Here are some really good tips for the best way to shop for a used Porsche Boxster.

1.    Determine what your budget is for your Porsche Boxster. A casual search on the Internet revealed the following prices for some used Porsche Boxsters:

• 1999 Porsche Boxster – 67,150 miles        $12,700
• 2001 Porsche Boxster – 66,605 miles        $18,990
• 2002 Porsche Boxster – 49,500 miles        $17,900
• 2003 Porsche Boxster – 37,360 miles        $19,950
• 2004 Porsche Boxster – 11,600 miles        $27,800

The average price for these five cars is $19,648, which can give you an idea as to what you’re facing when applying your budget to the purchase.

2.    Since you know for a fact that you want to purchase a Porsche Boxster, you already know what the overall size of the interior is and how you might fit into it with your passenger. But, you may want a particular size engine and drive train combination. Porsche Boxster upgraded their engine sizes practically every year, especially for the Porsche Boxster S models. If the dealer you want to deal with does not have the power combination you are looking for, wait until he does, or go shopping elsewhere. Prepare a list of notes for each Boxster you see. Buying a Porsche Boxster is a big decision, so take your time, and remember to leave your emotions back home. You are looking for the Boxster that fits your wish list entirely.

3.    When you spot a contender for the top of your shopping list, take it for a test drive. Check for unusual noises, bumps, and rattles that are indicators of a potential ‘no’ decision. Add all pertinent data to your list of notes for each Boxster you test drive. Don’t commit to any car or salesman just yet. It is your hard-earned money you are about to spend, and regardless of appearance, if the machine is a finely polished piece of junk, you do not want it.

4.    As you test several Porsche Boxsters, possibly from various dealers, set up a ranking list according to your priorities and the data that you have collected on each car tested. After you have a good priority list ranking for each vehicle, rank them according to price. At this point you should be able to trim your list down to one or two cars. If it is hard to choose between the finalists, test drive them again, adding more specific data to your ranking list.

5.    Once you have made your decision, tell the salesman of your choice and begin the negotiations for the purchase.

These are simple, but effective ways to shop for any used car. Remember, this, though, shopping and testing is only a small part of the fun you will have after you have purchased your used Porsche Boxster.

The flat-6 midmounted water-cooled engine reminds you of a boxer as he faces his opponent at center ring right at the introduction by the referee. Both of the fighters punch their boxing gloves at each other striking the other’s extended wrapped fists as a salute. The engine’s pistons oppose one another in a similar movement back and forth thus giving the idea of a ‘boxer’ getting ready to box. The pistons are mounted in the engine block in two banks of three cylinders on either side of a centrally located crankshaft.

The Porsche Boxster engine is designed with a low center of gravity and brevity of overall length. This construction provides for more efficient air-cooling especially since it is located behind the seats. The length may be short, but the width of the engine makes it too big for the engine compartments of most compact cars.

In 1997, the Boxster debuted with the 2.5-liter dual-overhead-cam, 201 horsepower engine. The entry-level engine produced 180 foot-pounds of torque.

The next two years found very little changes to the engines, but in the year 2000 the company produced two new dual-overhead-cam engines. One was a 2.7-liter flat-6, which powered the base model Boxster. The other was a 3.2-liter six that pushed the new ‘S’ model through a 6-speed manual transmission.

Year 2003 found the development of increased horsepower in both engines with the base model adding 11 more ponies to make 228 HP, and the ‘S’ engine only gaining 8 horsepower over its predecessor to expand to 258 HP.

Surprisingly, the difference in size and horsepower did not impact fuel economy all that much, for the marque was able to maintain its city and highway mpg ratings with very little change. However speed did change over the years. In 1997 the 2.5-liter DOHC, 201 HP engine produced zero to sixty times in 6.0 seconds. In 2009, the Boxster base model flat-6 grew to a hefty 2.9-liter and 255 HP and delivered the car from the starting line to sixty mph a whole second faster at 5.0 seconds.

