BUYING TIPS

1 CONCEALED WEAPON

The engine is completely hidden behind difficult to remove panels in the middle of the car. You can check water and oil and top them up from the boot, but this does mean that simple jobs are often overlooked because they’re a pain to do. As such, a thorough and complete service history is crucially important.

2 CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE

Scary words, scary problem. Cracked bore lines have been known to result in terminal engine failure. An easy way to check for this is by looking for emulsified oil – if there’s any mayonnaise-like substance in the radiator header tank or under the oil filler cap, the thing to do is walk quickly away.

3 REAR MAIN BEARING OIL SEAL FAILURES

The most common serious problem with the Boxster concerns rear main bearing oil seal failure, which obviously results in a pretty serious oil leak. It can cost around £1000 to rectify at an independent garage. Intermediate shaft bearing failure is even more serious, and can potentially wreck the engine.

4 SERVICE HISTORY

Having good service history is imperative with any Porsche and the Boxster is no exception. Look for reams of service history, preferably from main dealers, but certainly from Porsche specialists. Bear in mind, too, that the Boxster is considered to be so complicated that some third-party warranty companies won’t touch them with a barge-pole. Watch out for poor crash repairs.