Hello everyone, this is Mina, the administrator of “Welcome Home, PORSCHE.” The “Porsche Owners File” project was born from the requests of our readers who wanted to hear the real voices of various Porsche owners. In our third installment, we feature “Boku★981” from Osaka Prefecture, who shares his experience with the “Boxster Black Edition.”

〘Owner Information〙
・Beloved Car: 981 Boxster Black Edition (PDK)
・Pen Name: Boku★981
・Location/Residence: Osaka Prefecture/Detached House
・Family Structure: Myself, my wife, and two children
・Past Car History:
Mazda Familia GTX (MT) → Jeep Cherokee → BMW 323i M Sport → Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC AMG Sport Package
・Message to Readers: If you’re interested in Porsche but think it’s not realistic, or if you’re considering purchasing one, I hope this can be of help to you.

1) The Journey to Purchase

I’ve loved cars since I was a child. Let me start by explaining “why I became a car enthusiast,” “my car history,” and “why I decided to purchase the Boxster.”

Why I Became a Car Enthusiast

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, the supercar boom was in full swing. It was then that I started to think, “Supercars are amazing and cool,” and my interest in cars began to grow.

Additionally, in the manga “Circuit no Ōkami” that was popular at the time, the protagonist’s main rival drove a Porsche. I thought, “Driving a Lamborghini or Ferrari in the city seems difficult, but a Porsche seems feasible for everyday use.”

One day, my uncle promised to take me to a supercar show in Kansai, and I was looking forward to it for months. However, on the day of the event, I came down with a high fever. I insisted on going, but my uncle and parents stopped me, and I couldn’t go. This incident only intensified my passion for cars.

After that, I started building car models and entering them in contests, and I participated in Tamiya’s RC car races (RC Car Grand Prix). During my middle and high school years, although I played sports in clubs, I secretly preferred tinkering with models and RC cars in my room, making me a “hidden otaku boy.”

My Car History

As I grew older, I became fond of sports cars like the Honda CR-X and Nissan Silvia, but imported cars were not on my radar at all.

The first car I bought just before becoming a working adult was a “Mazda Familia GTX with a manual transmission.” It was the base vehicle for the WRC (FIA World Rally Championship), and its electronically controlled four-wheel drive that adjusted torque distribution made it a very fun car to drive.

After starting my career, I was assigned to sales and met with various company presidents, all of whom drove impressive cars. Seeing this, my desire to “someday drive a car like that” grew stronger.

After getting married, I purchased a Jeep Cherokee,

and later switched to a BMW 323i M Sport. I decided to buy a BMW after hearing from a company president I met during sales,

“German cars are well-engineered for highway stability and performance. Someday, I will drive a BMW.”

Around that time, the thought of “someday owning a Porsche, someday a 911” began to take root, but at the time, I thought “Porsche is a dream beyond reach… a car I can’t afford.” I believed it would be a long time before I could drive one.

Later, in addition to the BMW, I purchased a “Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC AMG Sport Package” for the family. By then, I had already decided that the next car I would buy would be a Porsche, and I wanted to experience a car that was the complete opposite of a Porsche before making that purchase.

However, while the ML was an excellent car, it wasn’t particularly fun to drive. It was stable, packed with safety features, and comfortable, but driving it made me incredibly sleepy. Every time I used the autonomous driving feature, I felt a sense of crisis,

“I used to drive a manual car, and now I’m relying on autonomous driving… I’m going to lose my edge!”

to the point where it was almost comical.

Why I Decided to Purchase the Boxster

The moment I seriously considered buying a Porsche was about two years ago when I had the chance to ride in the passenger seat of a friend’s 981 Boxster. The most memorable aspect was the sound of the naturally aspirated flat-six engine.

Recent cars often don’t rev to high RPMs and tend to be eco-focused, but the sound of the Boxster’s engine when it revved to high RPMs was so exhilarating that it made my heart race with excitement.

