My husband had the chance to test drive a 981 Boxster GTS (PDK) owned by a car enthusiast friend, and he wrote a report about it. Please take a look if you’re interested.

The Now Rare and Premium-Priced 981 Boxster GTS

Recently, the 981 Boxster GTS has become so popular that as soon as one appears on the used car market, it sells immediately, making it increasingly difficult to get hold of this 981 model Boxster GTS. Prices have even risen compared to a while ago, and it’s surprising that even though it’s been more than five years since its debut, it still trades at prices close to new car levels.

The particular car we test drove was recently purchased used, but it was apparently never listed on used car websites. It was only offered to people who had asked their dealer to look for one in advance, and because there were so many interested buyers, it went to a lottery to decide the purchaser.

A lottery for a used car—now that’s some serious popularity.

Lately, I sometimes hear people say, “Is the price rising because this blog introduced the 981 GTS?” That might be partly true, but I believe it’s mainly because more people have come to appreciate the excellence of the 981 model.

By the way, no matter how much prices rise in the used market, I have no intention of selling mine, so I want to make clear that I gain no profit from this.

Fully Loaded 981 Boxster GTS Options

The test car is a 2016 981 Boxster GTS (PDK) with the following options:

• Right-hand drive
• Exterior: White
• Interior: Black
• Options:
• Sport Chassis
• GTS Communication Package
• Roll-over bar painted body color
• Torque Vectoring
• Power folding mirrors
• Satin black wheels
• Seat heaters
• Automatic air conditioning
• Power Steering Plus
• Cruise control

Models equipped with both the Sport Chassis and Torque Vectoring (PTV) are especially rare. I’ve previously test-driven a Boxster GTS with Sport Chassis, but since time has passed and my experience has grown, I wanted to report again.

Beautiful Sound from Low RPMs: The 981 GTS Sound

Starting the engine and setting off, the PDK smoothly gets the car moving. Some used PDKs can be a bit jerky, but this one was very smooth and well-maintained.

In normal mode, it shifts up briskly from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear. Although the revs stay around 2000-3000 rpm, the 981 still lets you enjoy the sound at this speed range.

It’s not especially loud, but the exhaust note and mechanical noises are well balanced and pleasant.

With each upshift, the gear engages with a “bonk!” sound and the engine roars. This is a sound my manual-spec car doesn’t have.

One difference between the PDK and manual versions is this sound. With the PDK, you get to enjoy sound during both acceleration and deceleration shifts, whereas the manual only has the blip sound on downshifts.

Honestly, as a manual driver, I envy this.

Testing the Sport Chassis and PTV

The initial impression after starting to drive is that there’s not much difference in ride comfort compared to my PASM-equipped car. It’s very smooth and supple, with a moderate softness and the refined ride quality unique to the 981.

On winding roads, when turning the steering wheel, just like the previous Sport Chassis car I drove, the front end feels more responsive than PASM. It changes direction smoothly and enters corners quickly. I think the timing to initiate the turn is faster than with PASM.

Later, I drove the same course in my own Boxster, which has a Mega Life Battery that lightens the front end, and even with PASM, the front response was quite good.

The owner also tried both cars and said, “The difference isn’t big, it’s just a slight margin.”

After driving for a while and taking a medium-speed corner, the stability is solid. However, it’s not as tight or rigid as the 718’s suspension. Even with the Sport Chassis, the 981 doesn’t have the same “rigid” feel as the 718.

Still, it definitely holds better than PASM. When the owner compared it to my Boxster, which has the genuine 718 lateral member (transverse strut) installed, he said the rear stability and grip feel more secure and reassuring on my car.

To summarize simply:

[Front End Responsiveness]
981 PASM < 981 PASM with Mega Life Battery < 981 Sport Chassis < 718

[Rear Stability]
981 PASM < 981 Sport Chassis < 981 PASM with 718 Lateral Member < 718

Regarding PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring), on PDK cars it controls by lightly braking the inside wheel to improve cornering. However, when casually driving winding roads, the effect is barely noticeable.

On tight, low-speed curves, it does feel like it turns a bit better than normal, but I couldn’t clearly tell whether that was due to the Sport Chassis or PTV.