Reviews, Comparisons and Flying Low
 

We invite you to tell your story of why you love your Porsche, and compare it to other performance cars that you've driven (or driven against!).

Please include your model (e.g. Boxster S) in the title of your post.

R

Boxster S vs. the world :-)
 

Ok, let me try this.
I love my Porsche because:
- it is PRECISE. handling. braking. response. It does what I want. Nothing else. Nothing more.
- it is beautiful. these curves...mamma mia !!!
- it is reliable and a daily driver
- people will still turn they head around in 20 years
- 987 made the boxster a classic
- it's a flat 6 !!!!!
- the engine sound comes from back
- ...and because i am fan of the brand from childhood...
I also drove: (the ones worth mentionning)
- Audi TT quattro 225hp
Nice but behaves like front wheel drive, and small 4 cylinders with poor noise
- Honda S2000
No torque, no pleasant for daily driver, misses 2 cylinders...and is going to be recycled in something else in 20 years
- BMW M3 SMGII
Fantastic gearbox. Perfect all-year, everywhere, love it.
- of course other Porsches, but do they count ? :-)


What I do not like with Porsche however:
- cayenne looks ugly
- no sequential gearbox available. their tiptro is a joke.

Perfect handling, mystique of the Porsche marque, and man, it just is a tactile blast!

I love my 1997 boxster for the following reasons:

1. It has no rear badge and unique rims ... which causes people (usually folks that are at least 50 or older) to come up to me at gas stations or rest stops and ask "what kind of car is that?" Looks just like a Porsche to me, but apparently, lots of older (no offense to you 50+ readers!) people have not seen one up close and personal.

2. I've updated my interior to a 2002 5 speed shifter and now a 3 spoke wheel, which makes the car look very current.

3. The car is incredibly "cat and mouse" like in light traffic. I can zoom around others and take advantage of the sprint-like responsiveness if I remember to keep it in a lower gear.

4. I drove my Boxster 300 miles this last weekend, and did not get out and say "my back hurts." My '90 Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo and my '86 Toyota MR2 were both really hard on my back.

5. I've dreamed of Porsche ownership since I was 8 years old, and now I own one. I often open my garage door, see the Boxster and think, "I can't believe I own that car."

6. Ditto on the mid engine and flat 6 comment prior to my post. I have never driven or owned such a balanced sports car that is predictable and fast. Even my smallish 2.5 liter engine is quite strong compared to the light weight of the car overall.

I have a 1997 with 40k miles.

There is nothing obvious about my car that I can say makes it perfect. It's fast, but not that fast. It handles well, but so did my highly modified 325i. It looks fantastic, but even American automakers are starting to make cars that look good. What makes this car perfect is that everytime I get in my car, it makes me smile. It just feels right -- no more, no less. I knew I liked it when I bought it, but now that I've driven it a while and I go to ride in friends' cars, I realize how the Boxster has grown on me even more, and I have no desire to have anything else.

I think it says a lot that my dream car (other than something fairly unattainable such as a CGT or 550) is an 04 Boxster S, which in the grand scheme, is not too far off from what I'm driving now.

The only downside is that at 22 years old, I have a lot of cars left to buy, and there's not a lot of room for improvement. So it's scary to think what I might be driving when I'm 40 or 50. :-)

The 986 is timeless:
-7 year old body that still isn't outdated
-cat-like reflexes
-everyone wants to race me off the line at lights....i let them go, let them wonder...then wait for that curve to catch up
-I'm 20, and the older guys at work all go "You drive a Porsche? Damn!" Envy, hate to say it, but its nice
-I remember the first time I saw a 911, I was 9. I was in downtown Chicago and one drove past...I knew then that I was going to obsessed.
-Ever just look at your car and say "wow, that is a really beautiful car"

Dam I should feel angry :D at your statement about the "old folk" but I am 56 and waited until I was 55 to buy my first Porsche 2003 Boxster S. I always bought the practical car as my father had saddled me with that thought. If it wasn't for my wife I would not have this car today. I originally looked at the Audi S-4 and M-3 when my wife said to me why don't you look at the Porsches that you have always longed? I love the car , Boxster S and it is a machine and an experience that keeps multiplying every day. I use it as a daily driver and people are shocked about that! In NY in the winter Oh my god!. I simply answer I bought to be used not to sit in a garage and collect dust.
So young man just think of me when you get old and still driving my Porsche and your scary thoughts should disappear. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride. :)

I am 55, drive motorcycles and Porsches and work out 5 days a week. No ready for the boneyard yet!

