After Driving a Boxer, another car is like...
 

The difference between wearing running shoes and muddy boots. Took my 03 Mustang GT convert out of mothballs getting ready to sell it. Large, Slow and heavy, yet ponderous with body stiffness reminiscent of riding on the spine of a drunken cat. Scary. And to think I enjoyed driving that car. What is your experience with driving other cars?

My son and I took a test drive in a 2013 Scion FRS this weekend. I think it must have been a ragged out example with a "tuner" exhaust but I was pretty disappointed, I really expected to like it better. The clutch felt too light, it seriously lacked power compared to a Boxster, and it did not "wow" me with the handling. Note that it was a short drive and I didn't get to really "work" it.

The stock seats were *very* nice and supportive though. A guy that co-drove my Boxster at a past autocross just got a 2015 BRZ and I am going to try and get a ride with him in a few weeks. I expect to be more impressed then.

But I still am probably not getting one anytime soon :)

I got to drive the families new extra car, a Toyota Sienna...

I have not driven many other sports cars but find them to just have a less grown up feel.

Other sports cars I've driven feel like normal cars with power and things to make it seem sporty. The boxster feels like a mix of a super car and 550 made to seem civil.

BIGjake111.....
 

..."The boxster feels like a mix of a super car and 550 made to seem civil."

You NAILED it. THE best description I have ever heard. That's it!!!!

Bravo!!!

:cheers:

Occasionally drive the wife's 2011 Subaru WRX, for a "rally car" design it leaves me a little cold. Body roll that leaves you guessing about the next corner, the tires leave the ground easier than you might think. You sit up high and youre surrounded by glass, I feel like I want to keep the tinted windows up just for some damn privacy. The audio just isnt there, and Im not talking about the radio, and theres a nice drone at speed (stock exhaust). It has a heavy clutch thats likely comparable to a Boxster S, my base clutch is smooth and light. While the car has an aggressive look, in the hot metallic blue it definitely turns heads, but ultimately it feels like Im driving an economy car that knows somebody who works at a aftermarket performance shop. The Box, on the other hand, feels like youre climbing into the cockpit of a jet fighter. The design of the fun seat hugs you, and the throttle rewards you if not with blinding speed but with a audible bliss directly behind your left ear. The view out the side mirrors overlooking the rear tire humps gives you the impression that theres some serious meat on the back axle and that the ground is not far from where your butt is currently planted. You are very sure of what the next corner will feel like and how the car will react, even if your skills taking that corner will likely be far less than ideal, its ok, you know the Box will forgive you. So you find yourself seeking out long, winding roads devoid of speed limits and traffic to experience the car in its purest form. It inspires you to drive, if nothing else just for the wind in your hair and the noise in your ears.

When the Boxster S was introduced I had just started my job as a new car test driver. I drove most of the new cars available & the main thing I remember is, after driving a Porsche, be aware the next vehicles brakes will seem inadequate by comparison. Quit that job 2.5 years later due to a management change, so I had to dig my 1967 Firebird 400 with drum brakes out of storage & learn to drive it again in LA traffic. I missed driving the Porsche's so sold my Firebird & bought my Box S on E-bay. Fast Forward to the 1st of this month, Bought a 2015 Lexus GS F-Sport off E-bay for $20K off MSRP! It had been wrecked with 60 miles on ODO & repaired with salvage/rebuilt title. Drove up to Sacramento to check it over & drive back. It has a 12.3" wide screen "media center" with mouse mounted on console, electric power steering, huge 2-piece front brake rotors, 8-speed auto trans, 19" wheels, 4-wheel steering, HUD, I can't remember all the gadgets.
Handles very nice, especially turning radius, but you can't feel anything, particularly in "ECO" mode that slows throttle opening & gear shifts. The worst is that big screen, so distracting, finally learned how to turn it off. It reads text messages aloud. Wife loves it though.
Recently departed automotive journalist & race driver of note, Denise Mcluggage wrote a article in AutoWeek entitled "Drive what you're in". It was about all the different press cars she drove & being mindful of what you are driving at the moment.

