Is the 986 an "old" car

[huytonman]

My car dates from 2003 so it is without doubt "old" but does it feel it? I was out in it yesterday evening, driving back with the roof down in the dark is always a pleasure and I started to think about other circa 16 year old cars that I've had and whether the 986s feels any more contemporary then they did. My first car was a 1967 mini 850, bought in 1979 when it was 12 years old and it was knackered in every way (not a surprise for a 1960's mass produced car, most of them from memory weren't very good ) and it felt VERY old and tired. Wind forward to 1988 and I bought a 1968 MGB which was then totally restored, so it was pretty much as new and was 20 years old - it felt decidedly vintage but had its charm and appeal. Then in 1991 I bought a 1971 TR6, fully restored and at 20 years old it felt like a 1950's car (which is fair enough given the underlying tech) it was horribly unreliably and despite the restoration had started to rust and wasn't something to drive expecting no problems. That was replaced by my first Porsche, a 944 Turbo which was 5 years old and was quick but unreliable and felt tired (my mistake for buying a bad one probably). My two 993's were both 12-14 years old when I bought them and whilst I loved driving them they did feel old (1960's basic tech at play with lots of updates). Thats not the full list; Alfa Spider, MG Midget etc also tried and rejected eventually and all felt their age. The common theme is that whilst some of these cars had appeal due to their basic nature most of them compared poorly when looked at against modern cars from a driving and reliability perspective.

Which gets me back to the 986 which still feels great to drive, looks good, shows little sign of wear & tear, has decent enough performance and economy, is comfortable (ish) and  a car I always look forward to driving. Parts of it feel old, the dash (but I like it), no sat nav, rubbish radio, scuttle shake with the roof down but these negatives aren't that important for what I want from the car. My last Porsche was a 981S which was one of three that I owned and yes if somebody offered to swap my 986 for their 981 I wouldnt say no but I dont feel short changed with what I now drive.

So in summary, to me it doesn't feel "old" it feels special and that's good enough for me!

Cheers Keith

[SDF1965]

Keith, similar car history to you having had old minis, Spitfires, TR7 (glutten for punishment as I had 3 over the years), numerous Citroens, Audi, Merc etc. Had a lovely Elise and then a VX220, when that met a sad end I bought a very well sorted 2000 Boxster S, 19 years old.

Although bought as a weekend 'toy' it has become my daily, the Evoque languishes on the drive and I am racking up the miles, mostly with hood down enjoying a great car. Upgraded the stereo to a dual DIN with Apple Car Play so have the mod cons I was missing including Sat Nav, BT phone connection etc

Car may not be as quick as a modern hot hatch but the look, sound and overall build quality make these exceptional machines, does it feel 'old', not really and like you, look forward to each and every trip

[Menoporsche]

My car at 12 years old does not feel old or tired.

Can't say the same about the driver.

[NSS]

My 986 is 19 years old but I would say drives like a car no more than 10 yrs old.  It has a cherished plate and still looks fresh and current.  I am connected to the motor trade and drive lots of different cars, I have driven 2 year old cars that feel shagged!!!! 

 

 

[Topbox]

Intersting piece @huytonman with good perspective given the cars you've had. I think different people would, without doubt, have varying criteria about what felt "old' or indeed would dispense with old for 'different' or consider the experience 'retro' which is quite chic in itself at the monent. My 28 year nephew having owned a modern BMW for a while prefers an early 1990's Scirroco as a daily and keeps a Mk1 Golf convertable in the  garage, which was his first car. Enjoyed my 986 immensely till it broke and the longer I owned it the more I liked it, its short comings part of the charm. It certainly did not drive old. I do think perspective is changed a lot if a car is a daily though, when convenience and creature conforts are more to the fore. One thing for sure, modern cars are far more reliable and rust much more slower than the cars of fourty years ago, so indeed its pertiant to ask what is an old car. Would an enviromentalist and a car salesman say the same, they might you know 😁

 

 

[MattO89]

For me, my 986 doesn't feel old in terms of its fundamental build quality - i.e. 18 years on it's not knackered and has been built to last, as others have highlighted. The interior feels dated, but that's the same with any car of equivalent age.

It does feel "old school" in the way it drives though - big(ish) displacement, naturally aspirated, manual gearbox, steering that chatters, the power to tell you off if you drive it like an eejit in the wet etc. I class all of that as old in a good way and for me it's key to it's appeal. 

[NSS]

Having had the pleasure to drive a friend 73 911 Targa last weekend my Boxster feels like brand new LOL

[Billzeebub]

Dare say some unloved 986s feel very old. The well looked after ones though, particularly the 2002 facelift cars look and feel modern. Equipped with a private plate its really only car enthusiasts who know they are not much newer. Suppose thats the benefit of Porsche evolutionary styling. Discreet changes from model to model. The great build quality means no rattles in my 2003 73k mile car.

A thing I love about the 986 is its lack of tech. It feels analogue without the gadgets, bings and bongs that have even crept into more modern sportscars. I have driven all subsequent iterations  of the Boxster and have never got out wishing my car had any of the features (aside from switchable sport exhaust maybe).

