YouTuber Cars With JB picked out the premium motor that’s packed plenty of speed and comfort into an affordable little package, complete with a soft top.
The car nut recommended to money-savers the eye-catching Porsche Boxster 986, specifically the 2.7 litre version with a flat-six engine.
Despite being over 20 years old, the classy convertible has retained the timeless looks and raw speed of a Porsche roadster – with JB pointing out it can hit 60mph in just 6.4 seconds.
What’s more, it boasts all the quality you’d expect from a Porsche, with JB adding: “I think if you’re going to buy a cheap car for a European road trip with your mates, the Boxster is up there as a great choice.”
JB compares it to the much-loved Mazda MX-5 – a car he himself owns – but he admits the Porsche is “effectively more premium.”
A quick search through car listing website Car Gurus does confirm the motor can be bought for under £5,000 – with a 2002 model with 91,000 miles on the clock available for precisely £4,990.
The Boxster has become an iconic car for the German brand.
First released in 1996, it was built to be a mass-produced two-seat roadster that was cheaper than the 911 model – in a hope that Porsche could boost its numbers after poor sales of the 968.
The Boxster was almost an instant success and set the benchmark for handling and performance for affordable convertibles.
In a recent WhatCar? review, it was described as “the perfect used car; absolutely stunning to drive, comfortable, reliable and holds its value well.”
As JB says, for car fans it “could be the ultimate cheap treat.”
This comes as our Motors kingpin Rob Gill gets behind the wheel of Porsche’s petrol 718 Spyder, which he describes as having scalpel-sharp steering and brakes as sticky as porridge.
Elsewhere, Porsche fans should look away after an £80,000 Taycan Turismo was left ripped apart by thieves who took its high-powered headlights to grow cannabis.