I go back and forth between the Boxster ('97, being sloooooowly converted to a specBoxster) and my 2014 Challenger SRT8 (470HP/470TQ) ... both are completely different driving experiences, but both completely enjoyable in their own ways.

I've been driving a new to me Mini Cooper S for a couple weeks and haven't driven the Boxster in that time. The Mini is a fun car to drive but after driving the Boxster today at first I was surprised at how different it felt. It feels like its made out of a solid piece of granite with all the controls at first feeling heavy. While neither the Boxster or the Mini are considered fast by today's standard the Boxster by comparison feels fast. I remember when the power that both offer would have once been considered over the top for their category. Now you need twice that to be considered powerful. Anyways, I love driving the Boxster and nothing compares.

Just drove my Boxster for the 1st time since I bought the new car 4 weeks ago. This has been the longest gap since I rebuilt the engine 5 years ago. Takes about 4 blocks to reaffirm it is the ultimate driving machine! :D

P Uh, I think you may be on the wrong forum and you made a mistake

"There is NO Substitute"
:cheers:

The features of the boxster that I instantly miss whenever driving something else are the seating position and the steering.

Drove a half hour or so this afternoon to buy some fresh fish from (naturally) the fish guy. Mix of 2 lane twisty semi suburban roads and 4 lane 45mph business/residential highway. Followed a GTI for about 5 minutes or so on the 2 laner, and finally when we both turned onto the 4 lane, blew by him, running it up to 6000 RPM or so in 1st and 2nd. Love the sound of that exhaust between 4500 RPM and redline: it just screams! The GTI, by the way, looked and acted like an absolute pig.

When I first bought my S, I described it to a friend as a "big go cart" that sticks like crazy and loves it when I stomp on the go pedal. Still feel the same way. It's so planted and well mannered, yet it howls like a banshee when you set it free. There IS no substitute.

I currently own 2002 Boxster and a 2006 Lotus Elise, I love my Boxster but after driving my Lotus Elise the Boxster actually feels like the overweight pig.

Interesting, the Challengers are fun cars. Different animals….I have to confess that when I saw the new Hellcat Challenger with 707 hp, I was like "Whoa!"…...

I drive a '14 Escape Titanium as my main DD, and it's a decent vehicle. Handles well for a small SUV, runs well, has some pickup……no complaints.

However, it does NOT handle like the Boxster. It simply doesn't drive as well. But, it was never designed to. It's the grocery getter, DD, shuffle my daughter and her friends around in car.

NOW, my neighbor just bought an '06 blue Corvette, and let me drive it. I have to confess, I miss that raw horsepower. I was interested in the handling, and thought for sure the Boxster would completely blow it out of the water with handling. I wouldn't say that.

While I think the Boxster does handle a little better, it's not as big a difference as I thought, and I was really blown away with how that Vette drove. I've driven older Vette models. C2's, C3's, and C4's…and always walked away a little disappointed with how they handled…..

Not this C6. I think GM, while not having caught Porsche, is making some big inroads in that manner. I do think the interior on Boxster, despite being a '98, was nicer than the interior on that '06 Vette.

It's gotten me thinking about picking up a used C6 Vette in VY to sit in the garage next to the Boxster…..different cars….satisfying different urges. Why not?

So I just bought a 2015 Ford F150 3.5 liter dual turbo with a 3.55 E lock axle. Wow - this behemoth may be faster in a straight line than the box. Look out for discontinuities in the road however, it easily becomes unsettled and skips along the road. Amazing straight line performance from any speed.

And it hauls 4x8 sheets of material which is what I bought it for.

Oh yeah, and trailers up to 12000 pounds. and gets better gas mileage than the box.

You have to haul a Porsche behind something. (If it isn't street legal) I think that other then a bonkers cayanne diesel, a ford truck is the best way to go.

I wish they still made the Lincoln trucks and that trucks in general didn't cost as much as used Audi r8s these days.

