Test drove a 996... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Porschekid · 02-12-2007, 11:21 AM

I understand power is all relative. My old modded Altima felt much faster than in stock form. My Boxster felt very fast compared to that. And the 911 feels fast now. I guess it's all in what type of power you have experienced. I did come across a 2002 996 turbo in the $50k's although it was a tiptronic... If this car passes me by maybe i'll hold off until I can afford a car like that. And I will admit that the childhood 911 fascination does come into play. Snow isn't a factor because I have an A4 Quattro.

Perfectlap · 02-12-2007, 11:41 AM

no matter how much power you get into you'll get "used to it". Kind of dangerous condition. That's what I loved about my puny 1.8 Miata. It was a tuna can and when you were doing 70 you felt your speed, you respected it.
The 911 has more than enough power for high performance driving as does any Boxster. I think you have to evaluate what factors other than power will make you happy. The I prefer the styling of the (2002-2004) 911 to the Boxsters and that's a big motivation for many. Scratch that itch if you feel it because well maintained Boxsters will always be available for even better prices.

z12358 · 02-12-2007, 12:17 PM

Looks like everyone needs to own a Z06 or a 911 Turbo to get the power bug out of their system (get bored by it) and start appreciating the finer things in cars. I haven't owned either but have driven a lot of high powered (300+) cars. There's so much more about a car than HP and kick-in-the butt acceleration -- same as a value of a house not being solely defined by the # of bedrooms or its sq footage.

Porschekid, nothing wrong with just getting the darn 911 and getting it out of your system. It's only a car, after all, and there will be others.

Z.

David N. · 02-12-2007, 12:45 PM

Sometimes too it's access to places to use all the other factors. Here in LA, a Miata is easy to enjoy on a twisty Malibu road. But back home in boring-road Texas, sports cars are rather useless unless they have the power to do a good peel-out. Back there I'd say get a Corvette or a 4x4 and go muddin'

-David

z12358 · 02-12-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David N.

Sometimes too it's access to places to use all the other factors. Here in LA, a Miata is easy to enjoy on a twisty Malibu road. But back home in boring-road Texas, sports cars are rather useless unless they have the power to do a good peel-out. Back there I'd say get a Corvette or a 4x4 and go muddin'

-David

Very good point. Roads and geography matter a lot. It feels like my Box has been custom built for the roads it's being driven on 90% of time.

Z.

nastyboxster · 02-12-2007, 01:01 PM

I don't think you'll be happy with a 2000 C2 because it's only marginally faster than a 986S. I've been to the track many times and I don't think there was one time that a 996 ever pulled away from me on the straights. Our club also have a Breakfast drives on the Sea to Sky Highway here on the westcoast and the same story here - on long stretch hills, the 996 still won't pull away.

If you want power, wait a few more years for the 996 TT to come down. After that, there are very few cars in the world that could top it. Or you can chip the 996TT and get extra 50 ponies.

Bavarian Motorist · 02-12-2007, 02:24 PM

God damn it. You didn't tell me about the exhaust note yet.

By the way, I would save the money and use FI on your car to get the power. It wouldn't cost nearly 15k and you'd have the convertibleness. So unless the 911-ness is what's important and convertibleness and fast-ness are not necessarily relevant, I would go this route.

Porschekid · 02-13-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

God damn it. You didn't tell me about the exhaust note yet.

By the way, I would save the money and use FI on your car to get the power. It wouldn't cost nearly 15k and you'd have the convertibleness. So unless the 911-ness is what's important and convertibleness and fast-ness are not necessarily relevant, I would go this route.

Exhaust note was nice... a little bit deeper than the 986 but didn't sound as loud as the Boxster with the top down. I think the Boxster is more of an intake growl while the 996 is more deep exhaust note. I can't really say from the drivers perspective that the 996 sounded any better than the Boxster though. I assume from spectators that the 996 may sound a little better.
I was thinking about forced induction but am worried about reliability. Plus most supercharged Boxsters are 2.5's and not 2.7's so I don't know if there are any problems there. I also would love a 996 engine swap but it would probably cost more than getting a 996 and wouldn't have a very good return on investment. I'm still kinda up in the air though.

