So I test drove the BMW M Coupe

[Jeph]

So I recently have been pursuing the idea of selling the Boxster and getting a used M Coupe (2007). The car sounds and looks very exciting -and a lot of you people here seem to think that's a great car as well. And it is! But... It's still no Porsche.

Following the test drive, I was expecting my reaction to be along the lines of "Yep, that seals the deal. The M Coupe is my next car." That didn't happen. The car wasn't bad by any means, just didn't quite strike that visceral chord within me.

It's got the grunt, it's got the big ol' brakes, and it's got the look. What it doesn't have is the positively flat handling of the Boxster. It was firm, but simply not as tight as the Boxster. I'm basing this off of the more-than-desired body roll upon zig zagging I noticed.

Other Points
I remember this car having more leg room when I sat in it at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. Now, my knees were too close to the dash. I want to think something was wrong with the seat, because even if the suspension was tight as I wanted it, this seating issue would still prevent me from getting one of these BMWs.


M Coupe from 2007 Chicago Auto Show

Knit-Picking
Uh, Boxster has colder A/C -At least mine does.

So what now?
It's back to the drawing board. I've come up with a couple back-up plans and I'd love to hear your feedback.
I could wait for deprecation to take its toll a bit more on the Cayman S.
Or I could try an '02-'04 Carrera (C2). What would you do?

(Psychologically, I think it's easier to shed the Boxster when I'm moving on to another Porsche.)

Related Post:
http://www.986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17341

[ddb]

Jeph,

The Boxster is amazing!

I love Corvettes. I had a C3 and then a C4. I have a couple of friends that had C5's (one stock and another had a highly modded ZO6) that I was able to experience.

This past weekend I was in San Antonio and was able to ride in a new C6 that belongs to another friend. Of course it has all of the grunt in the world, but other than that there wasn't much that impressed me. Again, I like Corvettes, and thought the new C6 would blow me away.

I took my base 2000 Boxster out for a spin this morning after not touching it for almost a month and had a blast. A lot of my friends and co-worker often tell me how they can't believe I still have my Boxster. I'm going on 4 years which is longer than I keep most cars. There are times when I think about getting something else, but I wouldn't know where to go next.

I've always liked and wanted a Mercedes-Benz SL, and am sure I will get one at some point, but not now. I have no desire to get another 986, not even an S. Nor do I want a 996. If I had to choose something now it would probably be a 987. I would love to have a new S with PDK.

All I can say is you have a beautiful and unique 986. Obviously it has some sort of hold on you. Just enjoy it and when the right replacement comes along you will know it. Your situation is one that I enjoy. At some point something will happen or change and make your decisions a lot easier.

ddb

[Cloudsurfer]

I think many of us are on the "bigger, better, faster" life path, but I have to say, were I to get rid of my 986 S I think the only thing worth considering would be the 987 or Cayman. I absolutely love the mid-engine platform Porsche's, and would only consider a 996 if it were the Turbo. Now, given the current market for 996 Turbo's, if I had the free cash around I would seriously consider going that route.

Aside from that, I"m content to keep the 986, and I do plan on a motor swap at some point down the road. The mid engine platform is great, and my car has Row M030 suspension, BBS wheels, GT3 bumper and skirts, so all I want is more power and an LSD

Patrick

[ekam]

Good call. You have a very unique Boxster so I say keep it until you can do a nicer trade-in.