The 986.2 has an interior that some refer to as dated. I prefer to see it as focused and cosy. My car has the console delete which adds to that feel. The convenience of twin pop-out cup holders, glovebox and glass screened roof make it very practical and it feels superbly packaged to me. 

in the era of the turbo charged luxury sportscar I rejoice in the nature of the 986. For me it hits the sweet-spot between modern useability/reliability and analogue involvement. 

 

[Huw_L]

The only other similar (in a similar-but-different sort of way) feel I've had from a car was my BMW E39 M5. I bought it at 11 years old for £6400, and ran it as my daily for nearly 40k miles (from 120k-160k).

It felt very modern to drive, despite being quite dated in the interior/dashboard department.

Not really owned any modern cars, but driven a fair few ... for me, the trend of trying to insulate the driver from the driving experience reached a sweet spot in the 'driving feel vs everyday usability' trade-off in the late 90s-mid 2000s. You had cars that were broadly reliable & comfortable, but still gave you some idea of what the oily bits were up to.

[huytonman]

5 minutes ago, Huw_L said:

The only other similar (in a similar-but-different sort of way) feel I've had from a car was my BMW E39 M5. I bought it at 11 years old for £6400, and ran it as my daily for nearly 40k miles (from 120k-160k).

It felt very modern to drive, despite being quite dated in the interior/dashboard department.

Not really owned any modern cars, but driven a fair few ... for me, the trend of trying to insulate the driver from the driving experience reached a sweet spot in the 'driving feel vs everyday usability' trade-off in the late 90s-mid 2000s. You had cars that were broadly reliable & comfortable, but still gave you some idea of what the oily bits were up to.

Funny you should say that, I had an E39 M5, it was 4 years old when I bought it in 2006 and although the new version was out by then, I loved mine and it felt very modern for a model that was released >10 years ago. My "daily" is an F10 M5 and its a rocket ship but I would probably have trouble matching B road cross country pace in that vs the 986S (straight line is a different story - in the dry!).

Cheers Keith

[Dwdg]

Interesting thread. I had this thought the other day when someone in another group thought that post-1995 isn't classic enough. For me, I personally look back at my car history having passed in 1993 and sometimes cringe. My first car was a 1983 Renault 18 GTL in silver. A great car I thought at the time. Immaculate and one owner from new. I thought it was an old car, pretty much on the limit of what me and my friends would consider as a modern reliable car. No one wanted anything older than 15 years old at most. That was early Fiesta/ late Cortina territory! Then onto Metro's, Sierra's Citroen BX's loads of BMW's 3 - 7 series, Audi Coupes and Mercedes SL's in amongst a raft of company cars. A late favourite was a '91 8v Golf Gti 3 door. 

Fast forward to now, and if you passed your test or your child did, the oldest car you'd want is 10 - 12 years old, so 2007 onward most likely. especially if you are 17 or 18.

So this gap between 15 -24 year old cars is filled with some pretty special cars. Are there some modern classics there, some 1996 cars are starting to look really cool and getting retro. Not too popular at the time - Early MGF's BMW 318 ti's for example. Most of them do feel dated though.

But not the Boxster, well alright a little, but not so much.. and even less when you drive it and drive it hard!

[Tynesider]

Mine is 21 years young (admittedly is currently undergoing some major work) Old .....never,  analogue yes, but really does not feel old in the way you describe your car history.

One of my neighbours remarked when I first got the car "thats a young mans game" did he mean I was old or the car!😏

[Spuggy]

My car is 21 yrs old and I am 62 yrs old.  I have lost track of the numerous mediocre cars that I have owned but I can recall all of the 'special' cars.  Iwent through a phase of buying Audis and had two Quattros, the best being the Audi 80 2.3 Coupe Quattro which I still think was one of the best looking cars Audi ever made.  I have enjoyed a Range Rover V8 and one of the first Discovery V8's (which was so poorly built, it literally fell to pieces)  My Mercedes 2.3 SLK rusted within two years but was a superb driving car.  I often hear people waxing lyrically about their old classic cars but anyone who thinks driving a Morris 1000 is fun, needs to have a reality check as whilst they may look quaint, the handling and brakes, even when new, were appalling.  My first ever, 'toy' car was my Fiat Barchetta which my wife bought for me for my 50th birthday.  This car was amazing, fairly rapid, and so very unique.  These cars have no carpets and although front wheel drive, have the qualities of early British sports cars but with great handling, performance and brakes.  My wife hated the LHD though and bought me my Boxster for my 60th.  The Boxster and the Barchetta were the same age and although the Barchetta still had a Casette player, the Boxster had one of the first CD players.  In terms of looks, neither are particularly dated but if you compare the Barchetta against, say the new Fiat Spider (Mazda), it looks old.  If I park my Boxster next to a much later model, it doesnt look dated.  As for the OP's original question, Is it an old car, well it clearly is but, as many people have posted, it doesnt feel that way when youre driving it.  As I have mentioned elsewhere, personally, one of my favourite features is the narrow rim on the steering wheel which reminds me of my driving my Rover P6 V8 (when the bloody thing would start)

I enjoy the classic car status of having a car of its age and my limited 5000 miles per year insurance is around £140 per year including recovery ( proved very useful recently)

Great thread friends

 

Spugg

[CAZ]

I think for me to a certain extent it depends how much you enjoy driving it and what the suspension is like  - have had 3 Triumph Stags that were over 20 years old at the time, but certainly didn't feel it, some of that was down to the fact that they all had an auto gear box so always a smooth ride and gave the Renault 25 TXI  auto that was a daily a run for it's money.