Why I love my boxster?
There are too many reasons, but....

It makes me smile every time I drive it. You can't beat driving to work in the morning with the hood down!

It handles beautifully, all the time!

I saved every penny for two years before I got mine. I'm now saving for the replacement in two years time. Will it be another Boxster or a 911 cab? Who knows. One things I do know, it will definitely be a Porsche!

My colleagues at work all ask me about it, where I got it from, how much it cost and how I like it. They are always amazed when I tell them it is 6 years old already, and how reasonably priced it was. They all want one.

I'm addicted to it!

"My colleagues at work all ask me about it, where I got it from, how much it cost and how I like it. They are always amazed when I tell them it is 6 years old already, and how reasonably priced it was. They all want one.

I'm addicted to it!"

This is one of the cooler things about the Box. If you keep it pristine, the 97 looks like the 04 to most folks. Add some 18" wheels and you are off to the Country Club in a 20G car.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Let me give this a try.

I love my Boxster because:

1) The handling is absolutely amazing. It handles so well, I can now honestly say that I know what people mean when they talk about the car being an extension of the driver. No other car has given me that feeling.

2) I love twisties! Exhilarating is the only word that I could find to describe the feeling of blasting around corners in this car.

3) It's a Porsche. As has been said many times there is a certain aura of mystique that surrounds Porsche. In LA you seen tons of BMW's or Mercedes on the roads, so much so they stop catching your eye. But a Porsche will still turn heads. :D

Compared to:

BMW Z4: My father has an 03 Z4, and while it's a great car in it's own right it just can't measure up. The steering is not nearly as tight or responsive as the Boxster, nor is the handling through the twisties. Also, I don't feel like part of the car while driving it. It's fun to drive, it's just not "exhilarating". ;)

...Because it is everything a sports car is meant to be and nothing a sports car is NOT meant to be...
It is:
A two seat drop-top, the essential component of the Sports Car.

The most pure expression of the 'Modern Sports Car' since the introduction of the Miata, itself a pure blood in it's own right.

A true Porsche in every sense of the word, and attached to all that heritage.

Beautiful; near flawless design

Powerful enough, even in base model to constantly deliver fun and excitement while offering a daily driver that forces you to make zero comprimises.

Track-bred. Try one out on your local raccing complex and you'll see what I mean. Those who have already know.

Fits me like it was made for me alone. The interior layout simply enfolds you and mates you to the machine

It is NOT:
A truck
A four door
All show and no go
Ugly
Harsh
A compromising design
Fragile
Flimsy
Cheap
Goofy-looking
Overly Gadgetized
Overly complicated
Cost-prohibitive for a good cross-section of enthusiasts
Parked in someone else's drive-way :dance:

Ill just stick with comparisons to other cars, since everyone has already said what is so great about the car


Cars I've driven (recently)

2005 Corvette -- Tons of power, okay handling, okay styling, problem was it only felt like a fast version of my '95 Firebird. I was less than blown away.

2005 GTO -- Sounded awesome, drove like a total piece of junk and looks stupid

2005 Pontiac G6 -- I included this because I thought it kicked the pants out of the GTO. Kind of strange.


Cars I've ridden in or driven against recently:

2004 MB SLK32AMG -- crazy HP in a small car. Completely destroys my Box off the line (it has the auto tranny that does everything for you), however I start to reel him back in when the speeds go up and the road starts to twist. I’m not crazy about the styling.

2004 WRX -- some how I completely obliterated a friend in his WRX off the line the other day. I’m still trying to figure this one out. I don’t think he had the turbo spooled in time and the lag killed him. My back tires cleared his front bumper before we went under the traffic light. I actually really like this car. It has some sedan usefulness, all wheel drive and is still pretty quick.

