Chapter 1 · Buying your first Porsche · by HBi Auto
Buying a Boxster
The mid-engine Porsche roadster since 1997: 986, 987, 981 and 718, plus the Boxster Spyder.
The Boxster is Porsche's mid-engine roadster, built since 1997. With the engine behind the seats it is one of the best-balanced cars Porsche makes, and it is the most affordable way into a Porsche with the top down. The Boxster Spyder and the 718 Spyder are the enthusiast versions, light and manual-focused.
Like the 911, the generation decides most of what you need to know: engine type, gearbox and the problems to check.
The generations
1997–2004986 Boxster
The car that saved Porsche in the 1990s. The 986 Boxster shares its front end and engine family with the 996 911: 2.5, 2.7 and 3.2-litre (S) flat-sixes. It is the least…
Not tracked yet
2005–2012987 Boxster
The 987 brought the Cayman coupe in 2006. Like the 997, the 2009 update (987.2) moved to direct-injection engines with no intermediate shaft and offered…
Not tracked yet
2013–2016981 Boxster
The 981 was a new chassis with electric steering, a longer wheelbase and 2.7 / 3.4-litre flat-six engines. The GTS added power and the sport options, and the 2016 Cayman…
$37,100+4 models · 216 sales
2017 on718 Boxster
The 718 switched the base, S and early GTS cars to turbocharged flat-four engines. In 2020 the GT4 and Spyder got a new 4.0-litre flat-six, which then went into the GTS…
$53,100+7 models · 195 sales
The market, generation by generation
From the cheapest model to the most expensive in each generation: median sale prices for the last 24 months, models with 5 or more sales.
Boxster sales per year
VIN-checked US sales recorded on 911 Tracker per year, as of Oct 30, 2026. Hover a bar for the median price that year (shown with 5 or more sales). 2026 is the year to date.
Show as a table
| Year | Sales | Median sale |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 | too few |
| 2019 | 6 | $51,800 |
| 2020 | 14 | $43,500 |
| 2021 | 26 | $65,800 |
| 2022 | 34 | $81,800 |
| 2023 | 63 | $59,500 |
| 2024 | 90 | $66,500 |
| 2025 | 100 | $60,600 |
| 2026 | 76 | $82,000 |
911 Tracker, VIN-checked US sales, as of Oct 30, 2026.
The buying process
Find and price it
Compare the car with what the same model actually sold for, adjusted for miles, options and records.
Ask the right questions
Who serviced it, why it is for sale, any accidents or paintwork, and can you see every record before you travel.
Inspect it
A specialist pre-purchase inspection, paid by you, reported to you.
Agree the deal
Price, what is fixed before delivery, deposit terms and a written bill of sale.
Pay safely and ship it
Wire only to a verified account, never on instructions that arrive by email alone. Ship enclosed for anything rare or valuable.
Written by the 911 Buyers and HBi Auto team in Mocksville, NC. Market numbers come from 911 Tracker's VIN-checked US sales and say what they are based on; maintenance intervals say where each one comes from. This course is general information, not an inspection, an appraisal or legal or tax advice.