911 envy ?

[Ian c]

Looking at the spec n yours , is it a launch car?

[Ian c]

Oh no ....
I recognize the avatar pic !!!!

How are you chris ??

[coreseller]

Based in my experience, my thoughts, for what they are worth on Boxster vs. 911:

Boxster Pros:

-handles better than a 911, no doubt about it
-mid-engine
-2 trunks
-looks better with top down vs. a 911 cabriolet
-value, it's less money
-mostly the same car as a 996 series 911 from doors forward including interior


Boxster Cons:

-less horsepower (this is offset with lower weight)
-no backseat (911 backseat is useable for kids 10 and under)
-image; like it or not it will always be viewed by most as the entry level P-Car which it is. This con is mainly dependent on your insecurity level, never bothered me since I was honest with myself about the fact I bought one since I couldn't afford a 911


You also need to determine which series of 911 you would pursue if moving on from a Boxster:

Water Cooled 911's:

-the 996 series is a heckuva bargain IMO but you still have potential IMS / Water pump issues like with the 986 Boxsters
-the 997 series are much improved over the 996 series, especially the DFI '09 and up models, prices are commensurate though
-the 991 series are incredible cars, prices are stratospheric though IMO

Air Cooled 911's:

-each series has it's own inherent designed in issues (SAI, Head Stud, etc.) which would likely need to be addressed since they are now decades old
-other key wear items (mostly suspension related) would need freshening
-the older 911's are MUCH more mechanical sounding and feeling in nature than the water cooled versions
-when driving, the experience feels much more connected and involving vs. "piloting" a water cooled 911. In other words air cooled 911's are less GT in nature than water cooled versions
-currently, the air cooled 911's are becoming more desirable by many in the P-Car community, as a result their prices are rising

[Porsche Chick]

Hubby has a 2001 911 and I have a 987. They are completely different cars.

The 911 has more horsepower, but the rear end will swing out when autocrossing. I've seen it. It does feel heavier. More torque feel, slightly less responsive steering.

The 987 is more agile and responsive, but has slightly less horsepower. I'm (ONLY) a second slower in the straight aways. It feels light, which disguises it's power. Smoother, less torquey.

We have been folding our kids into 911 rear seats for years, but neither car is practical.

If you like a 911, then get one. But I think after a couple of months, you won't really feel a lot of difference, in everyday driving.

If you're autocrossing, you'll miss the Boxster. I love the slaloms, they're my favorite thing in the world. Hubby feels like he's fighting the car around every cone, because the inertia shifts from side to side. The boxster doesn't have this inertia.

[nicecar]

THANKS TO ALL I knew all this, just needed to be reminded...I knew perfect lap and boxster chic would be there for me...coreseller NAILED IT! I always say if it is a girl car than i am a girl or the girl is a butch lesbian with a big fat rear. I will go give some love to my 02 s triple black with speed humps for the most part people think its a 100,000 dollar car ! oh did i mention the 114,000 on the odometer wish they were all my mine bought it w/ 76,000

[ChrisZang]

pouring a little oil into the fire ...
You now can get relatively decent 996 for less than $15k (that's what I sold my Boxster for)
Porsche 911 ( 996 ) Coupe - 6 Speed Manual - Best Offer

[recycledsixtie]

Yep comparing the later 911 that is the water cooled one feels like a GT to me.
I prefer the old 993, better feel, better noise, coarser. However the latter does not have modern day air cond. so that is where the Boxster comes in . Good handling , affordable, decent air conditioning, a good winter driver on snow tires.

No real desire to get a 911 yet. Usually just me or the two of us in it. Can park it anywhere and don't worry about it. Best bang for the buck in a car in my life. Affordable for the young buyer especially if he/she fixes it themselves...

In the meantime I wait till Wednesday when I take the Box in for a noisy bearing noise. Perhaps curiosity will get me going to look at the accessory belt area and spray some WD40 on each component till the wacky part shuts up.....

[nicecar]

chriszang no offence but you suck now im sick all over again

[woodsman]

Porsche's are less common in Canada than the USA. Very few know the difference between a Boxster and a 911 and the perception that the Boxster is a 'woman's' car, is totally foreign to me. And when push comes to shove, only an F1 driver could pilot a car other than a Boxster, through a series of curves as fast as I can, in my S.:dance:

I sometimes think that my Boxster is too good. It covers every mistake I make and makes it too easy to go too fast ( for the street), and that's without PSM! That's why I need a GT3 for the track! MORE! MORE! MORE!

