i haven't driven an S but i've driven a few base model boxsters. i have a lot of seat time in my dad's 2000 base, 5speed. he has M030 and 18s with nice rubber.
my bro in law has a 1999 996 Carrera 6 speed w/ aero kit and 18" sport designs. I had a chance to borrow his 996 today and drive it aroudn quite a bit.
my honest opinion was that this 996 was only marginally faster than my dad's boxster. most of the driving was done in stop and go areas, and surface streets. I wasn't doing triple digits or trying to race the car. this was on city streets... mildly spirited driving...i took most of the turns "fast"... enough to feel what the limits were.
i felt the boxster was WAY tighter feeling and much more planted. i felt that the 996 felt heaver and while it held the turns nicely, it didn't feel as stable. it was more floaty..
i almost felt like the 996 felt "older" and "worn". the 996 oly has 55k miles on it,w hile my dad's boxster has almost 75k. my dad has owned the boxster since 20k and he babies it. i have no idea what the former owner of the 996 did to it, my bro in law has had it only 6 months to a year max.
the 996 felt faster, slightly more torque..but I also felt the motor was far less responsive. in my dads boxster, if i hit the gas - BAM. it starts to take off. it may not shove you int eh seat but the motor feels very responsive. the 996 almost felt more lethargic to get going..not like turbo lag..but like it just didn't have the same responsiveness.
is this 996 just poorly maintained, in need of new suspension and a tune up? or is the actual performance different at low speeds between a 217hp boxster and this 300hp 996 actually close due to weight differences????
i think the 996 looks absolutely beautiful though. with the wheels and the aero kit and big wing it is a beautiful car. very aggressive yet classy looking. the boxster looks good, but the 911 has a presence the boxster lacks.
but if someone gave me a choice between this 996 and my dad's boxster, and i was goign out for a fun spririted drive on the local twisites, i'd pick the boxster in a FLASH, not even a second though. i always thought the 911 was supposed to be a LOT better than a boxster - assuming both cars are of similar vintage.
i know if you compare a 2008 Boxster S vs a 1998 996 then it's not fair... but his 996 is a 1999 model and my dads boxster is only a 2000 base. i was expecting to be "blown away" by the performance of his 996 in comparison to the boxster....i wasn't.
i'm not knocking the 996....and maybe my expectations were too high which partially accounted for the let down..but i still think that given THESE two examples of each car - my dads base boxster is nearly as quick - at least at the lower speeds that i was driving, and WAY more fun. i think the 911 turned more heads though..with the wheels and aero kit....
anyone care to comment who is familiar with these cars? maybe my bro in laws 996 is in sore need of a tune up... i dunno.
oh...anothe thing..my dad's boxstes motor seems a lot smoother. like when you gas it, it seems to rev more smoothly... more effortlessly... almost like the rx8 i drove..it just revved and revved and it was very smooth. i could be at 3k or 6k and it held the rpm i was at and then if i gassed it, it was very responsive.
the 996 seemed rough.... not nearly as smooth and not as responsive. i'm thinking maybe it's just out of tune or soemthing. or somethign is broken?? geez i hope not... that would be $$$