Drift Boxster?

[Christian H]

Originally Posted by silensaequora

Could any one tell me what would be involved in altering a Boxster to a Drift setup?

First you need to put the engine in the front!

The Boxster is a finely balanced machine, if you want go drifting buy a front engine rear drive Japmobile,thats what the drifting boys do!

[ekam]

I'm sure you can get the car to drift if you run -15 degrees camber on all corners.

[Boxster44]

I just think it would be too hard to keep and fine tune a drifting configuration. The car won't telegraph well when it's about to go too far - it'll snap. The rotation is too 'centric' and doesn't warn you well when it's about to go.

It would also be about HP. With the weight distribution, it'll challenge the engine to get the rear wheels spinning long enough to complete certain maneuvers.


kj

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Christian H

First you need to put the engine in the front!

The Boxster is a finely balanced machine, if you want go drifting buy a front engine rear drive Japmobile,thats what the drifting boys do!

I disagree, the chassis is so communicative and easy to control that it would probably make a great drifter. Mid engined cars like the MR2 and NSX have been used extensively for drifting, not to mention the 911. I've seen some pretty extensive modifications to the cooling systems of drifting cars, which would probably be pretty pricey on the Porsche. Stiff chassis are paramount for drifting control though (the suspension itself has to be very stiff), this would be a drawback of the convertible Boxster.

In any case, it wouldn't be a cheap proposition.

[j.fro]

1. limited slip diff.
2. tires fit for the event
3. adjustable coilovers & camber plates
4. drift specific alignment/ suspension setup

Last year our PCA region did an AX driving clinic, and we included a skid pad. It was very telling how difficult it was for Boxsters, Caymans, 996's, and 997's to break the rear tires loose and get into a donut. The one fella with a 350Z literally smoked us all, as the car could immediately be put into a donut. Of course, he also regularly spins out during AX's...and loses to the Porsche crowd.

[Christian H]

this post was started by a guy who "wants to own a Boxster", and is as asking what would be required to set one up for drifting,I am suggesting if this is the type of motorsport he wants to enter into there are far more suitable and far cheaper alternatives.Communicative chassis or not the engine in the middle or back is not the best place to have the engine weight for drifting.Any drifters out there want to chip in?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Christian H

this post was started by a guy who "wants to own a Boxster", and is as asking what would be required to set one up for drifting,I am suggesting if this is the type of motorsport he wants to enter into there are far more suitable and far cheaper alternatives.Communicative chassis or not the engine in the middle or back is not the best place to have the engine weight for drifting.Any drifters out there want to chip in?

He didn't mention if he was looking at a Boxster, already owned one, or was just curious. Break-away and control characteristics are a as much if not more a combination of suspension set-up, tire compound/design, and driver preference than weight distribution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0hBtfJ0LxQ

[Boxster44]

Just why I chimed in - so I could be proven wrong! I've never drifted, but recently saw something at Infineon (on Speed Channel) and the speeds of those guys going into the first turn were something like 90mph.

The demo video you posted (while entertaining and risky) showed a smoothly trowelled concrete surface at ~ 10mph.

Now I'm really curious if there's anybody out there doing seriously competitive Boxster drifting - because the older 2.5s and 2.7s are pretty cheap and can be selectively lightened. Are the difter's choice of tires really hard?... DOT 300-400?

kj

[silensaequora]

As noted a mid engine car can work for drift. Also if you go to youtube I am not the only person that wants to or has done this. And really, there are widebody kits for the Boxster available as well as a multitude of carbon fiber parts. Since I will be buying the car when I come back from deployment money is not the obstacle that it could be, though it is true that extensively moding a Boxster would be expensive. The very least I would have to do is stiffen the suspension and chassis, and add a roll cage.The point in the entire drift/import scene however is to drive something unique, thus an additional reason aside from wanting a Porsche to begin with. So really, please, do forgive me for wanting to do something aside from auto cross and drag.