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7081-mile Road Trip with our Boxster 986

Ever since riding in the backseat, yes, the backseat of a 1970 Porsche 911 E Targa at age 16, I have been a 911 guy. Even when I couldn’t afford a 911, I bought 914s and dreamed. I have had “affairs” with other car brands from time to time but have always come back. It was during one of those non-Porsche times in my life – while owning a C7 Corvette – that I started dreaming of a cross-country road trip. A big road trip, one that would encompass at least 6000 miles. We would head toward Washington D.C. via a southern route based loosely on interstate 40, spend lots of time on good sports car roads in the Appalachians, and hit the Atlantic near Washington D.C. where my son Ben and his family live. After a visit of a few days, we would head west in a northerly arc, through Ohio, Illinois, on through South Dakota, and stop at our other home in Tetonia, Idaho. After resting up, we would drive the final 700 miles south to Las Vegas.

Unbeknownst to me, sometime around February 2024, my wife Joan started doing a little bit of online shopping for an entry-level Porsche. I don’t know, I guess she noticed that even in the Corvette, I was staring at every 911, Boxster, or Cayman that I passed. Porsches do have a way of getting their hooks in you! Anyway, she suggested that I look at a 2002 986 base Boxster at a local car dealership. To make a long story short, I bought the car for $13,000. The IMS bearing had been done, but there were other things to do and suffice it to say that I’ve put about as much money into the car as I paid for it when I bought it. Still, every time I sit in the car it feels like home. I began to think that perhaps the Boxster might be a good choice for the long sports car drive, but I never seriously considered that option until February 2025, when a guy ran a stop sign and totaled my yellow Corvette. Suddenly, the Boxster was promoted! I was a little bit nervous about taking a car that old on a trip that long. I needn’t have worried. 

Now, I have always respected Boxsters, but I never seriously considered owning one because I was such a 911 fan. During the months that I had the Corvette and the Boxster simultaneously, the Boxster served as an effective reminder of what Porsches are all about. To put it succinctly, the Corvette was beautiful and hugely capable, but the Boxster always made me smile.

Some highlights of the 7081-mile trip which might interest Porsche enthusiasts include:

The Boxster is a surprisingly good long-distance touring car.  It has excellent trunk space; the front trunk even took Joan’s 25″suitcase with room to spare! The 23-year-old seats are comfortable on long drives, and the only negative I can say about the design is that we are accustomed to more cabin storage space and a glove compartment.  Other than that, and the “entertaining” cup holders which would literally launch a tall bottle into someone’s lap while cornering, it was as comfortable as any sports car could be for such a journey.  

I’ve never owned any car where I didn’t want more power within just a few months, and the 986 base model is no exception. However, the other trademark Porsche qualities are all there. The engine sounds great and really starts to sing around 5,000 RPM. I’ve read about great Boxster handling, but until I spent time in one on a variety of roads, I really didn’t get it. Mine has a standard suspension with new Bilsteins, and I now understand. Brilliant is the only word that comes to mind. The brakes, like every Porsche I’ve ever owned, feel like some giant grabbed the car from behind and pulled. In short, it has all the basic Porsche qualities of my old 996 Turbo, but with just over half the horsepower. All in all, a fair trade for the price, and I was doing lots of smiling.

Some notable roads on our drive that I can recommend include:

US 270 in Arkansas, east of Y City. Beautiful mountains, good pavement, lots of gentle sweepers that become almost hypnotic.

US 129 in Tennessee, north of Deal’s Gap, North Carolina. This is the famous Tail of the Dragon, which is reputed to have 318 turns in 11 miles.  The road is hugely popular with bikers as well as sports car enthusiasts.  Joan and I saw everything there, from Harleys to McLarens, MGs and Corvettes to many varieties of Porsches.  I drove the “Tail” a few years ago in a rented Jeep Grand Cherokee, and I made a silent vow to return there in a proper sports car someday.  However, I did manage to get a ticket in the Jeep! Oh yes – the road. Perfect – and I mean perfect pavement, and every conceivable type of turn, many banked perfectly, some flat or off-camber, decreasing radius, you name it. Sports car heaven – I wish it had been longer. Speed and horsepower are secondary because of so many tight turns; handling is everything. I daresay the 986 Boxster might have been the absolute perfect tool for that road.