2004 RX8 -- I actually love this car. A friend bought one and every time I ride in it I think I like the car more. The back seat is more then large enough for an adult.

1968 GTO -- in a straight line no competition. However any turning of the wheel and he is done for.



The Boxster is by far the best looking car of the lot. In my opinion it drives better than any of them too. The Boxster is just everything a sports car / roadster should be. Its tough to beat.

One word:

THROTTLE RESPONSE

ok maybe two...

The S puts down %85 of its torque by 2000 RPM's.
That's just plain nasty.

the other day I had to drive a Toyota Corolla which I hadn't driven since buying the BoxsterS. Wow I thought the Toyo was broken. SOmetime you need to drive a tin can with now power, handling or steering to fully appreciate what Stuggart has engineered.

OR a Z4. A buddy just bought one, and convinced me to take a test drive. Took out a 2005 Z4 3.0 w/ 6-speed. My thoughts:

Sounds dead. Same dull drone through the entire RPM range. They took the "if it's loud, it'll sound sporty" approach. The opposite is our Boxsters, where there's a nice high whine at low RPM that slowly changes into an all-out growl under WOT at about 3-4krpm on up.

Road feel sucks. In my Box, I feel like I'm driving a go-cart. In the Z4 I felt like I was driving a loud Buick. Even though it handles well, it had that disconnected feeling.

STEERING!!!! Can't stress this enough. I can dart in and out of traffic, handle crazy twisty roads, etc, etc. In the Z4, it felt like a truck. I felt like I was out of control. The car had a mind of it's own and felt skittish.

Seating position. I'm a small dude (5'10, 150lbs), and the Box fits me like a glove. Even at 5'10, I felt like I was looking over the windshield in the Z4. This is in addition to the fact that I could NOT find a comfy seating position and the lack of bolster on the seat allowed me to go flying all over the seat every time I hit a curve.

Verdict: BMW did a great job at making a roadster that even Mazda and Toyota would laugh at, despite costing twice as much as a Miata or MR2 Spyder.

And that hump on the Z4's hood is just fricken annoying!

wow that's too bad the Z4 is uderwhelming for the moolah.

I appreciate what BMW is doing style wise. They are determined to bring concepts to reality rather than just tweaking current designs like Mercedez and Volkwagon. I find most of the Mercs and VW's sterile and boring. Very star bucks yuppy like. Its easy to sit back and criticisize something like Z4 when no one else is taking design risks.

But performance wise, those wheel base configurations of the Z3 and Z4 and M coupes are very limiting if they are to compete with the mid engine Boxster.

another older guy
 

First porsche 98 boxster. I'm like a kid at the candy store. Or needing a reason to drive there. My wife says you are driving where again? What a car, I hope it stays to-gether for me. I thought my friends 92 325beemer was fun, but it is no comparison. You're never too old for a porsche......

ANOTHER old fart....
 

I've only had my 2001 for a few weeks. The Boxster is everything that the British sports cars were supposed to be, but with reliability thrown in. The gently used cars are the best value on the market right now.

Yellowjacket - there are many steps up from a Boxster, but most are going to require a serious investment. It's the best reason to work hard and be successful ;)

everthing Randall Neighbour said!! bout sums it up!!

I am 46 will be 47 in April just picked up my first Porsche, first Boxster last week.
I traded in my 2004 BMW Mini Cooper S. The Mini is a very good car, the Boxster is a great car it only took one test drive. And ya my wife gave me permission!!!!!!
she is a great gal. I to use it as a daily driver, the more I drive it the more I understand just how good it is.

Hey, I'm 54 and I think I'm giving up a little bit of interior space by switching my 968 for the Boxster S I have on order. After driving the S, it's worth the trouble. If I get too old to bend down, I figure I can get one of those top hoists that people mount on the garage ceiling and swing myself into the driver's seat. Now only if I could have ordered the driver's side "lift chair option" to help me out . . .

Wow, I am 55 and planning on taking the US Marine fitness test on my 56th birthday. Perhaps I should just take a nap instead?