As I was waiting for the patient to be stabilized enough for transport last night I remembered this discussion. Straight line acceleration is great, but the rapid decel on the other end can suck. 19 years old. ...not sure if they could get him put all back together at the hospital.
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........having sex with an ex-girlfriend, convenient but not as fun. :cool:

Speed never killed anyone. It's the rapid deceleration that can get you.

Surprised the cab looks as good as it does based on how the rest of the truck looks. Poor kid and poor family of that kid.

458 Italia has similar seating position.

It's a bit of a work out to say the least but I miss driving this... instant torque from 38.8L V12 Diesel.

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I sometime slum it in our 04 Targa. It comes close to the Boxster in handling. The extra 60HP is noce however

I'm fortunate to have had both a 911 and a Boxster. I loved my 911, but the Boxster's handling is outstanding - it dances around corners like a ballerina.

The 911 (in the hands of THIS amateur) felt heavier and I had to work harder to get it close to its handling potential.

All in all, they're both great cars. I do like my current Boxster very much, but going forward, if I could only own one car, it would be a 911.

Please Disregard all of the BS 78F350, Keep Doing What You Do, And Thanks........Mark.

I see you are in Houston, so you probably weren't the F150 that came up behind me, very fast while I was doing 85 in the fast lane, went around me, and disappeared. Thought for a moment that my car had stopped, but I was still doing 85.

Maybe this is out of place but I'll compare it to my modified 96 Honda Civic (full interior, quieter, faster, big stereo, not 'riced out.'). The boxster being a convertible of course more fun in any weather with the roof down, nuff said.

The boxster definatly has a good driving position, the handling has a very good feel, in that I feel I can push the car into an oversteer and it'll be controlled. Its sporty but not uncomfortable, which is nice so its a good touring car. Its an enjoyable experience that I look forward to but when I'm done driving the car, its not a total satisfaction.

My civic on the otherhand is faster in a straight line, has a more direct and responsive clutch and steering and breaks away in a 4 wheel drift when pushed. Now its not a head turner, but as for driving, its definatly the old comfortable pair of shoes over a 986. The ergonomics are better, and I don't mean the conveniences and cupholders. The visibility is without blindspots, where the top-up of the boxster is of course poor with the roof, and climbing out of it looks very uncool while twisting yourself out of it. The civic has a more direct steering, and in my opinion a much better build quality, starting first with the interior build. The dash is solid and padded opposed to the very cheap and echo-ey plastics the boxster used. The cluster in the 986 is nice but evertyhing else is hardly ergonomic. From the cheap feeling blinker stem to the hollow sound of the armrest, everything in my civic feels 'refined' as if i've taken a step up, while the boxster is more 'compromise.' in order to have a sportscar you have to have lighter plastics that are flimsy and wind deflectors that will break if not removed in a delicate and correct manner.

So the 986 to me feels more like a sports car...almost a supercar in that you don't just get in and go, there are accomidations to be made. As for the driving experience, when you really "push it" it brings a bigger smile to my face than my other car. But as for a daily driver in traffic, you can tell where the money was spent.

For me, after driving a boxster I am reaffirmed that the build quality won't match my old Honda but my Civic, though faster on a track, definatly doesnt "feel" like the chassis is and always will be a pure-bred sports car chassis. And that tips me over the point of making the Boxster a more fun car and, for the price, probably the best bargain for a sports car :)

I'm sorry, what? Honda doesn't spec top speed, but in various other web sites, the fastest I can find for a stock Civic is about 135. I think your Boxster needs a trip to a real mechanic, stat.

Or are you just yanking our chains?

I meant a 0-60 my civic is faster but mine with a stock computer tops out at 129, never cranked the boxster up that fast cause I've always got the top down. And as I said its modified (and even the new crazy fast civic type-R is geared for a track, not top end.) The sport model civics are always geared for track, never for top end. People harp on Civics all the time, didn't know if you were one of the mustang dudes scoffing at my car, we Honda guys get ragged on all the time. And yes they made a 1.5L civic break 200mph on the flats too, hehe.

