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What about just going stock 17"? Visually not as pleasing but factory fitted size so it might be optimal for that range of horsepower?

A friend of mine informed me that Porsche will soon replace its dated tiptronic automatic system with the new audi twin clutch DSG. (in 2 yr's time may be)... any insider news on this? If this is the case, getting a tiptronic now for 2006 will be a big mistake? If I do want the 987 in tiptronic, should I wait for 2 years? Or would it nonetheless make good sense to get it now. Has the current tiptronic system been upgraded since the rollout of 986? One thing good about the current tiptronic system is that it has been well tested and buying the first generation DSG on a 987 may not be a good idea anyway.

I had once thought about simply putting on the 19" wheels for looks. However, it looks like max should be 18". Now on the other hand, the standard wheels are all at 17" and I wonder if the 17" would be more appropriate for the base model because of its lower output. I rather have the 17" for better handling than just the 18" for looks.

http://www.autointell-news.com/News-2005/D.../D-07-05-p5.htm This also means that the Boxster and Cayenne are helping the company tremendously. However, much to my surprise, Cayenne has now become the best selling vehicles for PORSCHE.

Does anyone know the history on roof making subsidiary of Porsche? It was made clear to me that the R170 and R171 mercedes' roof mechanisms were actually originally part of Porsche's R&D? This is what I have from a friend: Porsche has sold its roof system making subsidiary CTS to giant component maker Magna. CTS was originally founded jointly by Porsche and Mercedes to make roof systems for both companies, including the fabric roof of 911 Cabriolet, the innovative sliding glass roof of 911 Targa and the retractable roof of Mercedes SLK and SL. Later its business expanded to other customers, such as Ferrari 360 Spider and F430 Spider, Peugeot 307CC and most recently, Opel Astra TwinTop. Porsche acquired Mercedes' stakes in 2003. Now selling the whole company to Magna, CTS could expand its business futher. Any input? Just a bit of history for my own sake.

Also, just wondering... When you see so many cars like SLK and even Peugeot doing folding hardtops... I wonder how come Porsche never develops some sort of similar mechanism? Soft top must go and it's a matter of time so why doesn't Porsche comes out with something similar to SLK's for its funster boxster? It's a roadster afterall?

Porsche stays true to RR and if there's a really established legacy, it will definitely be the 911. Boxster roots back to 1950 550 Spyder but what does anyone think about the chances of it becoming like the 944 or 928? I think it is unlikely given the fact that Porsche is diversifying itself so much including producing cayenne and about to produced 4 door sedan version.

I wonder if any member is from HK and currently resides in HK. I have many questions that pertain to the dealership in HK = JEBSEN. It is exclusive. I find very few DIY and support group like this one and THE BABBLERS. These helpful forums help a lot. If anyone can give me his/her inputs, much appreciated. This pertains to warranty. I live in HK and am about to order my 987. One main factor I consider is maintenance cost and in HK, my dealer JEBSEN says that I should purchase at LEAST the first 2 years of Extended Warranty Service. The car comes with 2 years of warranty. I am unsure what that truly comprises but any wear and tear parts like rotors, calipers and pads and oil changes will cost me $$$. Do people usually purchase that? I do believe that a full set of books and records from offical service centre (porsche service centre) will keep the cars in good conditions but another friend seems to say that Porsche's quality is pretty good and the first 2 years pretty much would be quite ok for the car so there really isn't a need to diss out any more.

I know that it would be unfair to compare insulation and wind cutting ability as one is canvas and the other is steel top... how good is the triple lined improved canvas top against the elements? What about durabilties? Can they go for a few years against sunlight and the elements without the need for replacements? Definitely not gonna be as sturdy as the SLK's top but this is my only concern now. With the engine sitting behind me, it's gonna be loud but the top is really holding me back. I am afraid that after owning the SLK, this one will put me off after a week's driving... test drive ain't indicative

Djantlive... this is what happened to my car every morning now: http://www.badongo.com/vid.php?file=R171+P...LKR171Noise.mpg This is the reply from DCAG after 4 months of investigation keeping my car out of service for 4 months (btw, no lemon law in HK): The first incident that upsetted me was after 1.5 months of investigation, they blamed it on my washing the car causing rusting: http://www.badongo.com/pic.php?file=MBCL+1...benz02forum.JPG But they replaced all parts and the noise still exist... between Oct 5 - Dec 8th, they had kept my car and so it is still out of service and now they give me this: http://www.badongo.com/pic.php?file=120705...207.jpg&s=black Telling me that this is normal and nothing is wrong. C'mon... if it was normal, why didn't they issue a TSB or told me right away instead of causing me 4 months of depreciation license and registration right? This together with the Boxster's appeal is really pushing me over. Plus I think I will like it and I am fed up after 30 letters to DCAG.

