Why Are Porsche Caymans Worth More Than Boxsters?
There鈥檚 an old saying in the world of car values that when the top goes down, the price goes up. Indeed, if you look at just about any of our favorite classic cars, the convertible versions command a premium. Exceptions to the rule are few and far between, and are mostly limited to Mercedes-Benz 300SLs and 1963 Corvettes. Add one more: the Porsche Boxster/Cayman twins. While technically separate models, they are too similar to think of separately since they have the same engines, same chassis, same basic shape, and essentially the same options. But despite the Boxster offering that wind-in-your-hair, top-down motoring experience that so often translates to value, a comparably equipped Cayman, with its fixed roof, tends to command a few grand more than a Boxster on the second-hand market. The reasons for this anomaly are pretty straightforward. The first and most obvious explanation is that the Cayman has always been more expensive, even when it was new. Convertibles usually cost more when they come straight from the dealer, so the Cayman bucked the trend from the beginning.
It is also more enthusiast-focused, given its track-use potential and stiffer structure. And it has never had to deal with the stigma of being the cheapest car in the Porsche lineup, a title the Boxster has carried, along with the 912, 914, and 924 that came before it. The Boxster was first introduced for the 1997 model year, when it and the 911 were the only two models the company sold. While the mid-engine Boxster shared components and styling cues with the upcoming water-cooled 996-generation 911 and had design inspiration from classic favorites like the 550 Spyder, the Boxster was the 鈥渃heap Porsche鈥?right from the get-go. Even though praise was nearly universal for the fun-to-drive little roadster, it was seen as a car for people who couldn鈥檛 afford a 911, and that view hasn鈥檛 really changed. Upon its introduction for 2006, the Cayman weighed a bit less than the Boxster and, thanks to its fixed roof, had significantly more torsional rigidity, allowing for stiffer suspension and anti-roll bars that translated to all-around better handling. The Cayman, which came about a decade after the Boxster, had a very different beginning.
It was always priced higher than the Boxster, it always came with a little bit more power, and from the beginning it was even more of a smash hit in the automotive press than the Boxster had been. With that said, aside from the obvious difference (one doesn鈥檛 have a fixed roof, the other does), similarly-equipped, Boxsters and Caymans behave much the same in the vast majority of everyday driving situations. The Cayman, however, weighs less and ultimately performs better owing to its fixed roof. Plus it has more power, is more accomplished on the race track, is rarer (since it was produced for a shorter period), and left the dealer with a higher price tag than the Boxster to begin with. That鈥檚 enough for the car to defy the usual collector car logic. In the case of the Boxster, when the top goes down, so does the price. And it will likely always be that way.
This is a really nice car overall, although I do prefer the Boxster S for night and day difference in performance. Get the 6 speed, although that is my preference instead of the PDK. It's a sports car so why would you want an automatic? Avoid those in an accident, previously, as being smacked in the rear or side can be problematic as a mid engined car. Overall I love Porsche and own 3 including a classic 911 and 914. Great cars. Just do your homework, and get a PPI (Porsche Pre Inspection just to be sure in order to avoid expensive headaches. Does recommend this car! 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. This is too much fun to drive. I make up reasons to go places so I can enjoy the drive. Also has been extremely reliable. Does recommend this car! 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. The 2010 Porsche Boxster has many reliability, performance, and interior improvements over older models.