01-06-2009, 06:06 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: nashville
Posts: 33
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boxster in the wet?
how does the boxster behave in the rain . i especially wonder at highway speeds. light front end equal hydroplaning? how about with oem tires and no traction control??
fred from nashville
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01-06-2009, 06:14 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Colchester, CT
Posts: 489
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I had to drive mine in extremely heavy rain on the way back from the Porsche Parade last year and it handled brilliantly. I felt extremely safe and the response and handling of the car was superb...far better than my traction controlled Mazda. Being a 99 is has no traction control either.
Chris
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1999 986 2.5L, Stock Exhaust (S muffler), EVO Intake, 18" Stock rims (17" during winter), IMS Upgrade, 150k+ miles and counting!
87 944S brought back to life
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01-06-2009, 06:35 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,656
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrfredsporty
light front end equal hydroplaning?
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You're thinking about 911s??? Boxsters don't have light front end. It has the perfect front/rear weight balance of any car.
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01-06-2009, 08:14 PM
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#4
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There Is No Substitute.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: West Coast
Posts: 3,253
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I just drove home in light-medium rain on the freeway at about 72MPH. I have 4 snow tires on and no traction control, the car handles great, and I did not feel any loss of traction at any time. The only time I get worried is on ice or 4"+ of snow.
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1999 Ocean Blue Metallic Boxster - blueboxster.com
Last edited by rick3000; 10-28-2009 at 07:44 AM.
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01-06-2009, 10:18 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Arizona
Posts: 402
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I have no snow tires or no traction control. I used my Boxster in extremely hard rain (we get tons of rain in small amounts of time here) and she handled like a dream. If you are feeling insecure you can always put the spoiler up to keep more traction on the rear wheels.
It's actually kind of fun to drive the Box in the rain, you can do hard starts and get a small slide without getting into too much trouble  .
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01-06-2009, 11:56 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: New York
Posts: 288
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I would be careful about raising the spoiler if you want more front end traction. i would assume it reduces lift in the back which would shift the car in that direction and off the front. Then again, I don't know how much downforce it actually adds at highway speeds. Would be interesting to find out...
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"If you feel like you're under control, you're just not going fast enough."
-Mario Andretti (cliche!)
2002 Boxster S 6 Speed (Ocean Blue/Savannah)
-De-Snorkled, Porsche (B&M) Short Shifter, EVO Shift Linkage
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1998 Bouvier (Brindle)
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01-07-2009, 02:30 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 246
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01-07-2009, 02:58 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Spring Hill, Florida
Posts: 205
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I drive the car in Florida in all types of weather conditions. This car sticks at low and high speeds in the rain and with gusty winds. No problems with hydroplaining.
I had a miata years ago and had a very different experience. The car would skip often when the roads were wet.
I feel much safer in my Boxster.
Eric
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01-07-2009, 04:29 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Browns Summit, NC
Posts: 271
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I did the Tail of the Dragon last year in the rain, with front tires pretty close to the wear lines. I did manage to get the traction control to kick in when I overcooked a couple of extreme curves, but other than that, handled like a dream.
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01-07-2009, 04:32 AM
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Use 2B NW Ohio, now NE Ohio
Posts: 563
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Depends on your tires. Mine is alotta fun the rain, the ass pulls around and I let up on the throttle it to snap it back in. Corners kinda slide through. But I have pure summer tires and no traction control. I had to relearn how to drive a rear wheel drive car again.. too many years of front drive.
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My Porsche mechanic drives a Saturn.
'98 Artic Silver w/ Tip
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01-07-2009, 04:58 AM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 998
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E Kaplan
I drive the car in Florida in all types of weather conditions. This car sticks at low and high speeds in the rain and with gusty winds. No problems with hydroplaning.
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I'll second that with a big caveat that should be obvious, good tires are a very important part of the equation when it comes to traction and handling.
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kabel
Orlando - 99 BMW M Coupe (autocross toy), '11 Mazdaspeed 3 (dog hauler), '99 10AE Miata (the new daily driver)
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01-07-2009, 05:28 AM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 102
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My car is a daily driver. It does great in the rain. My biggest concern is getting hit by a big ass truck with a moron driver..... Being in such a small car that is just a loosing battle. Other than that, it handles great!
SB
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01-07-2009, 07:17 AM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 435
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I think wet performance is more about tires than about cars or suspensions. The suspension will do it's thing as long as the tires have traction.
