[southernstar]

We are on a site for Porsche Boxsters and unlike you, I actually own a 2000 986 Boxster. Will your car get better lap times? No doubt - although I suspect most of that can be attributed to straight-line speed and the tires. Understand that I too have owned American cars including a 1979 Mustang 5.0 litre; indeed, I started doing Autocross in the late 1970's in a 1973 Capri V6 with an ansa exhaust, koni shocks, bigger sway bars, hard steering rack bushings and what for that time were considered oversize alloy wheels with Michelin XAS tires. Although not an American car per se, it was similar to a Mustang and you could make it go quickly around a corner that was bump free.

I have owned two Datsun Z's: a 1970 240 and a 1974 euro spec 260Z with handling package and 3 piece Enkei rims, etc. I've also owned over the years, in no particular order, two Fiat X/19's (no power, but incredible handling and 'turn-in'.), a Porsche 944, a 1961 Posrche 356B, a Fiat 850 Spider as well as a couple of BMW's including my current winter vehicle, an X-3 with the sport package (wheels, tires, sway bars, springs and steering wheel).

Your experience with the Boxster is akin to my experience with the Mini - it is limited to test-drives: twice in a loaner by the BMW service departments and a few times in the Mini's that are owned by a couple of my friends (who coincidentally, have also driven my boxster and raved about the superiority of the handling). I like to be able to steer with both the steering wheel and throttle - something that can't be done with FWD (except to increase understeer); I will certainly acknowledge, however, that your Mustang will be plenty capable of throttle-induced oversteer. Anyway, since this is a thread on the 986 Forum entitled "Thinking of buying a Boxster?", perhaps you should go over to a Mustang or Mini forum to express your opinions on the vast superiority of those marques. I suspect, however, that very few people who are considering buying a Boxster would consider either as an alternative; conversely, I suspect that few persons considering buying a Mini or Mustang would be looking at Boxsters.

Cheers!

Brad