The Porsche 986 Boxster covers model years 1997–2004 of the Porsche Boxster (986 / 987 / 981). The first-generation Boxster (model years 1997–2004), with the Boxster S added for 2000. In the last 12 months (Nov 3, 2025 to Nov 1, 2026) our sample recorded 269 U.S.-dollar auction sales of model years 1997 to 2004. The median sold price was $13,750, the middle half sold between $11,000 and $16,800, and results ran from $4,500 to $40,486.
That is 21% below the $17,500 median for all Porsche Boxster sales over the same window (472 sales).
Other generations: the Porsche 987 Boxster (2005–2012) at $26,500 from 126 sales; the Porsche 981 Boxster (2013–2016) at $47,500 from 77 sales.
By model year (years with at least 3 sales), 1998 cars had the lowest median at $11,356 (14 sales) and 2004 cars the highest at $17,600 (17 sales).
By trim (read from listing titles, 5+ sales), the S had the highest median at $15,986 (111 sales) and base/other cars the lowest at $12,360 (158 sales).
What drives value in this sample: manual cars had a $14,250 median (241 sales) against $11,712 for Tiptronic (automatic) cars (26); of the 116 sales with a known mileage, cars at or under 42,000 miles had a $16,993 median against $14,510 for higher-mileage cars. Trim and model year explain part of each gap, and condition, history and options matter most for any one car.
Trend: adjusted for trim and model year, prices over the last 12 months were rising, about +6% a year. The market signal reads Hold (no clear move). See whether Porsche 986 Boxster prices are going up.
Price snapshot
*Fair price range = middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) of USD sold prices in this sample. Condition, mileage and options move any one car outside it.
Snapshot window: last 12 months. 300 sold cars (269 in USD), model years 1997–2004, sold Nov 3, 2025 to Nov 1, 2026. Non-USD sales are listed below in their original currency and left out of USD statistics.
Porsche 986 Boxster values by trim
Trims with enough 986 Boxster sales for their own page.
All trims in the snapshot window
The trim pages above use stricter title rules (they leave out race, modified and custom cars, and need the exact trim name), so their sale counts can be lower than in this table.
Trim is read from the listing title. Only trims with at least 5 USD sales in the snapshot window are shown. The overall median depends heavily on which trims sold recently.
| Trim | Sales | Median | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 111 | $15,986 | $13,000–$20,900 |
| Base / other | 158 | $12,360 | $10,100–$15,200 |
Porsche 986 Boxster value by model year
| Model year | Sales | Median | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 23 | $13,250 | $10,400–$15,800 |
| 1998 | 14 | $11,356 | $9,000–$16,400 |
| 1999 | 34 | $11,750 | $10,100–$14,200 |
| 2000 | 60 | $13,800 | $11,000–$16,200 |
| 2001 | 47 | $14,125 | $11,800–$17,800 |
| 2002 | 36 | $15,875 | $12,000–$18,100 |
| 2003 | 38 | $14,993 | $12,500–$17,100 |
| 2004 | 17 | $17,600 | $12,500–$22,500 |
U.S.-dollar sales in the snapshot window. A median is shown for model years with at least 3 sales and a middle-50% range at 5+.
Sold prices over time
Market signal
Why: the median moved less than 8%.
- Mix-adjusted median +4% vs the prior 3 months on 80 recent and 71 earlier USD online-auction sales (80% range -4% to +16%). Adjusted for trim and model year so a run of pricier cars doesn't look like a rising market.
- Raw median $14,510 in the last 3 months vs $13,750 before (+6%; median model year 2001 → 2000).
- 12-month trend: +6% per year (mix-adjusted, 261 sales).
Based on a sample of public auction results for the Porsche 986 Boxster, not all sales. A rough read of recent price direction, not financial or investment advice and not an appraisal. How the market signal works.
