5th Gear on Speed TV...

[wetsuff]

Some of us were fortunate to watch the program (9pm - Monday's) where former F1 driver, Tiff Needell flog'd a Box on a race course after having selected it as the programs's choice of sportscars (gather this was filmed in 2002 or 03..)...something like under 35K Pounds, or somesuch... (I did't take notes, but the sensory imput is intact...)

I wrote the producers at Channel 5 in the UK about getting a copy. No-Go. The usual clap about copyrites, etc.

Soooo... if someone knows when Speed will repeat that program - I'm sure there's a VHS handy, and
a POB in Croatia were you could get a copy from...

Jim

......I'm suprised nobody mentioned AUTOWEEK's drooling over the new Box in last week's issue?!

[Perfectlap]

Its funny you mention this, because I recently picked up my Boxster and I didn't really consider buying one until I watched this episode. Towards the end of the show they talked about how a used Boxster could be picked up for a great price. A few days later I saw one online and within a week I had sold my highly modified Miata and was sitting in a 2000 S.

So I guess this show had a big influence on my car choice.
Watching Tiff slide the car around while laughing made want to run out and jump in one ASAP. I later picked up a copy of Excellence where one of the contributors said the Boxster S was along with the Carrera GT the "best balanced cars Porsche has on offer".

In the past I thought of the Boxster as Porsche more affordable car. But that was completely wrong. It's the modern day version of the 550 spyder which I always associated with James Dean. And I never thought of James Dean as having died in the budget Porsche.

[RandallNeighbour]

OK, I got my issue of Autoweek just three days ago and immediately sat down to read the article. No surprises, except the cars they showed as the actual ones that will be sold did not have the break in the rear fenders like previous shots I saw. The car looks far more like my 1997 than I thought it would!

I guess this is good news for me as my old one will still look fairly current to the untrained eye and I will not have that familiar "I gotta have a new one" demon whispering in my ear all the time.

[Subanez]

Of course you will! That demon never goes away.

[Perfectlap]

keeping consistent with a general design and avoiding total overhauls is one reason the Mazda was able to sell enough Miatas to be the Guiness book's best selling sportscar ever.
I think people will buy more confidently if they know their car isn'g going to look dated in a couple of years. BMW have a different opinion especially with the M3 line.

[Ronzi]

PerfectLap writes:
"In the past I thought of the Boxster as Porsche more affordable car. But that was completely wrong. It's the modern day version of the 550 spyder which I always associated with James Dean. And I never thought of James Dean as having died in the budget Porsche."

Wrong? Not at all, the Boxster IS Porsche's more affordable sportscar. As such it owes more of it's market heritage to the much-maligned 914 than to the 550.
Porsche did certainly try to redraw the family tree to put the 550 into the mix by saying "The sensuous curves of the body were clearly inspired by the Porsche 550 Spyder ..." (Boxster promotional booklet, 1996).
Styling aside, the 550 was a full-on racing car, and the Boxster was never intended to be that. People did drive 550s on the street, Dean included, in the less restrictive days of the '50s, but their primary purpose was to win races. As I recall, the 550 was about $6,000 in 1955, so you're right, it certainly wasn't a cheap car.
If there is a spiritual successor to the 550 in today's Porsche model lineup, it would probably be the 911 GT3, and even that's a stretch.

[Perfectlap]

the 550 more like the Gt3? hmm...
I guess I'd have to take a closer look at the 550's specs.
But the Boxster(mine) and JD's spyder look like roadster cousins.
(especially the 2005's lights and rounded hood line).

and as you pointed out the 550 was big bucks, and my Boxster S cost the original owner $60K. I guess if some one were dreaming of owning a Porsche, considering a new Boxster wasn't really a viable choice. But convertibles have been far and away Porsche's best sellers.

[Ronzi]

My point was that the 550 and the GT3 share the "race car available to the public" objective from Porsche.
Boxster styling was "inspired" by the 550, as the pictures so aptly point out. But looking like a race car doesn't make it one.

[Perfectlap]

I'm not sure that Porsche really makes a pure racing car anymore.
I find the Carrera GT,GT3,GT2 and all the 911's in general to be too loaded down, refined and plush to be true to Porsche's earlier bare bones inventions. But a friend Autocroses his GT3 here in NJ and another club member sat in as a passenger during one track day. He said the acceleration on the straight was such that it pinned him back into his seat so that he could not move his neck. So I guess its still well north of 50% race car 50% road car ratio.
Oh one of my best friend's has a client who just picked up a Silver Carrera GT. I'll see if I can bum a ride and post pics. Apparently he has a offsite garage with 18 cars and several Ducatis. (he's 60)

[wetsuff]

...about 12hrs. to go! I even figured how to use the tape feature of my VCR - even tho' I've got the cables in the front like you'd hook up a vid-cam.

Big grins at 7:30 eastern time.

Jim

[Pilot2519j]

I saw it this morning and it was the same program I had seen before. The driver is driving the wheels of the Boxster at flat out speeds. The car does not seem to have any bad habits and that is why 5th Gear picked it as its best sport car. The Box is an everyday driver as well as track demon requiring minimal care and servicing. Per the commentary it is not a money pit reinforcing the notion that you get the most bang for your dollar. "It is a relatively cheap car to buy and to maintain that depreciates very slowly and its lots of fun to drive.
I concurr with the assesment and although I will not take it to a track I find the car is great fun to drive, a daily use car and a car that handles like no other. I believe we all bought a great car and that Porsche builds the quintessential sport car.

[Shortbus]

I just taped the speedTV show this morning. The best thing about it I thought was (APART from the fact that that 97 boxster was almost a REPLICA of my 98) () Tiff's GRIN as they showed him in that Boxtser S on the track. I think that's the most important thing my boxster brings to me. that GRIN on my face when i drive it

[Pilot2519j]

I think that's the most important thing my boxster brings to me. that GRIN on my face when i drive it [/B][/QUOTE

I concurr. It's that stupid grin even after he took a spin off the track, but what the hell he was talking about the car. I think there is a grin protocol when driving the Boxster.

[Jeannot]

yeah and driving at ANY speed and that is the beauty of the machine :-)

[Shortbus]

true. I owned a 350Z (to compare to my boxster), and the 350Z was boring to death (almost litterally) until you went over 90mph. the Boxster is just as fun at 40mph.

[RandallNeighbour]

Would someone PLEASE post this episode to a torrent site so I can download and watch it?

I don't have digital cable and the speed channel. Grrr.

[hpjay]

Top Gear and 5th Gear episodes available here
http://gear.viper007bond.com/
You will need to download “bit torrent” software to download. Links provided.
Big files.... dial up need not apply
Cable modem downloads a complete episode in 4-6 hours.
Happy viewing
HJ

[Perfectlap]

can someone please edit so that the download only contains the Boxster segments?
maybe short enough so that you can email it to others?

[RandallNeighbour]

anyone know what the original air date of this boxster broadcast was? I'm wading through a zillion of them on the site that HJ just put on this thread. Someone help me out.

[Adam]

OMG, I just saw the episode on speed and that was worth the wait! It's amazing they picked the boxster over all those killer sports cars. Tiff Needell is the man! The way he was drifting that 03 S around the track and throwing it into corners was incredible. Four stars ****