Porsche 986 Boxster for sale
1997–2004
The car that saved Porsche in the 1990s and now one of the most affordable ways into a mid-engine sports car. Clean, well-kept examples with records are getting harder to find than the prices suggest.
Search for one now
Describe the car the way you would say it out loud. GarageScout works out the years, trim, gearbox and options, and only shows cars that match.
“986 boxster s 6-speed manual”Run this search →
“2003-2004 boxster s with ims bearing replaced”Run this search →
“porsche 986 boxster under $15,000 manual”Run this search →
Know the car
- Launched with a 2.5-liter flat-six; a 2.7-liter replaced it for 2000, when the 3.2-liter Boxster S was added.
- A five-speed manual on the base car and a six-speed on the S, with a Tiptronic automatic optional.
- Cars up to 2002 have a plastic rear window in the soft top; 2003–2004 cars have glass.
What to check before you buy
- Whether the intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing has been replaced or upgraded, and the paperwork to prove it.
- Rear main seal leaks and coolant tank cracks.
- Condition of the soft top, and water in the footwells from blocked drains.
Where they turn up
A specific 986 Boxster rarely sits on the one site you check. These are the places GarageScout searches for this car in a single pass:
- Porsche Finder (certified and dealer inventory)
- Bring a Trailer
- PCARMARKET
- Cars & Bids
- Rennlist forum classifieds
- classic.com
- Facebook Marketplace
- 986forum.com classifieds
How to hunt one well
- Name the gearbox. “Manual” or “automatic” in your search is enforced: a 986 Boxster is only shown when its listing, or the site’s own gearbox filter, proves it. A listing that never says is left out rather than guessed.
- Use the generation or years you mean. GarageScout reads a chassis code or a year range as the exact model years, so neighboring generations with the same name stay out of the results.
- Set your ceilings. Add “under 60k miles” or “under $40,000” and cars over the limit are dropped, including auction listings that only state the mileage in the title.
- Say the options and colors that matter to you. Exact matches are listed first; close matches say exactly what they are missing, so you can decide whether it matters.
- Get it inspected. Whatever the listing says, a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist who knows the 986 Boxster is the best money you will spend on it.
Not listed today?
The car you want usually is not for sale the day you look. Save the search and GarageScout re-runs it every day across every source, and emails you the day a matching car is listed.