Tire choice: I think the Tire Rack addresses wet performance in their ratings. If you drive in water a lot, choose appropriate tires.
Safety note on Hydroplaning: Any tire, if the combination of speed and water depth are sufficient, will hydroplane. Use common sense. If it's really flooding cats and dogs, slow down.
Having said that, I drove my Boxster a couple of times on the track during and immediately after heavy southern thunderstorms with LOTS of rain. Tires were Sumi II's, well worn on the outside edges but good tread in the center: could not believe how fast I could go around corners without losing traction. But this experimentation was on a track, not out on the roads. When you do lose grip in the wet, you can lose it surprisingly quickly (said from experience)
My other car/daily driver's tires are at 30K now, so I take it easy in the rain (like we had this morning). When I get a new set in a couple of thousand, I can push it harder on the fresh tires.
There's nothing inherently risky about driving a Box on wet roads, as long as your tires are right and you use common sense.
A wet skidpad is a really great testing device.
Have fun!
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01-07-2009, 07:51 AM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 834
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrfredsporty
how does the boxster behave in the rain . i especially wonder at highway speeds. light front end equal hydroplaning? how about with oem tires and no traction control??
fred from nashville
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Like Limoncello said, wet performance is all about the tires. And you probably already know this but just to keep it in your brain, when you hydroplane, if you want to regain control, accelerate to keep the tires spinning - to regain traction. I once hydroplaned BIG TIME, and it was like having no steering wheel. I stayed off the brakes - until imminent danger/death was looming. I didn't know to work the throttle. Might have ended differently...
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01-07-2009, 12:43 PM
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 8,709
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Boxster + Goodyear Eagle F1's + Rain = no problem at all.
p.s.
not that you shouldn't always do this, but in the rain you should always have both hands on the steering wheel. That extra half second of feedback could be the difference.
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01-07-2009, 12:58 PM
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Southern New jersey
Posts: 1,054
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No offense, but spinning the rear tires is not going to help you regain traction. The only things that will stop hydroplaning is hitting an area without standing water, or slowing down.
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01-08-2009, 07:49 AM
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 178
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perfectlap
Boxster + Goodyear Eagle F1's + Rain = no problem at all.
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You beat me to it, the Eagle F1 GS-D3's make a big difference in the rain. I've got them on my M3, Boxster, and my Fit.
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Paul B. Anders / Phoenix, AZ
1970 Porsche 914 / 2003 Porsche Boxster / 2009 Honda Fit Sport Auto
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01-08-2009, 11:29 AM
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NJ
Posts: 1
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no problem
I have had no problems driving my Boxster S in the rain on the highway with normal tires. Snow is another story . . .
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01-08-2009, 01:16 PM
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: San Carlos, CA 94070
Posts: 1,450
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You call that rain?
THAT is rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PKUn3mTNno
Quote:
Originally Posted by renzop
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I still wave at Boxsters, but they no longer wave back :-(
2002 Boxster S "Violet" (sold but not forgotten)
2009 Carrera 4S "Kelsey" (current ride)
2015 FIAT 500e "Nikki" my commuter car
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01-09-2009, 02:40 PM
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Jose California
Posts: 220
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Slip and slide
Hey despite what everyone says I think my car slides a bit in the rain. I remember being on an uphill drive in the rain and wind and had to have both hands on the wheel and really go slow, feeling it trying to slide. The back does tend to go out a bit but I have PSM which corrects it. Even at low speeds it comes out a bit in the turns on wet roads, and with the PSM you still feel it. Although it isnt as bad as a 911 its still noticeable. Im thinking my tires maybe the problem. I have el cheapo sumitomo HTRZ summer tires on. I drove a 911 with Michellin tires on 19inch 997 GT3 wheels and with no PSM its really stable surprisingly. I try not to drive my car in the rain since I have a second car.
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2001 Boxster S
Gemballa front bumper/Aerokit I Sideskirts/H&R suspension/997 short shift/Schnell front&rear strut brace/Aluminum pedals and floor board//Traffic pro/Console Delete//LED exterior lighting//Exclusive Options Full Leather/19inch Ruf Wheels/European rear bumper with 550 mesh/Zientec spoiler/IPD Plenum//Cold Air Intake/Hardtop/Speedster Humps
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