“It’s childish for a grown man to get excited in the passenger seat,” I thought, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but inside I was shouting, “This is amazing! I want it!”

Later, when the BMW’s inspection was due, and with the kids becoming more independent and family outings becoming less frequent, we decided to replace the BMW with a kei car that my wife, who was a paper driver, could easily handle. Modern kei cars have spacious interiors and are perfectly adequate for driving. So, I declared, “Then I’ll replace the ML and get a two-seater!” However, my wife wasn’t thrilled, asking, “Why a two-seater for a family of four?”

At that time, my son, who had returned from studying abroad, told my wife when I wasn’t around,

“If something happens to Dad and he passes away without buying the Porsche he’s always wanted, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Let him buy the car he loves.”

Hearing this from our son, my wife, who had always insisted, “We need a four-seater until the kids are working adults. It’s too early for a two-seater,” finally agreed, and we proceeded with the purchase.

I decided to test drive various cars, including the “Jaguar F-Type,” “Lotus Elise,” “Alfa Romeo 4C,” “Mazda Roadster RF,” “718 Boxster,” and “981 Boxster.” However, I couldn’t forget the “sound” of the naturally aspirated flat-six engine and began searching for a used 981.

2) Options Prioritized When Searching for a Used Car

The options and specifications I considered essential were:

・Sport Chrono Package
・PASM
・Sport Exhaust System
・20-inch Wheels
・Right-Hand Drive
・MT

However, after about five months of scouring used car sites daily, I couldn’t find a single 981 that met these criteria. Manual transmission cars are indeed rare. So, I expanded my options to include PDK, and suddenly, I had plenty of choices…

I considered the GTS, but even used, the price was almost the same as a new car, which seemed a bit wasteful. Among my options, I found the “Boxster Black Edition (2700cc)” with many options and a reasonable price.

■ Boxster Black Edition Specifications and Options
981 Boxster Black Edition PDK
Registered in March 2016, 3,400 km mileage
〘Standard Equipment〙
・Auto-Dimming Mirrors (with Rain Sensor)
・Cruise Control
・Sports Design Steering Wheel
・Bi-Xenon Headlights (PDLS+)
・Automatic Air Conditioning
・Seat Heaters
・Wind Deflector
・20-inch Carrera Classic Wheels
・Partial Leather Seats
・Jet Black Metallic
・Body-Colored Roll-Over Bars
・Park Assist
・Crest Embossed Headrests
・Sound Package Plus
〘Options〙
・Sport Chrono Package
・PASM
・Sport Exhaust System
・Electric Folding Mirrors

When I saw this Boxster Black Edition, it struck a chord with me. I had always associated the Boxster with a white body color, but I thought, “Black might be cool too.” Additionally, the “Jet Black Metallic” body color was beautiful, sometimes appearing purple or blue, unlike regular black, so I immediately went to see it at a used car dealership in Yokohama.

When I visited the dealership, the staff were very accommodating, and they assured me that they would “transfer the Porsche new car warranty before delivery,” so I placed a provisional hold and decided to purchase it a week later.

3) The Process Leading to Delivery

The process leading to delivery was as follows:

・June 21: Viewed the car in Yokohama and placed a provisional hold (for one week)
(That evening, I received advice from a friend who owns a Boxster and inquired again about stock cars at the Porsche Center in Kansai, but there were no cars that met my criteria)
・June 27: Placed a formal order
・July 12: Delivery (pickup)

On the day of delivery, I went to Yokohama to pick up the car. The staff opened the Boxster’s roof, turned on the sport exhaust, and started the engine. The sound was so amazing that I thought, “This staff member really gets it” (laughs).

After delivery, I took the opportunity to drive along the Hakone Turnpike and surrounding roads on the way home, and I was genuinely thrilled.

“I’ve finally bought the Porsche of my dreams!” I remember driving with a sense of disbelief and exhilaration.

→Next Page: The Driving Experience of the Boxster, the NA 2700cc Engine, PDK, and Family Reactions