In looking at the many cars that I could have bought, I drove the following:
Corvette – not the Z06
BMW Z4 M
Mazda Miata
SLK350 and SLK55

Any of these cars are sure to please most buyers and they all have their strong and weak points, the Mazda is great value and if you are interested in fun for $ then this is probably top of your list. It does not really belong in this list of cars but it delivers 90% of the fun for a fraction of the price.
The Corvette is a large heavy car, but the under hood grunt simply cannot be beat in this price range, but for me it was not the driving experience I was looking for so even though I could have got one for less than the Boxster S (with more options) it simply did not sing to my soul.
The BMW is a real roadster with great get up and go and for what I was looking for was second on my list. For me I felt more confidant driving the Boxster along twisty roads but I could have lived with the BMW.
I have owned several MB cars and I keep an MB for the rainy days. The SLK is another great car the SLK350 is a good match (straight line only) for the Base Boxster, the AMG is great car with wonderful power but in the end it is a bit of a beast when pushed, the handling and brakes are simply several steps down from the Boxster.
I also priced and drove the Carrera Cab The Boxster S just seemed to be more balanced and more nimble, for my driving style the 0.2 seconds less on the 0 to 60 did not matter, I will never drive the Boxster to its max speed on the track so I did not care about the higher top end. The fit and finish on the new Boxster is at the same level as the Carrera and I did not need the extra seats (I have other cars). The price difference between the two (for the same options) came to about $26,000 and I just could not see the value for money in the Carrera.

So in a nutshell here is why I bought my Boxster; it is simply a world class driver’s experience that even the average Joe can appreciate and enjoy, it is refined, poised and has more than enough power, for a fun driving the Boxster is in a class by itself.

One final comment on the Boxster out of all the above cars it has the most usable trunk space (top up or down) and could easily be used for extended vacations. Any of the above soft cars are challenged in this area.

Regarding the wheels, the car looks better with large rims, I have 19 on my Boxster S. Other options are up you, but take a hard look at the preferred equipment package and don’t forget the Windstop.