Is my clutch gone?
 

Tonight I was driving the crap out of my car. All of a sudden I smell this horrible smell! Few minutes later, The car wouldn't respond to the clutch! I could shift but it was just like I was on neutral! I can't imagine the clutch would just go away all of a sudden. I never drive my car this hard. I only do drive it hard very rarely and this was the first time! The RPM didn't even reach the red zone! Some guy told me it could be the slave cylinder or something I don't know! Any ideas?

I have a 00 2.7 and at about 9500 miles under somewhat hard driving my clutch just exploded into pieces. It was fixed under warranty amd I was told that it was probably just weak when it was made. No problems since-

I think we need some more info to really help here.

The clutch will produce some odor if driven really hard. This has happened to me before with no lasting result. Were you doing repeated hole shots or doghnuts or similar really abusive acts? If not, it should not be a issue with the clutch material glazing up. Regular "spritied" driving should not cause a problem.

I presume you didn't hear any sound of breaking parts or you would have said so...

You say you could shift, but do you have anything that indicates the transmission is really changing gears, ie: other than just where you put the shift lever? (for instance, you could have an issue with the shift cables/linkages and not the clutch?)

Unless something caused the clutch actuator to jam or bind in the "pedal depressed" equivalent position, the clutch should be stuck with the transmission <i>engaged</i> if the slave failed.

Even a glazed clutch should provide some engagement feel. You could try putting the car in 1st gear and try rocking it back and forth by hand to see if you get the feeling of the transmission being there.

I can't remember the details of the Boxster tranny and clutch mechanisms at the engine, but you should be able to see if the clutch and/or shifter is actuating items on that end with someone working them in the driver's seat.

Knowing some of these answers should help you narrow down what is really happening... hopefully it is something less drastic than clutch disc failure!

Well I was trying to spin the tires but was very unsuccesful hehe. I just talked to a mechanic and he said that it's the clutch after describing to him what happened. He mentioned something about a safety feature that prevents further damage to other components when the clutch goes. The smell was really strong. I heard no noise of breaking parts which I guess is good. I got a quote of $450 to put a new clutch if I bring in the clutch assembly.

Does anyone know of any good after market clutches? I don't need a racing one, I want a smooth clutch. What's the difference between a steel and a rubber clutch? I know very little about clutches.

If you revved the car high and then dropped the clutch you would get a strong smell because you are burning or grinding the clutch when it engages. If you need a new clutch I would have it done at the dealer. That's just me though. :)

Good luck and keep us updated!