Here are the facts:
Gearing for both Boxsters:
Boxster S Ratio:
13.1408
7.568
5.2288
4.1968
3.5088
2.8896
2.7L Base Ratio:
12.46
7.5472
5.0908
3.8804
2.9904
Notice that 2nd and 3rd gears are essentially identical for both cars. So how can that Excellence article claim that the Base has higher gearing to eliminate the shift from 2nd to 3rd (vs. the S)? Simple. They're clueless.
Also notice that the "6th" gear is
not one gear taller than the Base's 5th gear. This is the biggest misconception of the S' 6 speed gearbox. The difference is
4th gear. The Base's 4th gear is equivalent to the S' 5th gear, with the Base slightly taller. Same goes for the Base's 5th gear being equivalent to the S' 6th gear, again with the base slightly taller. Taller gears with a weaker motor is not what you want.
There is too big a gap between 3rd and 4th on the Base model. If anything, the Base would perform
much better having the S' 6 speed gearbox. I can drive around and shift from 3rd to 5th in my S and it would be just like a Base owner shifting from 3rd to 4th (gearing-wise).
The hp difference between the 2 cars is not the only performance factor. There is a 36lb/ft of
torque difference between the 3.2L motor and the 2.7L motor. This is
huge and more than enough to offset the 100lbs of weight difference. Even if you can get the 2.7L to have identical hp as the S, the superior torque of the S will always make it faster to about 100mph. This is just simple physics. If you want a shocker, look up the 0-100mph times for the S and the Base.
Last but not least, the S makes 90% of it's torque at 2K rpms and has a much wider powerband than the Base model. Coupled to the shorter gearing, there
is a big difference between the cars. Just look at any magazine...0-60 and 1/4 mile times prove it. The S does the 1/4 in 13.8 seconds. The Base does it in 14.6 seconds. That's the equivalent of 8 carlengths at the finish. I hate to bench race but the difference is more than just a little.
I have nothing against the Base model. But there really is more to the S than just 33hp.