987 S test drive

[Jeannot]

I finally did it. I went to drive the new 987.
So the model was a 987 S, manual, on 19" - but no PASM.
I drove small mountain roads (helps to be able to go drive such roads even for a test drive !)…with the top on….way too cold here...

First, the interior…
You may or may not like the style, but the quality and finish is definitely improved. The plastics, the leather are very pleasing. Ok, the car had like 300miles on it, so it's always nice to sit in a new car :-)
I like: the fact that the speed is displayed on the same dials as the rev…helps
Dislike: the integrated radio system…

Exterior:
Well, I have to admit it really looks nice on these 19"…a matter of taste again.
The top goes up and down while driving, which is a plus for the ones that put it up and down constantly.

Braking
The width is 235 in front while it remains at 265 at the back (I have 18" on my S). Well, the breaking is always as pleasing as with any Porsche, the difference I noted is just the feeling that it brakes stronger with less pressure on the pedal.

Handling
The car has less body roll than mine. But appart from that drives very much the same. You feel at home :-)

Last but not least….
This is the part where I was not expecting so much change…the engine/sound.
The sound from the outside is from a totally different car. It is LOUD. It screams to be driven.
While driving (with the roof remember), it does not makes such a difference, but the guy said when the top is down, you benefit from this extra 'noise'. If you just are a pedestrian, you WILL turn your head if this baby is around. Much more than with the 986. Well done Porsche.
The 28 hp difference with mine is noticable…it really picks up speed faster. Damn :-)
The gearbox much debated smoothness is equivalent. Love it.
Overall, very nice combination, very nice to blip the throttle on downshift…

My own conclusion.
Fantastic car. If I had an early Boxster or never driven one, I would have been totally conquered…for more recent owners, not sure it makes such a difference.
But that's just me. Hope this teaser to the North American crowd was appreciated :-)

[Subanez]

Lucky you! So are you going to rush to trade your Boxster in, or are you still satisfied with the 986?

Can't wait for the 987 to be in the states...

[gardjea]

Great to heard your feedback on the new 987... I'am feeling alone ... sometime as it seems that I'am the only one owning the new 987. About the brakes , have you noticed that ABS is less sensitive than on the 986 ?
Overall I do agree on your comments and I'am happy that you enjoy the 987!!!

[Jeannot]

How did you manage to get one so quickly? Here if you put the order now, you get one end-March, beginning-April....

[gardjea]

I managed to negotiate one of the two cars that Porsche requested for the launch of the 987 in December ...( Axe Six in Pontoise ) . So had no choice of the color nor the options ... ( demo are usually fully equiped ) . So ended up with a Boxster S , full leather,Sport seat, Xenon headlight , Bose system, GPS, PASM, 19" wheel, Black basalt color, and sport pack plus

[Jeannot]

Well done :-) Enjoy...You must be waiting for spring :-)

[Perfectlap]

That extra power will be available for your S by the aftermarket industry no doubt. My understanding is that the extra power comes strictly from enlarged intake and exhaust which probably accounts for the higher decibels.

I have my eye on the 18" version of those 987 wheels

did I mention I REALLY don't like thos Volkwagen Beetle headlights? ...just checking.

[Jeannot]

In real, it does not look like a Beetle.. Like at all....
BTW, something I forgot to mention: the standard lights look exactly like xenons, you can't differentiate by the look.

[Adam]

Originally posted by Perfectlap
That extra power will be available for your S by the aftermarket industry no doubt. My understanding is that the extra power comes strictly from enlarged intake and exhaust which probably accounts for the higher decibels.

Yes, I read that the new S has equal lengh runners on the headers which account for better exhaust flow. This upgrade can be had by anyone that puts a good set of aftermarket headers on. As far as the intake goes we are stuck with the EVO upgrade which probablyisn't to far off from the flow capabilities of the new system.

[Ad Sach]

Originally posted by Adam
Yes, I read that the new S has equal lengh runners on the headers which account for better exhaust flow. This upgrade can be had by anyone that puts a good set of aftermarket headers on. As far as the intake goes we are stuck with the EVO upgrade which probablyisn't to far off from the flow capabilities of the new system.

POSSIBLY the 987 headers will fit on the 986. Someone somewhere is going to try this real soon, and I'm waitng to hear the results.

Given the similarity in body style there is also some hope that the 987 intake can be adapted.

[Lux]

Nice review. I'll wait for final judgement after I get to drive one but I kinda already thought, like you mentioned, that it's not really a big upgrade if you already have a fairly new 986.

[Jeannot]

Yup - I'll pass on this one. Well, if the life span of the 987 is as long as the one from the 986 (which I personally doubt), the late version will be close to 300hp...and by then I'll be looking for something else :-)

[Adam]

Who knows if we get lucky the 988 will have 300hp.

[Jeannot]

Well, if the 986 evolution applies to the 987 there could be a 290ish version...maybe a bit more...
Porsche always does +5, +6, +8...nothing too crazy between versions...
Real thing would be a 3.4 liter engine :-) oh well...

[gardjea]

When discussing with the sales guy he told me that a coupe is under investigation ( you probably saw some pictures ) with the same 3.2 engine boosted at 300HP . I don't think they can go higher as the 911 positioning will be then attacked by the boxster segment ....
Heard about end 2005 or beg 2006.

[Jeannot]

I hate the idea that the coupe of a car originally designed to be a roadster to have more power than the roadster itself...this really S***S... (in fact I just hate the idea of a Boxster Coupe...)
All least there will never be 986 coupe :-)

[Adam]

Yeah, I'm not too fond of the idea now. I agree completely about Porsche having to be very careful about "overpowering" the boxster. I have a feeling when the test results get back on the 280hp 987 S that they will be as good or better than a 3.4L 996 coup in acceleration times. It's nice to see some clear progress being made.

[Jeannot]

In Flat-6, a French Porsche magazine, they clocked the 987S faster than the 997 on a racing track...I will post their acceleration figures....but I recall the 987S improves 2 full seconds on the 100-200kmph (roughly 60 to 125mph) over the 986S...

[FUHRIUS]

my 986s has had much of the intake / exhaust stuff done to it (by techart) and it's interesting that the big difference I feel in my car vs. a stock s is at speed (as pointed out by the previous post's magazine refernce). It definitely makes nice sound at any range, and does pull harder from 0-60ish, but the real differnce seems to come at say 70mph on the freeway, drop it into third gear, hit the throttle and head for the fast lane. As for getting up to 125mph, I can't say as I haven't been there yet. But I wouldn't doubt that the breathing on the 987 is very similar to what the aftermarket guys have already done to the 986 (exhause, headers, and intake improvements). I do want to get my hands on the new intake stuff though.
I have not seen the 987 in person, but I gotta say that I fell in love with the body style of the 986 and nothing I've seen yet has changed my mind. And a boxster coupe?!?! What a joke. Glad the never soiled the 986 with a couple version in the lineup, but to each his own...I'm a top-down as often as I can get it guy.