Porsche 986 Boxster price trend and comparisons
Recent Porsche 986 Boxster sales
| Listing | Sold price | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $14,000 | Nov 1, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2000 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $11,750 | Oct 31, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1997 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $10,600 | Oct 30, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster S Tiptronic 986 | £5,750 GBP | Oct 28, 2026 | Car & Classic |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster | $5,250 | Oct 27, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 39k-Mile 1997 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $14,250 | Oct 26, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster S | $10,500 | Oct 26, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster | $10,250 | Oct 24, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $15,250 | Oct 24, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 20k-Mile 2004 Porsche Boxster S | $40,486 | Oct 23, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2003 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $13,750 | Oct 23, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 42k-Mile 2000 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $15,000 | Oct 22, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1998 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed Race Car | $16,500 | Oct 21, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 19k-Mile 2001 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $23,000 | Oct 20, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 34k-Mile 1999 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $14,250 | Oct 20, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2000 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $8,900 | Oct 19, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2000 Porsche Boxster | $10,300 | Oct 15, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $10,600 | Oct 14, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster S | $19,750 | Oct 14, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2001 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $12,750 | Oct 14, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster | $12,000 | Oct 13, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $14,269 | Oct 12, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 29k-Mile 2003 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $25,000 | Oct 10, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2000 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $6,500 | Oct 9, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| NO RESERVE 2000 Porsche 986 Boxster S 6-Speed | $10,000 | Oct 9, 2026 | PCARMARKET |
| 2003 Porsche Boxster S | $13,350 | Oct 9, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 1997 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $10,500 | Oct 8, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 19k-Mile 1998 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | £8,400 GBP | Oct 7, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 37k-Mile 2002 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $20,500 | Oct 7, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 50k-Mile 2000 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $15,250 | Oct 6, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| Ocean Jade Metallic 1999 Porsche Boxster | $16,250 | Oct 5, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster | $10,000 | Oct 5, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster 3.2L S Manual 986 | £5,000 GBP | Oct 4, 2026 | Car & Classic |
| 1999 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $8,950 | Oct 3, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2004 Porsche Boxster | $12,400 | Oct 2, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 8k-Mile 2001 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $35,250 | Oct 2, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $27,550 | Oct 1, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2002 Porsche (986) Boxster - Manual | A$19,000 AUD | Sep 30, 2026 | Collecting Cars |
| 2001 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $9,000 | Sep 24, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2003 Porsche Boxster S | $12,500 | Sep 23, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2002 Porsche Boxster 986 2.7 Manual | £7,700 GBP | Sep 18, 2026 | Car & Classic |
| 48k-Mile 2000 Porsche Boxster S 6-Speed | $19,250 | Sep 15, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| NO RESERVE 2000 Porsche 986 Boxster S 6-Speed | $9,000 | Sep 15, 2026 | PCARMARKET |
| 49k-Mile 1997 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $15,500 | Sep 11, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 2004 Porsche Boxster 3.2L S Manual 986.2 | £5,300 GBP | Sep 11, 2026 | Car & Classic |
| 34k-Mile 1999 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $12,950 | Sep 10, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1997 Porsche Boxster | $17,500 | Sep 9, 2026 | Cars & Bids |
| 2004 Porsche (986) Boxster S | A$22,800 AUD | Sep 9, 2026 | Collecting Cars |
| 34k-Mile 2000 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $14,750 | Sep 8, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 31k-Mile 2001 Porsche Boxster 5-Speed | $16,850 | Sep 5, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
Showing the latest 50 of 345 sold cars in the current sample.
Buyer tips
986 and early 987 Boxsters share IMS bearing and bore-scoring concerns with the 996/997.1, so ask about an IMS upgrade. Check convertible-top operation, rear window, and coolant tank condition. Boxster S and later 981 cars carry clear premiums over base 986s.
Back to the Porsche Boxster price guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Porsche 986 Boxster worth in 2026?
In our last 12 months of 269 U.S.-dollar auction sales, the median sold price for a Porsche 986 Boxster was $13,750, with the middle half between $11,000 and $16,800 and sales from $4,500 to $40,486. Condition, mileage and options move any one car; this is a market snapshot, not an appraisal.
Which model years count as the Porsche 986 Boxster?
We count U.S. model years 1997–2004 as the Porsche 986 Boxster. Sales with no model year are not assigned to a sub-generation but still count on the main model page.
How does the Porsche 986 Boxster compare with other Boxster generations?
The Porsche 986 Boxster median of $13,750 compares with $17,500 for all Porsche Boxster sales in our sample window; the Porsche 987 Boxster sold for $26,500; the Porsche 981 Boxster sold for $47,500.
Is a manual Porsche 986 Boxster worth more?
In this sample, manual cars sold for a $14,250 median (241 sales) and Tiptronic (automatic) cars for $11,712 (26 sales). Trim, model year and mileage differ between the two groups, so this isn't a like-for-like price difference.
Are Porsche 986 Boxster prices going up?
Adjusted for trim and model year, the 12-month trend is rising, about +6% a year. Our market signal reads Hold (no clear move). Treat this as a rough guide, not a forecast.
Where do these Porsche 986 Boxster prices come from?
From completed public auctions such as Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids and PCARMARKET. Sold-price data from Old Cars Data auction records. Only sold results are included, and the page refreshes weekly.