PASM adaptive dampers optional.
Vented cast-iron discs.
The Boxster S is the 3.4-liter version of the 981 Boxster, a mid-engine, rear-drive roadster with the larger MA1-family naturally aspirated flat-six and a 6-speed manual or 7-speed PDK. It sits between the base 2.7 car and the GTS in the standard range.
Like the rest of the 981 range it uses the direct-injected MA1 flat-six rather than the older 987's M96/M97, so it does not carry the IMS bearing risk of those earlier cars.
US NHTSA campaigns for this model. A listed campaign may not apply to a particular car, and may already have been remedied — check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
No. That failure mode belongs to the older M96/M97 engines in the 987 and earlier. The 981's MA1 flat-six is a different, direct-injected design without that bearing. The remaining engine worry on the 3.4-liter cars is bore scoring, which is why a pre-purchase borescope is worth doing.
© 2026 SPORTS CARS, ETC. LLC