Value is always a relative concept. But when it came to the 2016 Porsche Boxster, I decided to run through a pricing exercise to discover if the mid-engine, two-seat roadster is good deal from a historical perspective.

With a starting MSRP of $52,000 for the 2016 Boxster, skeptics will argue it's nearly impossible to find one divested of options to warrant that skinny sticker price, short of ordering one to spec through a dealership. That's because options quickly add a hockey-stick curve to the price, resulting in a car that often exceeds the base MSRP by 50 percent or more. And it's tough to find option-less Porsches on dealership lots.

So the idea of value within the context of Porsche can be a tough sell. Yes, you're getting a great car for a lot of dollars in absolute terms, but it can be easy to lose sight of its value as a function of evolution and inflation — especially since prices for air-cooled 911s and 356s have skyrocketed at dizzying velocities.

With prices for well-restored 356s starting at around $100,000 (the sky's the limit), there's no value depth perception when $89,400 will get you the base 2016 911 Carrera. Apples and oranges? Maybe, because ultimately it all depends on your requirements as a Porsche owner.

The 2016 Boxster, as Porsche's lowest-priced model, made a good candidate to gauge historical value because its predecessor, the 968, has not yet been subject to the insane valuations of the rear-engine, air-cooled vintage Porsches.

Although 968 prices appear to be rising, it's still easy to buy a nice specimen for under $18,000.

The 968 served as a post-944 transition model as Porsche developed its entry-level mid-engine Boxster, which debuted in 1996. Production of the 968 lasted from 1992 to 1995. The car was available in coupe and cabriolet body styles with either a six-speed manual or a four-speed Tiptronic.

In my experiment, I considered adjustments in inflation and engineering. In other words, is the 2016 Boxster that much better than the 968 given what both would cost today?

My research on the 2016 Boxster was conducted when the naturally aspirated six-cylinder was available with MSRPs posted on the Porsche USA website. (Porsche has since replaced that model with the 718 Boxster powered by a 300-horsepower, flat-four with a base price of $56,000.)

First, I turned to the Dollar Times Inflation Calculator. The website tallied that $100 in 1992 is the equivalent of $171 in 2016. Second, I used the more expensive 968 Cabriolet for the comparison simply because the Boxster is a roadster.

In 1992, a 968 Cabriolet would set you back $51,900 — the equivalent of $88,620 in today's prices. Today, that money will buy a Boxster loaded with options totaling more than 50 percent of base MSRP. Or, besides the point, a Cayman GT4. Then, consider all of that optional equipment afforded by an $89,000 Boxster: 20-inch alloy wheels, active suspension management, torque vectoring, double-clutch automatic gearbox, plus a killer variable exhaust system.

With this foresight, your 1992 self would probably say, "Hey, I have $52,000. I'll go to the year 2016 and see what kind of Porsche that money will get me." Unfortunately, time travel still doesn't exist, and that's a long time to wait.

What I discovered is, dollar for dollar, the Porsche value proposition that has been building on itself continues to deliver relative value within the Porsche marque.