I'll throw another thought out there - the boxster is ultimately a bit of a disappointment. Performance-wise, for the cost of the car you can get a lot more bang for the buck. My first thought is of a 350Z, but I'm sure there are others. Sure it's peppy, good looking, convertible but I think those are novelties that wear off.
I'll believe the 996 has truly tanked when someone offers me a straight-up trade for my 72!
On the image-side, I couldn't agree more that going back to the round headlights is a HUGE improvement with the 997. Small but significant. I HATE the 996/boxster headlights.