:dance:

my $.02 worth
 

Everyone's responses to this thread are very astute. I just got my 97 black Boxster out of the shop where it had been for 3 days while my local mechanic fixed a few minor problems (most annoyingly, the passenger side window quit working due to a corroded wire). I took it home, removed the hardtop, and cleaned the interior after a long winter. The hardtop had been on for the last 4 months as this car is a daily driver. Today I drove it to work with the top down for the first time since I installed the Dansk muffler, and all I can say is WOW. The absolute rightness of the way it feels, the fantastic sound with the top down are simply unmatched by any other car on the road. There are other good performing cars out there, but only the Boxster becomes part of you, an extension of your brain when you drive it. And it's just the best looking car on the road, bar none. I can't park it without taking one last glance over my shoulder as I walk away.

Mike

My girlfriend laughs at me for this at least once a week.

The other morning, I woke up before her, went to open the drapes, and just stood there staring out the window at my Boxster. Thinking my girlfriend is still asleep, I'm just smiling like an idiot, when I hear from behind me "it's still gonna be there when you get downstairs". Hehe. :)

I've had my 97 for nearly a year now, and I still open the garage door, pull the car into the driveway, and sit down on a patio chair and just stare at it on Saturday mornings. All my life I dreamed of owning a Porsche and it's still hard to think "I actually own that car. It's mine."

I guess the marketing guys are right. Porsche, there is no subsitute.

"it's still gonna be there when you get downstairs". Hehe. "

You might be making here jealous. You better start staring at her that way.

Feelings on my Boxster
 

I've had my Boxster for several years now and I have a few things to say about the car.

1. Not fast enough. I can outrun it with my 944.
2. Really cool looking. I think the 986 looks better that the 987. My car is a 97 and still looks as new as anything else out there.
3. The car handles great. Put some wider 911 wheels on it and the rear really sticks.
4. The interior is functional, but cheap looking. Even with the upgrades that Porsche offers, it's always looked cheesy.
5. The great thing about a Porsche is it can take a beating. I driven the mess out of that car and it just want's more. Try doing that in a Ferrari.
6. You get looks in it. It ain't fast, but sure looks it. Just watch who you race. Looks are deceiving.

I bought this car when I was 27. Now that I've got a little more money, the decision to keep the car has swayed to the negative side. There are too many Boxsters on the road. I liked it when I didn't see that many around. I live on the North Carolina coast. (convertible country) Now, they're everywhere. I wish there weren't so many on the road and that they weren't so affordable. Seeing 18 year olds pimping them out really turns me off on the car. It's not the car, it's that I feel it is becoming less exotic. The more people that have them, the more people know how underpowered the Boxster really is. I thought about buying a new 987, but the power issue is just that...a power issue.
The Boxster is what it is, a sweet handling machine. That's it's strength. But for the head turns and seeing one on every corner I guess I've lost interest in it.
Last weekend I drove a Maserati Spyder. You can get a nice 2002 for around 50K-60K. That car has the paddle shifters, amazing take off, and you never see them on the road. Pretty Cool.
I've recently purchased an old 911 RSR. I am restoring it now. This is the car that has taken my attention. Whether I keep the Boxster or not is yet to be seen. I've got it for sale, but I'm torn on whether to sell it or not. Don't know if I'll miss it?
:o

Once you get into a Porsche, it's hard to leave. After I test drove the Corvette C6, I came home and told my wife that I wasn't sure. I might want to just refurbish my 10-year-old 968. After I drove the Boxster S, I put down a deposit before I walked out of the showroom. As for the Maserati, it's a beautiful car, but I wonder about the durability down the line.

"the Maserati, it's a beautiful car, but I wonder about the durability down the line."


Sadly, there is nothing to wonder about. The Mas simply will not hold up based on its storied but troubled past!

I took in my Viper to trade at the local exotic car reseller (www.parkplaceltd.com), intent on trading it for a used 996 turbo. After driving the 911, I had one picked out but wanted to try out a Boxster first just for the sake of comparison. I drove the Boxster (not an S), and realized that for $60K less I got a car that was 90% as good all things considered, with better handling and more accessible performance, just less grunt and no back seat. So, I saved the money and got the Box.

