[RandallNeighbour]

The difficulty in reporting on a drive in this car is that I only have my 1997 2.5 Boxster as a comparison, and a quick drive in Mark's previous Pcars, a 2000 boxster 2.7 and his 2002 C4S.

However, I can easily make these comments:

1. The engine has a lot more grunt in the low rpm range compared to my car. The bigger engine just makes this car even more fun to drive in a straight line, that's for sure! I didn't run it up to the redline because it's still in the break in period, so I do hope Mark will let me drive it aggressively when it's been on the road for a few more miles and out of the break in period.

2. The car felt far more solid than my car and even Mark's low-mileage boxster. I can tell Porsche did their homework and made the car more rigid.

3. The ride is infinitely more comfortable than my car. I could drive across the country in the new 987 and love every minute of it, even after many hours behind the wheel.

4. As expected, the car turns on a dime and the suspension is amazing. We've all come to love this about our cars, and Porsche has done a wonderful job of making the Boxster an effortless car to drive around sharp corners at speed.

5. The ceramic brakes are also very good, as one would demand in this pricey upgrade... I didn't do any hard braking after a long day at the track so I cannot attest to the lack of fade or lack of dust buildup, but if what they say is true, these are amazing brakes. I loved the massive yellow calipers peeking out from inside the rims too.

6. The interior on the 987 is just a million times better than the nicest interior on a 986. Mark got the full leather package and the detailed stitching and the quality of the leather is excellent. I was also leery about the interior color he chose, but fell in love with the dark chocolate brown color when I rode in it. It's not like what I imagined it would be from pictures I have seen on eBay and the Porsche web site.

Things I thought were cool on the interior:

• THREE electrical outlets!!! One in the cigarette tray (iPod charging station). One in the footwell of the passenger compartment (V1 or portable navigation power). And one in the oddments tray (for the cell phone).

• Programmable remotes for one's gate, garage door and interior lights. Nice touch and something I'd use every single day.

• The Bose stereo sounded great, although my taste in music is very different from Mark's selection that day. I would like to listen to some Zeppelin or ZZTop on it some time soon to see if it thumps loudly enough for me with the top down.

The only thing that would probably drive me nuts is the fact that you can see the air pressure in all four tires simultaneously anytime you like, and I'd go absolutely crazy keeping the fronts and backs aired up to read the same. I'd go crazy if they weren't correct all the time.

All in all, I am impressed with the build quality of the car and enjoyed driving it. Of course, I had to get back into my 10 year old boxster with half the engine and a zillion rattles and squeaks...