[SJP3003]

First Porsche was a '99 996. At the time I also owned a 383 stroker C5 vette with 464 RWTQ and 446 RWHP that ran 11.7 ET's. The PCar was great in traffic, nimble & the flat 6 sounded perfect. The interior was so-so. Acceleration was good but not great.

The C5 stroker was a monster accelerating & handling was good as well (lowered, coil-overs, beefier sway bars & 18 inch wheels). Not totally reliable after heavy mods though. The interior was terrible & build quality was so-so.

Traded both the C5 & the 996 for a rosso mondiale Maser Coupe that I still have. The Maser has one of the best interiors in th business...leather everywhere. The cabin's design, black with red piping & stitching, is perfect for long trips. The Maser's paddle shifters in sport mode are quicker than any manual shifter. They work well at speed but are lousy in stop & go traffic (jerky). The V8 offers good grunt & the sound is good straight out of the box. The Maser is a consumate GT and that's what I use it for...extended trips. Last year I drove it to NH, VT, ME, MA in the fall (from my home in Miami). The day after I bought it I drove to GA, SC, NC, TN & KY with one of my sons. I also drove it to the Porsche Driving Experience in Brimingham on another trip. Negatives regarding the Maser: the shifters aren't good in traffic, the paint seems soft, the sound system is passable but not good. In terms of quality issues...none on mine after 15K miles. This will be a long-term keeper.

Last year I bought an '04 GTO as a commuter car while I got on the waiting list for an Elise. The GTO's muscle was entertaining. The interior was better than most any GM product. Good seats in particular. Many bits looked OK but were basic plastic though. The shifter was grade B at best. Exhaust note rumble was a B+. Handling at higher speeds was not as collected as any of the others mentioned here. Exterior styling was non-existent-- good for melding-in with other cars but nothing to look at.

The Elise came in much sooner than I expected. Sexy styling. A+ exhaust with the Quicksilver exhaust. Outstanding handling--one of the best in the world for a production car. A+ acceleration too when it's on the boil...the type of shove in the back that the P-Car Turbo provides. A visceral driving experience. Decent shifter. On the low side: the shell is an egg-shell...one bump & it cracks to the tune of $6K for the front clam. Some people complain about ingress & egress-- I'm 6' and don't complain on that count. No torque. And last but not least, the AC can't cope with Miami's summer heat. It was fine November through May, but once the summer arrived I had it in the shop 3 times to try to fix the AC...which led to the heavily discounted left-over '04 Boxster S I now drive as a daily driver.

The Boxster S also looks great, despite its age. The engine has the note I enjoyed on the 996, especially with the top down. I find myself turning down the radio to listen to the exhaust. The interior is better than the '99 996's. Acceleration is much quicker than it feels, but no muscle car. Handling is very good...not as tight as the Elise, especially over bumps. Creature comforts are generally good-- B+. The AC works. The Bose system sounds fine (although audiphiles will always want more from it). The automatic top is easy to operate. Stowage is excellent for a 2 seater. In Miami the Boxster is as common as a Beetle at this point...easy to blend in & I don't get too concerned about leaving it with a valet if I need to, although I still search for the safest parking spots wherever I go. The biggest negative is concern over the possibility that the Litronics will get stolen here. I bought the Boxster as an entertaining yet practical daily driver. It is that & more.