Cars And Track Staff
Every so often, a car pops up on the radar that defies easy categorization. It’s the kind of machine that makes purists reach for their blood pressure medication while custom builders lean in with genuine curiosity.
Enter the “Dino-Boxster”: a fiberglass-bodied, Dino 246 GT-inspired coupe built on the bones of a 2000 Porsche Boxster S.
Currently making waves in the enthusiast community, and coming to an Olive Garden parking lot near you. The build isn’t just a simple body kit slapped onto a chassis. It’s a mechanical mashup that combines Italian soul (sort of), 2000 era German precision, and Canadian fiberglass (literally).
The Build: What’s Under the Shell?
The seller essentially performed a high-stakes organ transplant. By taking a Magnum GT bodykit from Canada and marrying it to a Porsche Boxster S chassis, they created a mid-engine monster that looks like a 1970s icon but drives like a turn-of-the-millennium track star.
- The Heart: A 3.2-liter flat-six and a six-speed manual gearbox sourced from a Boxster S.
- The Footwork: It’s sitting on Godspeed coilover suspension and 18″ ESM wheels, with a Wavetrac limited-slip differential to ensure those horses actually reach the pavement.
- The Soundtrack: A Borla center-exit exhaust provides a bark that definitely won’t be mistaken for a vintage Ferrari V6.
- The Interior: A wild blend of Boxster Red upholstery with Daytona-style stitching, a 996-sourced instrument cluster, and—in a nod to vintage purism—crank-operated windows.
Speculation: Who Actually Buys This?
This is the question. While the car currently priced at $125,000 on ebay costs a fraction of a real Dino’s $400k+ price tag. A “fake” Ferrari is a bold statement, but this isn’t your average Fiero-based kit car. So, who is the target audience?
1. The “Maximum Fun, Minimum Stress” Collector
A real Dino 246 GT is a temperamental masterpiece. If you drive it hard, you’re sweating over the appreciation and the astronomical repair bills. The buyer of this car wants the Dino silhouette but wants to be able to pull into any independent Porsche specialist for an oil change. It’s for the person who wants to enjoy a canyon road without a chase truck full of spare parts following them.
2. The Conversation Starter (or Fire-Starter)
There is a specific type of enthusiast who thrives on the “What is that?” factor at Cars & Coffee. This car is a heat-seeking missile for attention. Whether you’re explaining the Wavetrac LSD or defending the fiberglass body to a Ferrari Tifosi, this car ensures you’ll never have a quiet morning at a car show.
3. The Track Day Outlier
With a 3.2L Boxster S engine, a six-speed manual, and upgraded coilovers, this car likely handles brilliantly. Because it’s a fiberglass body on a Porsche chassis, it’s probably lighter than a stock Boxster. We could see a buyer who wants a unique, “disposable” track toy—something that looks exotic in the paddock but has the reliable mechanical backbone of a Porsche.
The Verdict
Is it a “fake”? Technically, yes. But with a Wavetrac diff, Borla exhaust, and a six-speed manual, it’s also a legitimate performance machine. It’s a tribute to a legendary design, built for someone who values the driving experience over the badge on the nose, but the buyer is going to have that price significantly to get this sold. Obviously not everyone values authenticity, I mean Olive Garden seems to be thriving.