The frog eye sprite was a bone shaker / crate and the TR7 felt more modern than my brothers  then 5 year old Fiesta.

I'd say sometimes the cars don't feel old,they just feel different - I now have a  12 year old Box and a 2 year old Fiesta - the Fiesta feels flimsy and tinny ,the steering feels like  it's held together with string compared to the Box and there are far too many buttons and dials and ports,so I do not enjoy driving it - it is an A - B car ,where as the Box is a pleasure to drive and feels safe and solid.

Like the OP ,top down night driving in the Stags was a joy and is something I now do in the box ( I quite fancy a full moon night drive next month ),but it's a bit iffy to do if you're a female ,as when younger driving home alone after going  to a nightclub, the car in front of me stopped at traffic lights and two guys got out and ran over to my car and tried the door handles. - when they couldn't get in they ran back and drove off.

[SDF1965]

10 hours ago, CAZ said:

Like the OP ,top down night driving in the Stags was a joy and is something I now do in the box ( I quite fancy a full moon night drive next month ),but it's a bit iffy to do if you're a female ,as when younger driving home alone after going  to a nightclub, the car in front of me stopped at traffic lights and two guys got out and ran over to my car and tried the door handles. - when they couldn't get in they ran back and drove off.

Caz, that last paragraph warrants a dashcam, no one should have to put up with that sort of behaviour

[CAZ]

1 hour ago, SDF1965 said:

Caz, that last paragraph warrants a dashcam, no one should have to put up with that sort of behaviour

Yep ! My kids are older than I was back then - when dash cams didn’t exist ! It could have been very nasty.

[Boxob]

I parked nose to nose with a guy in a private plated Mercedes convertable one very cold day last winter. My windows had frozen in the up position that morning, so had refused to drop when opening the door. I asked the Merc driver whether his car suffered this problem. It did but, admiring my car, he explained his (or rather his wife's) car was an old car. I asked how old - seven years. He nearly fell over when I told him my car was over 20 years old!

[Rev Ken]

Well at 81 my '03 986 feel a lot younger than me! What I like about it is that it is connected to the road and the world, unlike the hermetically sealed, 'video game' modern cars that give little or no connection with 'reality'. I KNOW I am driving a car and enjoying every moment, and for a 16 year old car it is remarkable rust free and feels very solid. After getting the IMS and clutch changed as well as a few other jobs, it feels as if it will go on for as long as I will be driving - only another 15 or so years I hope!

Of course my first three cars were prewar, a 1932 BSA three wheeler, a 1935 Triumph Gloria Southern Cross and a lovely 'Dixson of Dock Green' Wolesey. Each of them had features no longer fitted to modern cars and I learnt a lot of my engineering from working on them. (How many of to-day's mechanics, let alone drivers, can scrape white metal bearings to fit a crankshaft?)

Oh and sad news, I've had to give up Blood Bikes because it would be too expensive to insure me - if even possible. However it doesn't stop me riding my BMW F800GT even if, after radio-therapy for Prostate cancer and continued female hormone injections, my stamina isn't back to 'normal'. Still I can manage around 150-200 miles of 'interesting' roads and if I get back to bed and get up in time I intend to be gallivanting around the borders later to-day. Now that is the very best way of being in contact with all that is around you and keep you on your toes. It is even good for your physical and mental health so research suggests - I need it!

[Spuggy]

Great post. Enjoy the run around the Borders. The only motorised fun for me today will be cutting the grass!

Best wishes with the ongoing treatment.

 

Spugg

[edc]

Agree with most of the posts here. I like the 986 as it fits mostly all my requirements for what I want it for. I've got no real desire to get a newer 987 or 981, the exceptions being the Spyder. It's a bit clichéd but the term modern classic is quite fitting. I don't want or need the creature comforts or refinement of more modern cars. Whilst not old school I prefer the driving style and feel compared to more modern cars. And last but not least the price and value is undeniable. 

All of my modern cars have been company cars or the current and past lease. The newest car I've owned is a 2005 C55 otherwise everything is from the 90s and 00s. I think of you have the luxury of being able to have multiple cars a 986 is a nice one for the fleet. 

[Castaway]

I think mine's an old car at 20 years and there are things about it that seem dated but nothing comes close for the incredible value it offers as a sports car that's designed and manufactured to a high standard. I see cars costing 10 or 20 times as much that don't offer much more except techy gimmicks and useless extra horses.