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Originally Posted by natecooper
MNBoxster, I don't see a lot positive posts from you. This is the kind of sarcasm that makes people leave the forum. Is HP the crux of the issue, no, but it is one messurment which everyone looks to. There are a million factors, down to things that are near impossible to measure (what kind of tires, what tempature, what tread is left...) Had you read my post, I have driven the BMW many many times. Fact of the matter is, it all comes down to actually driving the cars. You state that the Boxster has the slight edge, and I'm guessing you have not driven a 3.0i before. The 3.0i I have driven has always had more get up and go than my boxster. And yes, I am a ********************ty driver.
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Hi,
If you want to judge the body of my contributions on a single post
and interpret these in a Negative Light, then sobeit - your choice, nothing I can do.
But in this,
and your subsequent, thread regarding the match-up of the Boxster vs. Z3, you consistently emphasise the HP difference between the two.
As you rightly pointed out, there are numerous variables which need to be factored into such a comparison, but you keep failing to consider these things in trying to conclude why the Z3 came out on top.
HP as a measure of anything but the power the Engine produces means nothing and is used by Manufacturers, Auto Mag Reporters, etc. mainly for Marketing purposes. If you fail to consider the amount of weight that this HP must move, then no real comparison can be had.
Lotus Cars run shoulder-to-shoulder, or beat outright, many of their contemporaries, all the while employing much less Horsepower to do so. This is because Lotus Cars have the greater Power to Weight ratios, they put more emphasis on the Weight. This is not some theoretical side arguement, it's real life.
In this specific comparison, as I stated, while the Boxster does have a slight edge in the PW ratio, and while this may in fact be enough to make the difference you describe, I believe the true answer will be found in comparing the Torque and Power Curves of the 2 Cars.
The Z3, produces it's Peak HP of 225 HP @ 5900 RPM vs the Boxster's Peak of 217 HP @ 6500 - More, Earlier. The same holds true of their Torque. The Z3 makes 214 ft lbs @ 3500 while the Boxster's 192 ft lbs isn't reached until 4500 rungs on the Tach. Given that their overall PW ratios are nearly identical, this is where the advantage most likely lies. Below 4500 RPM, the Z3 is actually the more powerful Car - it
should win. You even noted this in your description of it having
"More Get-up and Go".
So far as your driving prowess, I have
absolutely no idea (or interest for that matter) if you're the Second Coming of Arynton Senna, or can't back out of your driveway straight. I was merely trying to inject a little levity (as noted by the Emoticon) into the Mix, which from subsequent replies, I aparently failed to do. Don't take it so hard...
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99