Boxster -- Finnish vs German is there a difference?

[stangri]

I've found a 05 Boxster S which was made in Germany rather than Finland -- is there a difference in terms of reliability (or anything) between german and finnish boxsters?

[renos]

Nothing at all!

[wvicary]

Same kettle of fish. Some people think the German built one is the better of the two but there are no facts to back it up.

[number9ine]

The Valmet Boxsters (made in Uusikaupunki, Finland, noted by a "U" in the VIN) are made to the same high standards of the Zuffenhausen plant ("S" in the VIN), and vice versa. Here's a little background from the 986 FAQ:

http://www.986faq.com/1-0/default.asp#004

Here's an old press release from 1997 apparently made by Valmet in re: the Boxster production:

http://personal.inet.fi/surf/porschenet/text/porsche/valmet/press/index.html

My wife has an 80k '99 Valmet Boxster and it has been relatively trouble-free (water pump, maintenance items only). I have a friend with a similar vintage Stuttgart Boxster, and his has been just as reliable as my wife's with daily driver and track use. Now of course, neither is a 987, but I think that five or six extra years would give them more time to beat a consistent drum across both assembly lines.

On a related note: as of 2012 or 2013, the production of Boxster and Cayman models not handled in Stuttgart may be moved from Valmet to Magna Steyr, in Austria.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/porsche-to-move-cayman-and-boxster-production-from-finland-to-aust/

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090925/carnews/909259998

I'm not sure how this will affect the quality, but Porsche's expectations of their suppliers are rigorous. There are only so many ways to assemble a 987.

If you're looking at a used Boxster there are a lot of resources on the web. The least of your worries should be the production source, in my opinion. http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages is a good site to learn about Boxsters, and has a great buyer's guide. A search here will yield plenty of advice from Boxster owners former and current.

Good luck!

Mark

[White987S]

No problem with either location...they both drink beer at lunch time.

[MrMcGoohan]

i only voted german as i can't think of a finnish make of car and if i was to tell people i had one from finland they would look at me like i am a wierdo...