After almost 4 years of anticipation and about 4 months on the waiting list, my quest became a reality. On July 25, 1998, I drove home my new Porsche Boxster.

Configuration of my Car:

Ordering a car directly from the factory has its advantages. I was able to pick exactly which options I wanted. I spent quite a bit of time at the Porsche section of the (now defunct) Microsoft CarPoint website choosing options and understanding pricing, although many options were not listed.

Here’s my final decision, as shown on the original Porsche Cars North America Pro Forma Invoice:

Option Class Option Unique Option Description
BSEMDL BASE Porsche Base Model
OPTION CO2 U.S. Standard/Emissions
BDYCLR X1 Arctic Silver Metallic
OPTION M6A Black Floor Mat With Red Logo
OPTION P14 Heated Front Seats Package
TOPCLR V9 Black Top
OPTION 580 Non-Smoker Package
INTERI AZ Sport Seats Lthr Black + M-P69
OPTION P63 Sport Package
OPTION 396 17-inch Wheels Boxster-Design
OPTION 551 Porsche Windstop (Deflector)
OPTION 490 HI-FI Sound Pkg/with Speakers
OPTION 454 Cruise Control
OPTION 535 Remote Control Alarm System
OPTION 688 AM/FM Radio with CD Player
OPTION P69 Sport Design Package

The Boxster FAQ contains descriptions and pictures of the options listed above.

Fuel Economy

I’ve been tracking the fuel consumption and mileage of my car since day one and periodically entering it into an Excel spreadsheet. After totaling up the miles and gallons of fuel over the past couple of years, I came up with following fuel consumption numbers. The indicated fuel economy is based on the odometer readings, the actual fuel economy is based on odometer readings after the correction factor is applied.

Actual Average Fuel Economy: 21.85 miles/gallon after 12,038 miles

Click here for the complete Excel spreadsheet.

Speedometer / Odometer Correction:

As many Boxster owners have reported, the indicated speed on the speedometer (and therefore recorded mileage on the odometer) is a little higher than the actual value. I had this problem corrected with a new calibration during my first warranty visit. To find out exactly how far off the reading were on my car before the calibration update, I took it through the Odometer Test Course on Highway 31, just north of Columbus, IN. Using the information gathered, the following was calculated:

Mileage Correction Factor: 0.9696 +/-0.0007

This means that for an indicated speed of 60.00 miles/hour, the actual speed is really 58.17 miles/hour. For an odometer reading of 5,000 miles, the actual distance traveled by the car was really 4849 miles. By recalibrating, my car stopped showing accumulated miles that were higher than what the car had actually driven.

Related external links:

Porsche – the official web site
Porsche Pete’s Boxster Board – a great place to get information from Boxster enthusiast
Boxster dot Org – a listing of some of the better non-official Porsche sites
Porsche TechArt – aftermarket performance equipment
My Porsche – order printed Porsche manuals; kinda expensive
Beechmont Porsche – the dealership from which I purchased my car
List of Boxster “Hacks” – a collection of how-to instructions to make minor modification to your Boxster
Sun Coast Porsche – the best place I’ve found for ordering Porsche Parts
Brake Change Info – complete info for servicing the brake system
SpeedBleeder – For your 30k mile service, order 8 of part number SB1010S to more easily change the brake fluid

7 Comments

  1. This porsche is simply beautiful. Whats the price tag on this one?

  2. Hi Carlton, I found my way to your website by way of the AVS Forum, it was mentioned in a post about visual acuity as it relates to distance from the screem (Audyssey thread). Your spreadsheet looks interesting and I am adding my numbers to it to determine my room’s specifications.

    I am in the process of re-doing my HT using the existing 2.35:1 SMX AT screen, BenQ W9000 and Panamorph UH380 lens…

    BTW, I too was bitten by the Porsche bug a few years ago, my first Boxster was a 2003, and I am currently driving a 2006, the most rewarding cars I have ever driven!

    Cheers, Al

  3. Hi,

    I got a 2000 boxster with 128,000 miles. It was running well for two weeks, but on Friday, I took it to the car wash and now, it starts, but the engine is missing (Idle)rough. And it goes only 8 miles per hour. What could it be the problem?


  4. I have a 1998 boxster 2.5. Everytime I remove the key the trip meter resets. Driving me mad now and thinking of selling it.

    1. Author

      I had a similar electrical problem related to the key switch circuit. Weird things happened with the dash and HVAC controls. It eventually got so bad that the car would shut down when the brake pedal was depressed. I finally figured it out and it’s a pretty common problem for Boxsters

      Be sure to upgrade to the new-style updated ignition cylinder / steering lock assembly. If you just replace the electrical portion on the back of the cylinder, the problem will eventually come back. I know – I found out the hard way. 😉

      http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/86-ELEC-Ignition_Switch/86-ELEC-Ignition_Switch.htm

  5. I want to correct a + 7% over reading on my speedo in 2002 Boxster S. Any suggestions, as Porsche says they can not go into the software and adjust it as they used to.

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