Thanks for the inputs. You might be right. If I go for a base 987 tip, I might simply be driving the badge which is no good. I already feel that the SLK 350 is really underpowered and it is quite a soft ride even with AMG suspension. It gives me lots of SEDAN FEEL and it's definitely a good sized down GT. Your bro. is over here? Cars are so expensive. This base 987 will cost me 100K USD. What can you buy with 100K USD in the States? I don't wanna think about that one. Import tax is like 200%. Um... here's what my cousin offered me. My cousin said going from a SLK to a Boxster is a serious upgrade because he said I should start experiencing what Porsche really offered. It's one of a kind and it is definitely worth the money even for the handling. Plus he said Porsche drivers will always stay true to Porsche and he educated me on a few deals like "not to be sold on GIMMICKS like the BMW's 330i engine start stop button and all those DCAG's Mercedes' gimmick." Simply put, a porsche is a porsche is a porsche and you have to own one to get into this REALM and the 987 is a good start. He also said that Porsche s are very durable and and withstand the test of time and definitely an icon so for this one that I am going to buy, I will probably keep for 5 years +. He said one plus to buy now is that this is second generation and year 1 of the new boxster and definitely have a lot more enjoyment then buying a last year's face lift model. However, your inputs on maintenance is much much more a concern to me. SLK is a lot cheaper to maintain even for the warranty part. I figure that if I buy a 100K USD car, I will not go to an independent mechanics and will stay true to my dealer JEBSEN and first 2 years will cost 50K HKD = 6000+ USD and next 2 years 60k HKD = 8000 USD. Only one thing puts me back now... besides maintenance... the soft top. I have no experience but the soft top will be a lot harder to upkeep and I wonder if it will start to leak in 3-4 year's time... though I know that most boxster owners never replace their tops. Inputs on that front? I definitely feel a lot safer and more secure on SLK's hard top. However, my experience with my R171 SLK 350 was so negative that the bad taste in my mouth due to what happened with the vehicle and how my dealer treated me really had me thinking if I would ever buy from DCAG and Mercedes again. MB is losing its reputation and the quality is serious declining.

djantlive, you are right. I went over today and went through the list with my sales professional. I agree with you. You are right. I drove my R171 SLK 350 over and took the salesman for a ride. He said my car felt comfy and soft and would drive completely different from the base boxster 987 tiptronic. Also, I think that MB really spoilt me because at MB for the R171, most things like bi-xenon HID lights are standard. This is definitely logical cos R171 is more for the mass market and they don't wanna confuse the customers. Most cars come equipped with rain sensor, cruise control, dimming mirrors, electric seats and folding mirrors. That's also why a lot of magazines did mention that R171 has lured many old boxster users over because it would definitely be considered to be a bargain if you weren't into the good old legacy of Porsche and simply drive for fun. It takes a while for me to really get used to. At the outset, I was quite turned off by the rather simple no-frills dash as well as the simple radio and automatic climate control. Went to look at a few 997 C4 and Carrera and also found them to share pretty much the same interior as the boxster. Then, I came to the realization that Porsche was never a company into hi-tech gimmicks while MB is steering into that direciton. Look at the S... so many gimmicks like night view system and I appreciate PORSCHE's idea in evolution rather than revolution and it's principle in being a true producer to sports cars (although a few got pissed when the Boxster and Cayenne were produced... especially the V6 toureg... oh I mean cayenne...). I also start to appreciate the rather simple and traditional porsche's dash... it's the real thing. It will take me a while to get used to for sure... but I am sure I will grow to like it. I like the boxster for its wider wheel base and longer body. However, the steep price and my low trade in price for the R171 is going to sit with me for a while. Won't be able to take delivery until next april any way so I will let it sit for a while... I have at least before feb. However, I am all for it so far. The salesman said I should get the 18" wheels if I prefer and the metallic paint. Finally, the Bose system is also worth the $, any input on that front. However, one thing really had me thinking was the key of the Porsche. The good news is that Porsche stays true to its legacy and keeps the tradition in having a metal key. Although I truly feel that it is quite an antiquated concept... it is rather impractical to me because the key sticks out and in jeans pocket could poke. Furthermore, I did pose him the question in losing the key. It looks like the traditional setup calls for a replacement of the full set of locks and that's costly. I do enjoy the 330i's new keyless go system with the start/stop engine button and I wonder if Porsche will ever roll it out. Well, maybe Porsche is simply a company that focuses on performance and driver's communication more so than the gimmicks but a keyless go or chip system would be appreciated.

