a fully working not knackered Boxster is a brilliant, brilliant car and in a different league.

Out of endless cars I have owned an original 986 3.2 is still the best all round car I have ever had.

Finding a good one for £5k is a challenge and maybe not even possible but if you can it'll be the ultimate motoring bargain.

It is certainly a gamble so anyone needs to be aware of that but if you're the gambling sort you can get lucky.

Agree completely pd, a good boxster is an utter joy.

Surprisingly practical for a 2 seat roadster, with its front AND rear boot's providing far more storage space than any of its rivals, not to mention the MX5.

But, the fact remains, a budget boxster maintained on a shoestring is a recipe for disaster.