First fall in the Boxster - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

jakekit · 11-15-2011, 03:55 AM

Thank you North Carolina for your warm fall weather this week. Impossible to beat the beautiful leaves combined with 60s\70s to make my commute amazing.

I'm shocked by how many people in convertibles just drive around with the top up all the time.

John99Boxster · 11-15-2011, 04:06 AM

We sure have been lucky with the great weather!

TOP DOWN here!

Overdrive · 11-15-2011, 05:10 AM

I won't lie, I'm that guy who drives with the top up more often than not. I didn't really buy it just because it's a convertible. The top does go down occasionally, but I like having a roof over my head, and Porsche didn't listen to me back in the 90s and make the Cayman first.

pothole · 11-15-2011, 05:14 AM

Yeah. I drove everywhere top down for the first six months. But if I'm honest, when we're talking driver's car, I prefer the feeling of being snugly clamped into an enclosed cockpit. I'd rather have a permanent hard top. But like you say, Porsche didn't do that until 2005.

recycledsixtie · 11-15-2011, 05:24 AM

2001 Boxster partly for how it looks. Like u say no Cayman then. I have had the top down once this year. It looks good with the top up or down but now the snow is here in Canada, the top will stay up till April.

. This Boxster would look good in California but its a long drive from here. I enjoy it anyway.
Cheers,
Guy

ekam · 11-15-2011, 06:21 AM

I drive with my top down, windows up, wearing a fleece in the fall until I just can't do it anymore...

MiXAL · 11-15-2011, 06:39 AM

Winter here in the Northern Europe is so long and cold that I will always drive topless whenever possible. Thats why I bought a convertible!

Chuck W. · 11-15-2011, 07:46 AM

I drove a 993 cab for several years and had the top down 99% of the time. Cold weather required the heated seat to be on with the heater and a sweatshirt with the hood up. Loved it. I sold a motorcycles to buy the cab so it was a good transition.

MN 986 · 11-15-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekam

I drive with my top down, windows up, wearing a fleece in the fall until I just can't do it anymore...

I am with you, ekam! Minnesota winters are long enough, so I drive the Boxster as soon as the snow melts in the Spring and until the snow flies in the Fall. If the temp is 50F or above the top is always down, and it is often down at lower temps although I do get some odd looks when I am driving top-down with a winter hat on,,, they just don't get it!

coreseller · 11-15-2011, 09:06 AM

For whatever reason the last 2 years I had the Boxster I developed an aversion to convertibles / having the top down. But on a beautiful crisp clear fall day the top always was down, it's a magical time to drive down a two lane country road completely engulfed in orange / red leaves.

jakekit · 11-15-2011, 09:17 AM

A much more varied set of responses than I was expecting! Seems like for those that went into the Box as a compromise with no hardtop\coupe available they are much more prone to top up driving.

FWIW on a sunny day I can handle about 45-50F with windows up and heater blasting and a light jacket. That said, the last few days in the 60s and 70s wins for sure!

John99Boxster · 11-15-2011, 02:59 PM

Jake ...I suppose we are fortunate to be able to go topless 9 months out of the year

blue2000s · 11-15-2011, 03:11 PM

This is a really interesting thread. There are a surprising number of convertibles in the Seattle area. Easily more than there were in Denver. But they are probably 50/50 on having the top down when it's not raining. And the Porsches are less likely to have the top down than the Miatas.

I'm probably at about 25% of the time top down. If I'm on my way some place and it's only going to be a 20 minute trip, I don't bother. If I'm going to be on the highway for a long time, I also don't bother. Mainly when I'm going out for a fun drive on secondary roads will I drop the top.

I love the sounds and experience with the top down, except that I don't like the feeling that I'm on display in a Porsche, the car is so great to drive either way that I'm 99% as happy with just the windows open.

tombea · 11-15-2011, 03:33 PM

My top stays down most of the spring, summer and fall. I have owned a convertible of some type for 41 years of my driving life. Top stays down on Interstates and all other types of roads. In the winter the top is up and I drive the car for about 50 miles, once a week.

I have only lost one cap in all of those years on the Interstates and that was a time that I passed a car whose driver had pi**ed me off. I turned my head to yell at him and the side draft blew my cap in the road. I learned my lesson that day.

Gforrest2 · 11-15-2011, 04:42 PM

I got the humps, so it's kind of a hassle to put the top up and down. As soon as the temps hit 60 (which could be as late as June up in the Seattle area), the top goes down and stays down until the fall. Just put my top up for the first time after Halloween.

WhipE350 · 11-15-2011, 05:10 PM

Yes gotta love NC, 75 in Charlotte today, my Box is in the garage begging me to take it for a drive tonight. The monthly PCA meeting is tomorrow night and it should be in the 60s, if the rain and thunderstorms hold off I'll be taking it to dinner.

If mine was a daily driver I'm sure the top would be up a lot, especially driving to/from work with all the traffic....but since it isn't, the top is down almost all the time, in fact I don't really like it that much with the top up, too enclosed and engine noise. With the top down I hear the air being sucked in during throttle and the purr of exhaust. Seems like two different cars to me.

I was driving home last Sat and it was in the 40s (ski hat, windows up, and heat on), the car seems to have the best response and acceleration during cool temps like that. Love to red line it all the way home.

DenverSteve · 11-15-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakekit

Thank you North Carolina for your warm fall weather this week. Impossible to beat the beautiful leaves combined with 60s\70s to make my commute amazing.

I'm shocked by how many people in convertibles just drive around with the top up all the time.

It's Winter here now and the top stays up more than not. Normally, the top is down when the car is moving from May through October. It's not just a convertible, it's a roadster. The top is meant to be down.

jakekit · 11-16-2011, 03:45 AM

WhipE350,

I think the daily driver thing is the key. My Boxster is my only car, but I work from home, so I don't really drive it daily. The fiancee took over my A3, fine by me, we traded her camry for the Boxster. So the A3 gets the bad weather, hauling, long trip duty.

If your daily driver is a convertible I think it would lose some of it's luster and appeal. I'd probably spend more time top up as well.

As far as driving the Boxster top up, I like it much more than I thought I would. It doesn't feel as cramped as I feared.

tonycarreon · 11-16-2011, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombea

I have only lost one cap in all of those years on the Interstates and that was a time that I passed a car whose driver had pi**ed me off. I turned my head to yell at him and the side draft blew my cap in the road. I learned my lesson that day.

that was you?!

at first i was always afraid of losing my hat, but so far so good. i feel a little "on display" as another poster said, especially when i put the headphones in (interstate driving with the top down is just a little painful with the noise) or when i'm wearing a hoodie (always) and it's flapping around slapping me in the side of the face but it's still too fun to care.

RandallNeighbour · 11-16-2011, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overdrive

I won't lie, I'm that guy who drives with the top up more often than not. I didn't really buy it just because it's a convertible. The top does go down occasionally, but I like having a roof over my head, and Porsche didn't listen to me back in the 90s and make the Cayman first.

You do realize that if they did come out with the Cayman first, the boxster would have been $5000 more... as is the case with the 911 line.

However, I'm not arguing with you. I'd rather have a Cayman S myself, and will go that direction next unless I hit the jackpot somehow and then I'll be driving a hard top Turbo.