Chapter 2. The Plunge

I love cars and over the years I've owned my fair share of cars. I say it's my vice, and luckily my wife loves me despite this admitted character flaw. Among a smorgasbord of fun cars these cars influenced my likes and dislikes the most:

  • Morgan 3 Wheeler: one of the most fun and visceral automobiles ever 
  • Giulia Quadrifoglio: an Alfa with a Ferrari 458 v8 (minus 2 cylinders)  
  • Lotus Evora: the most sublime hydraulic steering feel 
  • Mini John Cooper Works: small and zippy hot hatch
  • BMW M3:  sometimes a chassis just can't handle the power 
  • Porsche 911 4S Cabriolet: purity of naturally aspirated flat six
  • Fiesta ST: highest $ to fun ratio in a small and light weight package
  • ND Miata: small, light and nimble is where its at
  • Audi S5 Cabriolet: a forgettable bloated soulless hunk of a mistake

With my preferences becoming apparent over time and ownership, my definition of a just right fun car (for me) emerged to be the following:

  1. open top experience
  2. manual transmission
  3. mid-engine
  4. naturally aspirated
  5. 2 seater roadster 
  6. small footprint
  7. light weight
  8. at least 250 horses but no more than 450
  9. at least 250 torques but no more than 400
  10. rear wheel drive
  11. limited slip differential
I had been waiting for several years to order a Morgan Plus Four in the US, even knowing that it has turbo charged front mounted engine (front-mid). But I just could not accept that it would be offered only with a ZF auto transmission and not a manual in the US. So, I decided to move on from that plan, although my phone's screen saver still is a Morgan Plus Four.

I previously owned and enjoyed a Porsche 911 4S Cabriolet so I was fondly familiar with the Porsche brand. 718 Spyder and Boxster GTS both obviously fit my criteria to the tee so in late 2023 I started by contacting dealers in my state and neighboring states and was told there were no allocations available. One dealer created an "order demand" for me but that did not mean much, other than to tell Porsche mothership that an earthlings was interested in procuring their car. Other dealers flat out said it would not be possible to get an allocation.

So ... I started looking for pre-owned units. I preferred the looks of Spyder but preferred the automatic convertible top a bit more and better price of the GTS was enough to sway me toward the Boxster. And just like that even before buying I had plans for the $25-30K net difference. Soon after I closed the deal on this white unit with less than 400 miles on the odometer. 

 

Perhaps for the first time, my intention from the very beginning was to keep this car forever. I told my wife this and she smiled at me ... meaning ... yeah right 


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