Do you mind telling me if it's a manual or tiptronic? What's the power like?

Any comment on the lighting capability of the halogen? Is it that different from the bi-xenon?

So Bi-Xenon lights are not standard, that's good as they are standard on my R171. Rain sensor, I can live without that but I actually don't know what dimming mirrors do. I think I will stick with 1/2 leather... does the 987s also come in 1/2 leather? I have never seen the real thing and didn't pay attention at all on my last test drive. Heck on demos... they give you the best. I think I will skip the radio too and the bose system. I think I will only get: 1. Metallic Paint 2. Bi-Xenon (same as HID?) 3. 19" or 18" that's it. I thought electrically adjusted seats = standard?

Heard some news that Porsche may rollout a new DSG system borrowed from VW to replace it's tiptronic S system. In HK, I pretty much have to buy tiptronic because stick doesn't have any second hand value in HK... in the States or Europe, you go an hour and you are off skiing and in HK, in an hour's time, you are still stuck in traffic. Hence, stick is a pain. I am getting a new 987 2006 and tiptronic S... anyone heard any news on newly developed Porsche's system? The good news is that tiptronic is so deep rooted that most glitches have been smoothed out. For sure, the CLS' 7G gearbox has some big bugs in it.

Know nothing about the RMS but it seems popular. What exactly is that problem all about? Prepare me for it as knowledge is power, rear spoiler clicking noise was another one I read. Any other ones? The TSB parts really don't provide the details here. List out some major probs. My R171 SLK 350 was extremely disappointing so I am not gonna buy from DCAG anymore. They have just lost me and my whole family as a customer and I swear I will never ever buy from them again. That is... if you knew what happened to my R171... out of service for over 4.5 months in the SHOP! No compensation and nothing and in the end, they couldn't fix it and told me that after 4.5 months it was normal to have some clicking noises. Can't take another hit like this but I was unlucky.

No idea about boxster at all. Know much about Mercedes but is 987 made in Finland? Read a few threads there. Also, wondering what options to get for the 987. No clue at all. I am thinking just these 2: 1. 19" wheels 2. Leather seats (didn't know that it's only 1/2 leather) I think we can skip the nice LCD and the automatic climate control. I might miss a few gimmicks on my R171 like the rain sensor but I think I will skip that.

I am getting the plain 987 and not 987 s so that should make the difference. Finally, after much thinking today... I have decided to venture out and give it a try. I am getting rid of my R171 SLK 350 for a 987. I am gonna become a first time owner although my mother said I had always been the Mercedes guy. It would be vastly different. However, a friend of mine said you would love it and the communication between you and the 987 is what you are paying for and this is what 350 offers but in a different way. My girlfriend already started nagging and said that I had only had the R171 for 9 months and I was already moving over to Porsche (obviously she was afraid that my style towards cars would transfer into that of relationship... girlfs...). She thought it was a step down for me in terms of power and comfort (the top) However, this time around, I feel that I have muster up the courage to drive something vastly different. I had owned a few cars in my life... all sedan ride quality... the 325i convertible, the Jaguar S type, R171 SLK and now I am moving to Porsche. Never in my life had I driven one but I know she wouldn't like it. The stiff ride and the engine noise. Heck, I figure she would get used to it and I may forever become a porsche guy. The declining qualities of MB are also upsetting me so I have decided tonight... a big decision for me... to try the 987 even at 2700+ cc only. A few friends already nagged that I made a mistake cos the 350 would be much more powerful but heck... I couldn't care less now and I hope this experience is gonna be a wonderful one.

My sales professional said the 19" weren't gonna be good for the 987 and 987s. First of all, it will make it a bit too sticky. He also said that I would probably regret getting the 19" simply for looks because I will be sacrificing much of my comfort on my ride. It would be a bit TOO BUMPY and HARD and the car is more balanced on 18". Any input? I like the 19" carrera S for looks.

Any comment on TopGear's Jeremy's comments?