Over the years, the Porsche Boxster engine made a gradual change from its start in 1997 to take on more of the architecture and performance of its big brother 911 engines. Porsche is the master at the flat-6 and they have made a really winning car to fit around it.

A new exhaust system can change the look, sound, and performance of your Porsche Boxster.  Here are some elements that can be changed on your Boxster:

• Exhaust headers – the collectors of engine exhaust from the cylinders and distributes it to the exhaust pipe to be expelled from the engine.
• Custom fit exhaust pipes – a greater improvement in horsepower, more torque, and fine sports car sound while still maintaining street legal performance.
• Mufflers – simple replacement of this part from OEM mufflers and an immediate appreciation of increased HP by as much as 10% plus better sound control.
• Exhaust tips – an aftermarket add-on to your Porsche Boxster exhaust to provide not only a unique daytime eye-catcher, but also an after dark appearance improvement as well. Several manufacturers have developed exhaust tips that feature LED lights built into the rear lip. Highly polished chrome construction with various design flames etched on the exterior provide the daytime shine. The LEDs light up the tips of the exhaust pipes at night for quite a unique look.

The manufacturers who have found this niche for customizing your Porsche Boxster exhaust really can put a difference in your car’s performance, appearance, and sound. Some of them are:

• MBRP Inc., Huntsville, Ontario, Canada
• RemusUSA SportExhaust, Emeryville, California
• Option Group, La Puente, California
• Fabspeed Motorsports, Ambler, Pennsylvania
• Borla USA, Oxnard, California
• X-OST Maranello, Maranello, Italy

There is something about the sound of a GT or even a 911 that triggers a mental image of hot asphalt racetracks, fast curves, and the blur of spectators. You might not ever get the chance to drive at any of the famous races like Le Mans, Grand Prix de Monaco, Sebring, or any Formula One gathering. But you might be able to get the sound of such a race coming from the rear of your sports car especially with finely tuned Porsche Boxster exhausts.

One of the first things that brought you to looking for a used Porsche Boxster for sale is the price of a new Porsche Boxster. The base price for a new standard Porsche Boxster is $47,600 and once you add just a modicum of options it quickly can jump to over $63,200. You and the Mrs. quickly decided that you should go with a used Porsche Boxster, and the hunt is on.

There are three good areas to look for good used Porsche Boxsters for sale: The Internet, Major auto magazines, and your local import auto dealer pre-owned car lot. Let’s look at each of these areas individually.

The Internet has become one of the best marketing tools ever. Where else can you get worldwide coverage of something you have for sale? Depending upon your budget, let’s look at a standard 2003 Porsche Boxster. The price range for that year and model runs $18,350 to $21,765 according to the Kelley Blue Book. A few good places to do your Internet shopping are:

• autotrader.com — one of the best places to do used car research and to locate just the used car you want whether locally or anywhere in the world
• carmax.com — another excellent place to look for either used or new cars of your choice.
• automallusa.net — Auto Mall has been a popular used car franchise program throughout the country for many years especially in larger cities. Shopping with them online is as good as the previous location mentioned above
• motors.shop.ebay.com — If you know exactly what you want, eBay is a good place to shop and to do some market research especially for pricing

Major auto magazines have carried classified ads for years for good, clean used cars. Some examples of these are:

• Motor Trend Magazine – One of the U.S.’s oldest automobile magazines. It also has an interactive website which is another good place to shop for a used Porsche Boxster for sale
• Car and Driver Magazine – This magazine doesn’t list used cars for sale, per se, but it is an excellent source for good, reliable information for used cars by checking issues from the year of the car you wish to buy. The magazine has an in-depth, comprehensive buyer’s guide as well as good reviews from first drives to road tests to comparison tests between makes of cars. This magazine also has a good interactive website
• Auto Trader Magazine – Even though we have already mentioned Auto Trader for its website, it has a great weekly magazine of used vehicles principally within your local area for sale

Again, using the Internet, or checking the Yellow Pages, look for import automobile dealers within your local area. There you may find a dealer that exclusively handles new and used Porsches, which would be an excellent place for you to test drive and even purchase a good, used Porsche Boxster for sale.