Something about a neglected, city-dwelling sports car isn’t it. I think it’s a combination of two things. First, there’s the idea that you might stumble upon the owner, politely lowball them, and ‘rescue’ their humble Boxster, locking it away to a lifetime of two bucket washes, a regular service, and Sunday morning car meets. The second is the curious; the idea that there is someone out there who loves a Boxster enough to keep it in permit parking in one of Bath’s most affluent areas, but despite likely having the coin, won’t undertake what most enthusiasts or even car owners might deem basic visual maintenance.

The only lengths this owner has gone to preserving maybe the basic functionality of the car is duct taping the mouldy cloth roof to prevent water from leaking into the 2000s plush cabin. But that’s about it. The wheels look like they haven’t been cleaned since the ’08 financial crisis, and are missing each and every centre cap, whilst the rubber surround of the Porsche badge has peeled off.

But after some digital digging, I found that this grubby fella passed its MOT in January, with only one advisory of a worn front brake disc. However after diving down more digital rabbit holes, I discovered that this plucky Boxster has been under the same ownership since late 2013, and has failed nearly every MOT since, with the issues typically being rectified within a few days. So there is no shortage of cash being thrown at keeping this cheeky chappy on the road, but a distinct lack of visual maintenance.

Maybe the owner is simply too busy flying to far-flung locations to wash it, but too imbued by those delicate, feline lines to sell it. Maybe the car marks a significant milestone in their career, or holds sentimental value, or maybe they hold a pure, unadulterated love for motoring like the rest of us but are at an age where visual maintenance is becoming ever more difficult. Sometimes wondering is better than knowing.