There's absolutely no need for 6th gear on the S. The 6 speed is a brilliant marketing gimmick by Porsche. Most people automatically assume the more gears the better. This is only true if the gear ratios are matched for the engine/drivetrain.
Unfortunately the S has exactly the same gear ratios as the 996. Problem: the 996 has 50+ more HP, more torq, and completely different powertrain characteristics than the S. Obviously this is not a good thing for the S!
"I've read that criticism ('S' tranny) in other reviews of the S over
the years since its introduction. The criticism is based on the fact that the S 6-speed gearing is the same as the Carrera 6-speed's gearing. Considering the S' considerably less power & torque than the Carrera's, it's easy to understand why either the S' engine is too little for its transmission or its transmission is too much for its engine. Many here & elsewhere have theorized Porsche did this intentionally, both to save $$ and to keep
the S way below Carrera performance territory IAW their marketing strategy.
All sounds reasonable to me...."
-John Brown of Northern Virginia (PPBB user)
Too bad, 'cuz if Porsche took the time (and money) to rework the 6 speed and optimize it for the S it would be a much better car. Even if they used the same 5 speed as the 2.7L in the S it would be a better car as the 5 speed ratios are matched better to the S's powertrain (deltas: base - S: 35HP increase vs. S - 996: 50+ HP).
"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)
and very respected Porsche enthusiast on Porsche message boards.
I'm looking forward to the 987S. I'm sure Porsche will fix the tranny issue. Porsche had to cut all kinds of corners with the 986/996 programme. I think we'll get a proper Boxster 'S' with the 987S.