The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia. Starting at the southern end in Cherokee, North Carolina, this is an iconic 469-mile drive high in the Appalachians, with scores of turnouts, beautiful vistas, and gentle, sweeping curves.  This road was one of the reasons that we planned the trip, but unfortunately, Hurricane Helene completely wiped out many parts of the Parkway, so we only drove a few segments, probably no more than 30 miles.  We were disappointed, but it gives us a reason to come back!

Back of the Dragon, near Marion, Virginia. Yes, Virginia decided to get in on the “Tail of the Dragon” popularity. Starting in Marion, Virginia on State highway 16, this is a 32-mile jaunt, and well worth the trip.  It is similar in some way to Tail of the Dragon, but with more stretches and sweepers, punctuated by mountainside switchbacks and twisty bits. Again, beautiful Appalachian scenery all the way.  Unlike the Tail, the Back does pass occasional farms and homes, so one must be aware of “civilian” traffic entering the roadway.

Skyline Drive in Virginia. Often thought of as the north section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive dances along mountaintops through Shenandoah National Park. Stunning scenery, and the road was well-maintained and lovely. As you would imagine, Skyline Drive is composed of gentle sweepers and the occasional hard corner.  It is a road that could be driven very fast, and it was mostly deserted when we were there, but it just felt “wrong” to rush it.  It was just too pretty.

Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. There are three routes through the Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming, and I recommend all of them. They include US Highway 16, with a drive above timber line and descending through Tensleep Canyon.  Also, one may prefer US Highway 14, or ALT Highway 14, both of which are closer to the Montana border. Each has its attractions, but what they all have in common is the Big Horns themselves. While not as spectacular as the Tetons, they have the huge advantage of being largely ignored by tourists.  That makes them just about the best place EVER. Sports car buffs will love these roads!

When we stopped in Cody, Wyoming, we walked out of a diner to see a nice couple just starting out in a new white Spyder RS! I walked directly over to the car (as Joan rolled her eyes) and struck up a conversation with them. It turns out they were doing the same thing we were, a cross-country road trip – they had logged about 3,000 miles so far, versus our 5,700 at that point, but I complimented them for actually taking that amazing machine out and using it, rather than simply looking at it in the garage. Anyway, we exchanged stories for a few moments, and as he accelerated away down the deserted main drag in Cody, I noticed the hairs on the back of my head raising involuntarily. Wow. 

We arrived at our second home outside of Tetonia, Idaho, so we stopped there for two weeks. The house is roughly equidistant from Teton and Yellowstone Parks, and one may wonder why none of those roads made my “best roads” list.  Simple – the traffic. There are some GREAT sports car roads in the greater Yellowstone-Teton area, but be prepared to share the road with several thousand of your closest friends. Still, go there, particularly Grand Teton National Park. You will see some of the best scenery anywhere in the world, and the roads ARE lovely.

After two weeks of rest and recreation (and driving the Boxster on wash boarded dirt roads near our house), we made the 700-mile drive back to Las Vegas.  The result was a trip of 7,081 miles.  The Boxster performed perfectly, burned only 2 1/2 quarts of oil, and though the engine light came on at one point, it just turned out to be the gas cap. We had the top down for about 700 of those miles, and not even my 911 coupes and Targas over the years could make us smile more than that simple base Boxster did.  I felt like I was re-living that first day in the 911E so many years ago, and I was constantly reminded why I fell in love with Porsches in the first place. My feeling for the Boxster now is hard to put into words; the best I can come with is – that car has heart.

Note: Dick and Joan joined LVRPCA one day before they left on the trip. We welcome these true road warriors who are also joining us on the 6-day Idaho tour!