The Problem of Too Many Porsche Options

While browsing the official Porsche website to check out the 911 specs, I couldn’t help but notice how many options you can choose from when buying a Porsche. Of course, it’s great to be able to add everything you want, but the option costs alone can easily top 4 million yen, so that’s not always realistic. Plus, it’s a waste if you add something and later think, “I really didn’t need this.”

So, I asked my husband about the options he chose when he bought his 981 Boxster GTS in 2015, focusing on:

① Options he’s glad he added
② Options he didn’t add but wishes he had
③ Options he added but now thinks were unnecessary

Boxster GTS Specs

The 981 Boxster GTS was delivered in November 2015. It’s a 2015 model, left-hand drive, manual transmission, black interior (all leather), and comes standard with the “Sport Chrono Package,” “Sports Exhaust System,” “Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM),” and “Bi-Xenon headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) in black finish.”

My husband often says “If you’re buying a Porsche, sports chrono and sports exhaust are absolute must-haves on any model.” On top of that, here are the options he added when ordering (note: option names are from 2015 and may have changed slightly since then):(Prices are from 2015)

1) Options He’s Glad He Added

My husband wanted a simple design and interior that wouldn’t get boring over time. So, he did not choose the “GTS Communication Package,” which turns the center gauge red and adds red stitching to the black leather seats, among other things. Also,

“I like the kind of ‘cool GTS’ that looks like a regular Boxster at first glance, but if you look closely, you can tell it’s a GTS.” (Whether that’s ‘cool’ or just quirky… haha)

He mentioned that on a previous tour, someone was surprised at parting, saying, “Wait, this is a GTS!? I thought it was a Boxster S or something!” That’s just the right level of subtlety for him. So here are the four options he feels were definitely worth adding:

① Power Folding Door Mirrors
② Roll-over Bar Painted Body Color
③ Alcantara Package Delete
④ Model Name Emblem Delete

① Power Folding Door Mirrors

Without this option, you’d have to fold the mirrors manually every time. When parking in a multi-story garage, attendants often ask you to fold the mirrors, and having to get out every time to do it manually is a hassle. He’s really glad he went with power folding.

② Roll-over Bar Painted Body Color

His Boxster’s roll-over bar is painted white to match the body color. Normally it’s black (there’s also an aluminum option), and he thinks black would have looked cool too, but since few people paint it body color, he often gets compliments like “That looks beautiful.” He’s happy he chose the matching color.

③ Alcantara Package Delete

He deliberately deleted the Alcantara package. Although Alcantara might fetch a slightly higher resale price, he prefers leather seats overall. (For why he deleted the Alcantara package, see this separate article↓↓)

→ [Reference Article] Shooting the 981 Boxster GTS Interior with a DSLR – Leather Seats, Center Console, Dashboard, etc.

④ Model Name Emblem Delete: He removed the “Boxster GTS” model name emblem and kept only the “PORSCHE” badge, giving the rear a cleaner look. Apparently, this “PORSCHE only” style is trendy in Germany.

2) Options He Wishes He Had Added

Next, the options he hesitated on but now thinks, “I wish I had added these.” There are three main ones:

① Seat Ventilation
② Auto-Dimming Mirrors (+ Rain Sensor Wipers)
③ PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring)

① Seat Ventilation

He has heated seats but wishes he had added seat ventilation. On hot summer days or when driving with the top down, ventilated seats keep you cool and make for a more comfortable drive. He later added this feature to his Panamera. The option cost was 152,000 yen.

② Auto-Dimming Mirrors

This feature has a sensor on the rearview mirror that automatically dims it when bright headlights from behind are detected. However, what he really wanted was the rain sensor wiper function that comes bundled with this option.

The rain sensor wipers automatically activate when they detect rain, but his Boxster doesn’t have this, so he has to manually turn on the wipers whenever it rains, which is annoying. The option cost was 80,000 yen. Honestly, he wishes automatic wipers were standard from the start. ヽ(ﾟдﾟ)ノ

③ PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring)

This system works with the rear differential to brake the rear wheels and improve cornering. He says it really changes how the car handles curves, so he wishes he had added it.

In addition to the above, although he personally doesn’t need it, he says “If you listen to music in your car, you absolutely should get the BOSE sound system.” That’s because “the standard speakers have by far the worst sound quality of any car I’ve ever owned.” (laughs) He says it sounds cheap, like AM radio.

He adds, “I usually prefer to listen to the engine as my background music, so it’s fine for me, but when I do turn on the stereo, I’m shocked at how bad it sounds.”

3) Options He Added but Didn’t Need

Finally, the option he added but now thinks was unnecessary is:

Gray Band Front Windshield

This is a gray-tinted band at the top of the windshield that blocks direct sunlight, reducing glare and making it slightly harder to see inside the car. However, he says it didn’t really make much difference, so it wasn’t necessary.

Also, although the Boxster GTS comes standard with PASM, my husband says that if it didn’t, you should definitely add it as an option. I’ll cover that in a separate article.