News of the Porsche Boxster Spyder RS got us thinking – what are the best Porsches to buy if you can’t (or just don’t want to) rise to Porsche 911 ownership? There’s a wealth of talent hidden in the shadow of the 911’s halo, here we take a look at some of the best.
Best seven Porsches that aren't a 911
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1. Porsche Carrera GT
It’s probably not a huge surprise to find a Carrera GT on this list. Its screaming 5.7-litre V10 gave its lucky owners (it cost £350,000 new) a genuine Formula 1 soundtrack that even its V12-equipped rivals – cars like the Pagani Zonda and Ferrari Enzo – couldn’t match.
But the F1 comparisons don’t end with the V10. The Carrera was a genuine challenge to drive with a bitey clutch that made it hard to get it off the line and on-the-limit handling that could be savage for the uninitiated. Thankfully, modern tyres tame this significantly.
Not so good is the news that the Carrera GT has doubled in price since it was revealed at the Geneva motor show in 2003.
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2. Porsche 986 Boxster
The original Porsche Boxster is an example of just how much Porsche you can for relatively little outlay – usable examples of these little beauties start from as little as £5,000.
And you’re not just buying the badge. Porsche heritage courses through the veins of the 986 from its chatty steering and agile chassis to powerful brakes you can lean on remorselessly. The 986 can claim at least one win over any 911 – its mid-engined balance, which allows you to push the handling envelope from understeer through four-wheel-drift to oversteer.
However, the powertrain is lacking. The flat-six sounds like a peach but early 2.5-litre versions puffed out less than 200PS and felt mere tepidly quick as a result. Though, arguably, this just confirms the 986’s credentials as an ideal first Porsche.
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3. Porsche 968 Club Sport
The Porsche 968 Club Sport is one of the best handling Porsches of the '90s – not our words, but the words of Walter Röhrl, the man who, over the past couple of decades, has put the finishing touches to Porsche's best road cars
To build the CS, Porsche took a set of scales to the standard 968, shaving 50kgs by losing items like the back seats, air-conditioning system, electric boot release and rear wash wipe. Its electric windows got windy replacements and fixed-back Recaros superseded the standard electrically adjustable versions. Variocam, meanwhile, helped coax 240PS (177kW) out of the 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine, and you got a six-speed gearbox.
Porsche went to it on the chassis, too, fitting aluminium suspension arms, hollow anti-roll bars and Brembo brakes from the 944 Turbo. Factor in the 968’s rear transaxle and the result was one of the most incisive sportscars ever made, so much so that we’re genuinely surprised you can still pick one up for less than £25,000.
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4. Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
The GT4 RS gives us a clear idea of how good a Cayman can be when it's let off the leash.
Shunting out a magical 500PS (368kW) from the same 4.0-litre flat-six fitted to the 911 GT3 RS, the GT4 RS has more than double the power of the original Porsche Boxster. Supercar numbers are confirmed with the GT4 punching from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and onto a mammoth 196mph top speed. Factor in a race-ready aero package – including a huge swan-neck rear spoiler – and you have on your hands the most serious Cayman ever built.
But is it too serious? A harsh ride and noisy cabin will grate over time, but not as much as the huge markups being made on the car’s £110,000 sticker price.
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5. Porsche 959
Porsche, famed for persevering with rear engines when everyone else went mid, was never going to follow the flock when it came to building a new supercar and the 959 was the result of this admirable self-confidence.
True to form, while everyone else was building rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated supercars with basic aerodynamics, the 959 boasted sophisticated four-wheel drive, sequential turbocharging and adjustable suspension that lowered the car to reduce drag at speed. The tech that meant the 959 could accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and comfortably exceed 200mph.
In this instance, though, the ‘not a 911’ tag does not make for a cheap car – you’ll need around £800,000 to get your hands on one.
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6. RUF CTR 3
The RUF CTR 3 makes this list on a technicality – it is of course based on a 911 – but RUF does such a comprehensive job of uprating the basic car, it’s a marque in its own right.
For a kickoff, it looks nothing like a 911. The CTR is a tribute to Group C racers (the name stands for Group C Turbo Ruf) and its feminine curves are designed to deliver a breezy 235mph top speed, while push-rod suspension makes the most of that huge rear wing. A 701PS (368kW) twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre flat-six provides the firepower.
While the CTR is neither a 911 nor, indeed, a Porsche, don't for one minute think that will make it cheap – just 30 were built and you can expect to pay more than £1,000,000 to get one.
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7. Porsche 987 Spyder
Less than 2,000 Porsche 987 Spyders were built worldwide making this one of the most affordable ways to get your hands on a rare Porsche (that isn’t a 911).
The 987 Spyder could justifiably be labelled peak Porsche Boxster. Its hydraulic steering talks to you in a way later models can't and you don’t have to put up with the power deficiencies of the earlier 986. The Spyder uses a tweaked version of the 3.4-litre flat-six fitted to the Boxster S, which – with 0-62mph taking 4.4 seconds on route to a 166mph top speed – gives you just the right amount of performance for road use.
The Spyder’s looks are pretty much perfect, too – there's a distinct whiff of 550 to the rear-end curves – which makes the hassle of erecting the tent-like roof completely justifiable. Better still, this newish, rare Porsche can still be picked up for less than £60,000.