[deptotpr]

Just look at parts and repairs in comparison to 911 repairs. There is your answer. I understand your thoughts completely, as we may all have them, but do you really want to trade in your dependable, reliable Boxster in for what potentially could be $5,000.00 in repairs on week 1 for a different Carrera rear end? Be thankful your wife even allows you to own a Porsche. lol

[Paul]

Originally Posted by woodsman

Porsche's are less common in Canada than the USA. Very few know the difference between a Boxster and a 911 and the perception that the Boxster is a 'woman's' car, is totally foreign to me.

At the Parade this year as I was entering the staging area for the Porsche Parade through Traverse City in my 996 Twin Turbo a PCA volunteer came running up to my car yelling: "Boxsters must turn left, STOP!"

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by nicecar

chriszang no offence but you suck

None taken
That's what I do best

[patssle]

The thing is...I can afford a 911. But I rather have a Cayman or a Boxster. They can do most of what the 911 can for a ton of dollars cheaper (used or new). And I don't need a backseat in a sports car!

Then just comparing Cayman vs. Boxster - a used low-mileage Boxster in mint condition (i.e. what I bought) is half the cost of a used Cayman in similar condition. The S has 15% more HP than mine - does 15% justify $15k+ more? The non-S has less-HP. The R is a lot more than double the cost. However brand new - the Boxster and Cayman are near identical in cost...I think the Cayman is a no brainer if I'm buying brand new.

[ghostrider300]

How many companies likely snickered at the 550 Spyder before the race? It was way under powered in contrast to it's competition, I'm sure after having their derrieres handed to them with consistency they stopped laughing. Anyone I ever heard make fun of a Boxster is always someone who has no Porsche and judges them only by print. Besides all of this, the new 981 and the spyder change the game. My car has few rivals in real world driving and the few it has are not going to dust it, superbikes can't even lose it.

[ghostrider300]

The name and styling of this is only going to drag the Boxster down a bit..

[fatmike]

pffft. Who cares about the 911?


It stopped being a sports car about 15 years ago. Now it's a big heavy GT. I simply have no interest.


If you want to be envious of a Porsche, go drive a 981. Now that I have, my days in a 986 are numbered...



/

[Ian c]

Originally Posted by fatmike

pffft. Who cares about the 911?


It stopped being a sports car about 15 years ago. Now it's a big heavy GT. I simply have no interest.


If you want to be envious of a Porsche, go drive a 981. Now that I have, my days in a 986 are numbered...



/

I'm not trying to be a dick , but the amount of bull that gets posted by people online whenever the boxster - 911 discussion comes up has been amazing me since 98

THEY ARE BOTH GREAT CARS !!!!

[coreseller]

[QUOTE=Ian c;349642]

I'm not trying to be a dick , but the amount of bull that gets posted by people online whenever the boxster - 911 discussion comes up has been amazing me since 98

THEY ARE BOTH GREAT CARS !!!![/QUOTE]


It's great to see someone who gets it, Thank You.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Ian c

wait a minute...

You're comparing an antique Porsche to a modern Porsche to disprove FatMike's contention, one that is widely held and hardly "BS", of the Carrera's ever growing girth?

The 14 years between the 2010 987 Boxster Spyder and a 1996 986 (EU edition) would clearly illustrate that the Boxster hasn't swelled remotely in its proportions like the 14 years between a 1998 993 and a 2012 991 :




Now compare the last three Boxsters (15 years later, still basically the same roadster proportions)....





It's pretty obvious that Porsche are transforming the Carrera into a plush, insulated, Grand Touring car like an Aston or Jaguar so that it can appeal to the much bigger pool of big bucks buyers who like being comfy in thier Panamera coupes (aka 991). To Porsche's credit they widened and lengthened the 991 without adding weight but there's no getting around the downsides of actually swelling the girth/size of a sports car. Case in point, we now see the 991 GT3 with 4 wheel steering to make cornerig feel like a smaller, more nimble Carrera (aka the Cayman), and of course to address that weird abrupt under steer to abrupt oversteer condition often criticized in the bigger, more recent Carreras.

[The Radium King]

if power is an issue, put a 911 engine in it when (if) your current engine pops.

if image is an issue, put a zeintop on it and de-logo it. no-one will know if it's a boxster, cayman, 911, 996 turbo or what.