THE CONCERNS
The 986 and first-generation 987 Boxsters, along with their 911 counterparts, are blighted by a reputation for engine failure. We’re not going to pretend there aren’t Porsche pilots who have suffered ownership of an early water-cooled Boxster, Cayman or 911 with a faulty flat-six, but it’s worth retaining a sense of perspective – for every unlucky Porsche owner shouting about a negative experience, there are tens of thousands of others who have enjoyed hassle-free fast-road fun.
In an attempt to find out the fact behind the fiction ‘once and for all’, we paid a visit to the Bolton headquarters of independent M96/M97 engine specialist, Hartech (visit ). Renowned for its team’s now fifteen-year programme of industry leading research and development concerning these water-cooled lumps and their inherent weaknesses, there really is nobody better to quiz, as proved by how widely accepted Hartech paperwork is as
