Boxster vs Elise - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Adam · 02-01-2010, 08:48 AM

The Elise trades a lot of comfort and amenities for the sake of less weight. It's use for the street is limited. It's a very small car with a very small interior. The trunk has enough room for a small bag and a helmet and not much else. It has a very firm ride. It's a thinly disguised street legal race car so if that is what you want then look no further. Just remember this is a car designed to spend the majority of it's life on a track and if that's where you intend to take it you should be very happy.

rob76turbo · 02-01-2010, 09:59 AM

Good points....I mostly run a few errands with my car and spend several weekends per year at the track. There are a few Elise (not sure of the plural...) around town so I will take a test and report back.

Topless · 02-01-2010, 10:49 AM

We have two Lotus Exige in our club who are also Porsche owners. I have not driven them but both owners report: "Wonderful weekend track toy, especially tight technical tracks. Really annoying to drive around town."

Both trailer their cars to the track.

Quickurt · 02-01-2010, 10:52 AM

There is a guy who shows up at most of the NASA events at Roebling Road (according to a friend with a shop at the track). The one time I saw him, he had a really neat little all aluminum tube trailer with his track wheels and tires and a nice aluminum nascar style jack! The trailer couldn't ahve weighed 100 lb. without the wheels and tires in it! He was using the latest Advan tires (3 years ago?)that were as close to slicks as anything I've seen.
Personally, I would use slicks for track days.
I know from a PCA buddy, he's so fast in the Lotus they won't let him come back to Porsche club events, but then you all know the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine..........

rob76turbo · 02-01-2010, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quickurt

I know from a PCA buddy, he's so fast in the Lotus they won't let him come back to Porsche club events, but then you all know the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine..........

LOL! So I have heard.....

941MXVET · 02-01-2010, 06:49 PM

We had the same delimma, even test drove a supercharged Elise (not an Exige). My wife whose also an accountant figured that our Boxster, with an after market engine rebuild (if nessary) comes out cheaper then an '08 or so used SC Elise. Besides, we do use our Boxster for road trips, as well as AX & track time, and I'm not sure the Lotus would be great on long trips. One day...

Just not yet.

Bry · 02-01-2010, 07:15 PM

Test drive an Elise, you will be sold.
Long term.... if you can get by on a motorcycle everywhere you intend to take the Lotus, it's for you. They have just about the same level of performance and comfort.
It's not for everybody, but if the Lotus is for you it'll keep a smile on your face every moment you drive it.

I intend to get back into one this summer; Love the pcar and plan to keep it for daily comfort without losing the fun of driving, but the Boxster feels like an SUV in comparison.

Quickurt · 02-02-2010, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob76turbo

LOL! So I have heard.....

I have a friend who just got into computer control embroidery. When she gets good at it, I'm going to get a nice IZOD golf shirt and have her embroider
"Porcupine" with the same font used for "Porsche" and see if anyone notices.
It'll be a black shirt with black thread like my favorite RS Spyder shirt.
Maybe do the same red thread on the ede of the short sleeve - RSprick???

:dance:

Johnny Danger · 02-02-2010, 07:32 AM

I had the occasion to drive an Elise awhile back. Quite frankly, I didn't find much redeeming about it. To say the least, I found "look" of the vehicle to be extremely polarizing. I fact, it looked like a high top sneaker to me - short, narrow, and top heavy. As far as performance was concerned, it was easily one of the most unrefined, raw feeling vehicles that I had ever experienced. The engine feel was completely uninspiring and a vast departure from any high performance vehicle that I had ever driven. Indeed, the engine felt like a cross between a sewing machine and a gerbil that had been reduced to running on a pulley. I'll take the attributes of the Boxster or Cayman any day over the Elise.

ekam · 02-02-2010, 07:52 AM

turbo is part of your username.

http://www.tpcracing.net/products/Porsche-986-Boxster-S-Turbo-System/

Adam · 02-02-2010, 08:12 AM

The exhaust note and engine sounds are not that exotic, but I've heard worse. Pretty much what you'd expect from a Celica engine. I've taken a ride in a Exige and a standard Elise. The Exige has pretty impressive acceleration, the Elise not quite as good, but still decent if the revs are kept up. 2.5L and 2.7L boxster owners would probably appreciate the extra shove the Elise provides at legal highway speed and under. Over 75 mph the Elise's acceleration isn't very impressive.