I used to own a CRX; it was a lot of fun, and I would never rag on any Civic owner. I have never owned a Mustang. I currently have a 2006 Boxster S.

So, I take it you disagree with this web site: Honda Civic Type-R EP3 acceleration times - AccelerationTimes.com, which shows Civic R 0-60 at 6.5 seconds? If you are talking about a 1996, 204hp Boxster, then, yes, I will give you that the Civic is as fast or a hair faster. But late model Boxsters are closer to 5s, and Spyders are 4.6S.

Yes that's true, tho the new CTR is faster as well. (the 97 CTR was faster, wierd)

OK TIME to vent. This is a general rant against German engineering. I'm an ASE Master Tech and I've jokingly said 'if you praise german car engineering, you've never worked on a german car.) remember those Volkswagen Golf commercials a few years ago with the goofy scientist guy?

I ran my Boxster pretty much out of gas in my driveway; there was a pipeline break and several of the southern states didn't have fuel. Well we got back regular 87 octane first but it took several more days for premium to get refueled. Long story short, I needed to bring back a container of 93 octane gasoline. So I take my gas tank, go fuel it up, and come home. When i go to refuel the boxster, I do like I've done for years. Stick the nozzle in and pour in the gasoline. After a few seconds it flows out and the damn filler hole vomits gasoline all over me like a drunk baby. Lost about half my gas all overmyself and the ground, got it all over my wheel and paint and all. What the hell? I try again and same thing. Again I'm soaked. I start to curse and yell "you German piece of crap!" and all. I look into the filler flap and open it, looking for an obstruction. The flap, when you push it up with your finger, makes a click near the top. The sound reminds me of a solenoid. So it seems if the flap is partially open...you can't fill the tank? What if someone accidently put diesel in there, how am I suppose to get a siphon tube in there just in case? And what if I didn't stick the nozzle at the gas pump in correctly, am I gonna soak myself at the gas station? This just made me aggrivated. Why did they design this? Actually, I don't care what their reason is, it was over engineered. Every other car in my life does not need this overly complicated system, it should never have been designed. So I think...my cheap old Honda Civic never had this problem, millions upon millions of other cars never had this problem. Its stuff like this that makes me feel like this car maybe IS just a 'cheap 911' as it was called when it was released in 1997. What kills me is that someone decided to spend money on this electronic system. Then I think what if it fails and this solenoid (the car is off, key out) goes back and forth and wears the battery down? Its one more part to fail and I KNOW my Honda is better engineered than this. It's an area to add weight, not save it, and I'm frustrated at Porsche doing this. Like the IMS shaft it shouldn't have been built in the first place. So minus 1 point for the car I was praising last week about how well designed I felt the boxster convertible top frame was.

Sorry about this rant but I'm sure someone out there has to have a similar feeling about this over-designed mechanism. I think...buy an S2000 instead. Its cheaper to maintain, faster, has a better suspension and is far easier to work on.

End Rant.

BE I know Alt well use to party in the underground in the 70s.

I would totally agree with the over engineering. I worked in Germany for three years being an aeronautical engineer for about 8 years. Even the door hinges on my flat looked like they came out of a WWII bunker. The telephone switching station at work when they were pulled out had swastikas pressed in the metal and the still worked. I think they still have the concept of the 1k years.

8 or 9 years ago I saw a show on History Channel of an aircraft war museum in the UK was doing a rebuilt on a JU 87 Stuka German fighter from WWII with a BMW engine. There are were no gaskets due to shortage of rubber and the machining tolerances were so tight they did not need any. The big concern was if they were unsure if they would be refurbished the engine to those exact tolerance’s that it would ever start.

The Japanese are superior engineers and build it simple and functional and no more than is needed for a superior quality product. How ever there was a time in the 80s hi you needed to remove the radio from a civic you had to talk out the console to release the radio/environment control assembly which was not fun.

The Honda s2000 is an amazing car and many people don’t know about them. I would love to have one. Being retired I have plenty of time. I guess I need to run to the store get flowers and my GF favorite wine and suggest she should keep working for a few more years.

Bump to get rid of the spam header.