Middle Age Crazy · 02-27-2007, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z12358

Looks like everyone needs to own a Z06 or a 911 Turbo to get the power bug out of their system (get bored by it) and start appreciating the finer things in cars. I haven't owned either but have driven a lot of high powered (300+) cars. There's so much more about a car than HP and kick-in-the butt acceleration -- same as a value of a house not being solely defined by the # of bedrooms or its sq footage.

Porschekid, nothing wrong with just getting the darn 911 and getting it out of your system. It's only a car, after all, and there will be others.

Z.

Excellent point.

In 1991 I traded in an 80' Ferrari 308GTSi (underpowered) for an 86' 930 Turbo for 2 reasons.....needed the back seats for newborn twins (the justification to the wife!) and wanted more power. In 2002 I bought a 2000 Carrera 2 Cab with 11,000kms on it. Very nice car but it felt more "Japanese" than my old 930 and the 993's I'd been in (but never owned) previously. That is not a slight to the car, just merely an observation. I enjoyed the Cab while I had it, excellent balance and performance but I felt something was missing.

I traded the Cab on a 2003 Corvette Z06 for "more power". I certainly got that. The car had awesome exceleration and handled amazingly well but it lacked that certain something....a "soul" if you will. I put 8,000kms on it without a stitch of trouble and did not hesitate a moment when I traded it in for a new "slower" 2007 987S. I can't describe it (the sense of being one with the car) but the Boxster has IT (the Ferrari had IT too...just needed a bit more HP). You need to drive the cars to understand. Power is nice but it certainly is not the be all and end all...trust me.

I think, on balance, the Boxster S may be the best Porsche out there. Apparently the March issue of GT Purely Porsche has a story about this very subject (2007 Boxster S). It is not on the newsstands where I live yet so I have not read it.

Perfectlap · 02-27-2007, 08:22 AM

Dang, I was just at the Barnes and Noble and forgot to flip through the Purely Porsche. I'd be curious to read that article as a few other magazines have voted the CaymanS as the best handling Porsche sold today, albeit maybe the most over priced as well...

p.s.
I was also reading up on the Cayenne Turbo S and this one magazine trashed its accelaration saying that the $100K Porsche SUV was getting beaten off the line by the $40K domestic SUVs.

Bavarian Motorist · 02-28-2007, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Middle Age Crazy

Excellent point.

In 1991 I traded in an 80' Ferrari 308GTSi (underpowered) for an 86' 930 Turbo for 2 reasons.....needed the back seats for newborn twins (the justification to the wife!) and wanted more power. In 2002 I bought a 2000 Carrera 2 Cab with 11,000kms on it. Very nice car but it felt more "Japanese" than my old 930 and the 993's I'd been in (but never owned) previously. That is not a slight to the car, just merely an observation. I enjoyed the Cab while I had it, excellent balance and performance but I felt something was missing.

I traded the Cab on a 2003 Corvette Z06 for "more power". I certainly got that. The car had awesome exceleration and handled amazingly well but it lacked that certain something....a "soul" if you will. I put 8,000kms on it without a stitch of trouble and did not hesitate a moment when I traded it in for a new "slower" 2007 987S. I can't describe it (the sense of being one with the car) but the Boxster has IT (the Ferrari had IT too...just needed a bit more HP). You need to drive the cars to understand. Power is nice but it certainly is not the be all and end all...trust me.

I think, on balance, the Boxster S may be the best Porsche out there. Apparently the March issue of GT Purely Porsche has a story about this very subject (2007 Boxster S). It is not on the newsstands where I live yet so I have not read it.

Thanks for that.

This was my concern when I went to test drive a Corvette.

I remember driving it and flooring it and...It moved. Man, it moved. But I didn't feel it moving. I didn't feel like I was going fast.

I love accelerating and thrills, but I worry it may not be so thrilling in a car like the Corvette.

I was MUCH more thrilled in a Lotus Elise...Even though it's slower than the Vette.

I wonder if I will be unhappy after buying a Corvette and I will be wanting more out of my car.

Thumper · 02-28-2007, 05:55 AM

So what did you do? The pics look great. I think I would've pulled the trigger and traded for it. If you got bored with it, you could always trade it for a newer boxster later on.