GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A tinge of seller’s remorse has seen Wallbank look to combine the best of his 981 Cayman GTS and 987 Boxster 2.7 into a single Porsche, but which car will he buy and in what specification?
The Cayman has a new home. I covered more than three thousand miles over the course of twelve months of 981 GTS ownership and, with the exception of fuel, insurance and road tax, I didn’t have to spend a penny on the car. To my mind, this demonstrates just how affordable modern-day Porsche motoring can be. Better yet, with values of 981s now so strong, I was even able to make a profit on the sale price!
Unfortunately, even though the car wasn’t getting much use, after just three weeks without the GTS, I’m already starting to miss it. Regular readers will know I have a 987 Boxster at my disposal — largely the reason I didn’t cover huge distance in the Cayman — and I’ve explained on many occasions how I believe a 987 is the best sports car available for ten grand or less, but I do fear missing the additional power and superior handling offered by the GTS.
If I’d kept the Cayman and sold the Boxster, however, I know I would miss the open-top B-road motoring I enjoyed so much last summer. All this got me thinking — what if I could combine the elements I love about both Porsches in a single car?
The obvious solution is, of course, ownership of a 981 Boxster GTS. All the handling of the Cayman with the added bonus of al fresco motoring — the perfect solution! The only problem is the fact there are very few Gts-badged 981 Boxsters on the market right now and, if you can find one, it’s likely to be even more pricey than getting hold of a 981 Cayman GTS, which is an interesting proposition considering the tin-top was more expensive when new. Adding difficulty to matters is the fact I have a specific colour and wheel combo in mind (a black body with black Carrera S twenties). Finding a 981 in my preferred specification seems near impossible.
The second option available to me is the purchase of a well-kitted 981 Boxster S loaded with the important parts which enhance the driving experience in a GTS. I’m talking Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Sport Chrono, Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), if I’m lucky. Again, the chances of finding a 981 Boxster S with these options is very slim, but they’re of particularly importance because I also plan to participate in a few organised track days during the summer months. Incidentally, I’m aware I could retrofit PSE and the Porsche X73 sport suspension package (a factory option lowering the body by 20mm, reducing roll, offering a firmer ride and coming with shocks, springs and thicker front and rear antiroll bars) if I’m lucky enough to find a 981 dressed in my preferred colour and rolling on my ideal wheels, but if the rest of my wish list isn’t wholly satisfied. With this in mind, if you happen to be selling a 981 Boxster GTS (or a 981 Boxster S you consider might fit the bill), please drop me an email at chris@chriswallbank.co.uk.
Needless to say, my 987 Boxster has been put up for sale whilst I continue the search for the perfect replacement of both cars. I’d love to have kept the two, but with garage space only big enough for one Porsche, this simply wouldn’t have been practical for the long term. Maybe I should have built another garage?! ●