Believe it or not the regular 2.7L Boxster is better
than the 'S'. The reason is because of the 'S' transmission (tranny). You see the
6 speed on the 'S' is the same tranny from the 996 bolted on. Think about it, the
996 has completely different powertrain characteristics than the Boxster 'S' (50
more HP) and yet they share the same tranny. The 996 tranny just doesn't fit on
the 'S'. On the other hand, the 2.7L has a 5 speed tranny designed specifically
for it and no other Porsche model.
I have collected various quotes regarding the problematic Boxster 'S' tranny
from actual honest people, some 'S' owners, from PPBB. I have been banned from PPBB
for posting this information (some of the admins have an 'S', hehehehe).
Don't fall for Porsche marketing. A lot of people automatically assume a 6 speed
tranny is superior to a 5 speed. Not if the gear ratios are for a different (996)
car!
Also, be sure to read the Excellence magazine article from around two years ago
with an article comparing the 2.7L vs. the 'S'. Their conclusion was the 2.7L is
a better overall buy. The article had this to say about the 'S' tranny:
"And with the base car's slightly longer gear spacing, you're less likely to
shift up to third while driving from light to light - which makes it a bit
easier to drive around town. So in an urban environment, the
base car may be a better pick than the Boxster S, ..."
Yes, in many ways the regular Boxster is a superior car than
the Boxster 'S'. The main reason is the 'S' tranny problem.
If you don't have access to the Excellence article I would be happy to send you a copy
if you send me your mailing address.
Good luck, Another S in S
Here are the quotes regarding the 'S' transmission:
"Drove 6000 miles in 2 years [Boxster 'S'] and the gearing was horrible in
my opinion....I was unhappy with the Boxster 'S'...
The Boxster 'S' should have gotten the 5 speed gearbox of the 2.7..."
-Chris from Germany (CFG)
Admin for 996 board (
http://www.funcarsonline.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php)
"I prefer the 5 speed over the 6 speed"
-Meredith
An admin on PPBB
"Have to make a comment about the 2.7L, after owning one for 2 years and an
S for 8 months I have to say I wouldn't mine going back to the 2.7. Driving
in the city you couldn't tell the difference, as a matter of fact the
2.7 feels better in the city than the S."
-Shaeetoon(DFW)
"I've own/owned 3 Porsches (01 996, 02 996 and 01 Boxster S). Strangely, the shifter in my
Boxster S is one of its weak points. It feels sloppy, plastic, and it's hard to get into
3rd gear. The dealer service tech tested my car and told me it is typical, and within
normal. "
-Ray Gram
"The gearbox on the S seems mushy, as well as the clutch. The base seemed a lot more
precise. "
-robb in socal
"I still maintain that the 5-spd feels better than the 6-spd. "
-Brian Harrington, 'S' owner
"When I drove the 5-speed it seemed to shifter easier (less balking) than the 6-speed
in the "S"."
-John S
"that was my experience as well."
-al greenborg
"On a test drive of the S 6-speed vs 2.7 5-speed , I loved the S power, could not
tell the difference in brakes but much prefered the 5-speed. It seemed to match the
engine better."
-Iwas There (Toronto)
"but its gear ratios are not particularly well suited to the S' 3.2 liter engine. "
-John Brown of Northern Virginia
Andrew P's observations ('S' owner)
1) Torque delivery in 3rd is lackluster. This isn't a complaint, but I'm used to cars
pulling a lot harder in 3rd. There's plenty of pull in 2nd, but 3rd seems a little anemic.
Having said that, I am faithfully following the break-in guidelines and not taking the
engine past 4200... I have a feeling that the 3rd gear "fun" doesn't start until the 5000
range...
2) The shifter is a little sloppy. I find the throws to be a tad long, but not too long.
It's not spongy (is that a word) like my BMW... it's just... ahh... the best way to
describe it is that the spring that brings the shifer in between the 3rd and 4th gates
while in neutral isn't strong enough. I've missed a number of shifts (fortunately I've
cuaght myself).... It seems that I've been conditioned to work with that spring-load and
I'm just not getting that feedback.
3) The synchros don't always seem to work. I've never "ground" anything, but sometimes I
just can't get it to go into gear (on upshifts). A little bit of double-clutching solves
the problem. I'm not sure what's going on here... hopefully I was just having a bad day...