Think Inside the Box.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Exactly, a good portion of the front of the car is that front trunk. They could have packaged the front radiators in a more compact way to shorten the front end. The rear could have been made smaller too. However, I love the trunks on the Boxster. They make the car very practical for a sports car, so personally I like the current design.

Kirk

Amen, Kirk. It's definitely handy having two trunks with a decent amount of space for a car like this.

Totally off-topic, I find it totally awesome that you have a 914.

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Totally off-topic, I find it totally awesome that you have a 914.

Hahaha... it's a fun little car, you just have to be patient (slow warm up, slow shifting, etc.). I've driven it to work all of this week. I often get comments on it as you just don't see many 914's on the road these days. The younger generation has no idea what it is. BTW, it has two trunks like the Boxster too and so is fairly practical.

Here's my baby:

[tonycarreon]

the only time i think the boxster is "small" is when i happen to park it between family sedans...

[Overdrive]

Good point, Tony. Guess the car doesn't really need physical width when it's got wide rubber, though, unlike the fam sedan.

And Kirk, that thing is lovely, and as one from the older end of that younger generation, I do have a very high appreciation for something like a 914, and am horribly jealous, but in a good way.

If ya ever wanna sell...

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by tonycarreon

the only time i think the boxster is "small" is when i happen to park it between family sedans...

Everything's getting bigger. Civics and Corollas now are bigger than Accords and Camrys were 15 years ago. Audis and BMWs do the same thing. It's a trend that sucks if you're a fan of light and responsive cars. Accords used to actually be fun to drive when I was a kid, toss-able even! Now they're closer to 2WD SUVs with trunks.

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Everything's getting bigger. Civics and Corollas now are bigger than Accords and Camrys were 15 years ago. Audis and BMWs do the same thing. It's a trend that sucks if you're a fan of light and responsive cars. Accords used to actually be fun to drive when I was a kid, toss-able even! Now they're closer to 2WD SUVs with trunks.

On the road to work today I saw a brand new Subaru Outback and I was thinking to myself what ever happened to that small wagon? The brand new one I saw today is more along the size of a SUV or minivan! My company also recently bought a new Taurus that I have to drive sometimes. That thing is just HUGE compared to the old ones. Personally I think it's a shame that everything is getting so big.

I just watched the documentary "Supersize Me" last week. I personally think that explains the main reason for this trend. It's McDonald's fault!

Kirk

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by Kirk

On the road to work today I saw a brand new Subaru Outback and I was thinking to myself what ever happened to that small wagon? The brand new one I saw today is more along the size of a SUV or minivan! My company also recently bought a new Taurus that I have to drive sometimes. That thing is just HUGE compared to the old ones. Personally I think it's a shame that everything is getting so big.

I just watched the documentary "Supersize Me" last week. I personally think that explains the main reason for this trend. It's McDonald's fault!

Kirk

Part of it, and truly only a part, is the improvement in handling that such a setup provides. Wider stance, wheelbase pushed out to the limits, decent size tires, all of which helps to keep the car tracking straighter and overall have good road manners, a bit higher resistance to rolling over, as well as the ability to make quick maneuvers when needed without the car as likely to whip you back around looking the way you came. Average Joe Highway Commuter is not Mario Andretti, and sadly, rather than improve the driver or take away his/her phone and makeup, it's a bit easier to just try and have the car make up for it. Of course, there's only so much you can do to the car to help with that, and in the end, it's still up to the driver to be diligent. Anyways, my point being, some of that is done essentially because a lot (not all or most, just a lot) of people are poor drivers, and very easily distracted drivers, so now we need to make the cars make up for that a bit and stuff them with airbags in places the car doesn't even know it has places. Also, as I believe I mentioned in a different thread about 986 looks vs. 987, some design changes have been implemented of late because of federal regulations regarding crash standards, particularly in the designs of front ends and hoods to decrease the likelihood of killing the foolish person who decides to cross the street in front of a bus where passing drivers aren't as likely to see them. Getting back to the main issue of width and just overall girth, it is indeed sad to see something like the Outback wagon become an actual SUV rather than just a car-(wagon-)based SUV design that just sits a little higher and is slightly more rugged. We used to have one of those early 2000s Outbacks, loved it. Wouldn't get one now, though. I have to say, Porsche seems to have been able to avoid falling into that trap as much as some others, or they're at least being pretty subtle about it. Their cars that aren't the more dedicated street-going track day models still have a wide appearance without actually being too terribly wide in reality, the Cayenne being a possible exception, but even then.

[fusionist]

Thanks for the compliments Overdrive!

That Triumph is a blast to drive! It's actually a track car built by a guy named Red LeGrand.. who made lightweight formula track car kits. So it makes about 130 horsepower, almost double what it should stock... and weighs 1500 pounds. It actually feels faster than the Boxster off the line to about 40mph or so. It's smog exempt here in California so it's wide open and loud!!! Great fun!!!

[70Sixter]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Hahaha... it's a fun little car, you just have to be patient (slow warm up, slow shifting, etc.). I've driven it to work all of this week. I often get comments on it as you just don't see many 914's on the road these days. The younger generation has no idea what it is. BTW, it has two trunks like the Boxster too and so is fairly practical.

Here's my baby:

Amen, Brudder. Amen