A

You can buy a slighty used 02 Maserati or you could buy a brand new 05 987 S for the same coinage. The boxster will most certainly handle better and with the new engine out-put it would be only an eye-blink slower than the Maser..if that. It would probabbly feel like a rocket compared to your 97. YOu should go for a test drive.

boxster
 

you guys should all come to scotland in the Uk, There arent many boxsters here , lovely scenery , twisting roads , sun at least for 3 days in the summer ( lol )
I Have had Mercedes, Jaguars , Rovers , Sprints, Range Rovers ect ,
I Can Honestly say the Boxster makes me grin everytime i even think about taking her out ,
its even handy given that we are a 3 person family , solution : they dont get in it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sure i wish we could all afford a gt3 and the running of it , but we all have a budget, i think you should all enjoy it for what the car is , a smile machine
of course if there are any millionaires out there who wish to update me , please email me and i will give an address to ship the car you dont want , promise it will have a great home ,

thanks all from scotland
saorsa

Good to hear from someone from the other side of the POND!

:cheers:

It's more embarrassing for me located in the South West. We've only had three days sun as well :mad:

Cars have always been one of my best motivators. Now that I have the 2004 Box, I don't surf autotrader and ebay, I don't cruise car lots, and no other car does it for me. Every other car has a little something wrong. And yes there are cars I really want, but not enough to motivate me to go the extra mile. I could all excited about a 2006 987S if they made an all black interior. I hate that silver Japanese plastic look.

I am all hot for a C4S, but I like roadsters. Can't afford a CGT or the likes. I guess I am stuck in 986 bliss.

It's been raining all day and it finally cleared up at dusk; me and my 4 yr old went for a cruise in what he calls "The Roaster". Bliss :dance:

would LOVE to get my boxster to Scotland. I can still picture the stunning landscapes and inviting roads, especially around Inverness. What a beautiful town. transit costs are actually reasonable, the issue seems to always be lack of time. someday...

daydreaming
 

Reminiscing of what isn't but maybe one day I will be able, to be able to run my Boxster in my homeland,Cuba once the dictator dies or is quartered or some other pleasant way of getting rid of him and his regime :barf: . I can only imagine the palm trees, the clear blue water with a tropical breeze and at night a beautiful celestial display. :o

Most of my sports car life has revolved around Mazda Miatas. I have owned eleven of those little Japanese Roadsters and I still love them (still own one too). Granted they are no match for a Boxster but you have to consider price positioning as well. Last Christmas my hubby bought me my 2000 Boxster. We actually bought the car from Courtney Cox (from the TV Show Friends). I have never been so in-love with a car! I have had some cool and different types of cars (two DeLoreans, two BMW Z3's, a Corvette, other Porsches and plenty others). The Boxster kills all of them for pure smiling while driving! I love the way it looks, the way it sounds and the way it feels! Way to go Porsche!!!

As a teenager, I said to myself, "when i turn 25, something great is going to happen." (Reason being is because my Bday lands on the 25th, and I just felt like hoping in something great).

25 years old now, lost my girlfriend, and I started to get worried about staying bored. Ever since I bought my first Brand new car '99 Civic Si, I babied it. Then sold it. another truck, Bla bla. I needed another car to baby. I thought everything was going down the drain, but after my break up with my girl, BAM! Got the Porsche. (LOL, on her Birthday!)


Ended up with a 98 Porsche blk/blk, sports package, very reasonable price. BELOW Kelly blue book value by thousands, all car fax done, major maintenance done. I couldn't refuse. Used yes, but I never get bored of looking at it. It turns heads everyday, and I honestly get complements about once every two days. Even in the drive thru! Everyone always say, "OMG, I can't believe you got a PORSCHE." Friends ask the common questions, "how much, what year?" I tell them it's a '98, their response, "oh.. errr.." Then they see it later on; their response, "WHOA looks better than I thought! You bast*rd!"

Got back with the girl I wanted, and there's nothing in the world better than driving with the top down, girl in passenger seat, people staring, and bumping the music. Ahhh... what a great dream.......Oh wait.. It's not! It's all for real!!!

Who cares about all the maintenance costs. It's realiable as any other used car, it's a PORSCHE, and everyone will know you as, "oh, [name] who drives the PORSCHE!"

Okay enough said. That's my life story.