Do you baby your baby? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

CRCGuy · 09-23-2009, 02:58 AM

While on the hunt for my first Boxster, I see a lot of ads/comments that people have "babied it". Just curious as to your thoughts of doing this in your personal experience. Does this necessarily make a "better" used P-car?

I ask because I'm currently living in Switzerland and surrounded by Germans at work. They think it's so funny that Americans seem to have so many issues with porsches, beemers and benzs. Most locals here never see the number of problems that we maybe tend to in the states. a couple of my colleagues used to work right near Stuttgart and say you really need to "use" these cars to their potential. It seems the cars were/are designed to be run on the autobahn. Very high speeds, hard acceleration to pass and merge, hard braking when some dumbass in a Renault is in the "go lane" only doing 100.

Just wondering what the general consensus is w.r.t driving a Boxster: full out or babying it? which I guess means keeping revs low, top end low, gentle cornering? I don't know really....

thoughts?

Frodo · 09-23-2009, 03:10 AM

General consensus around here seems to be---Run 'em hard.

BobMarley1 · 09-23-2009, 03:26 AM

but I do wait for the engine to be warmed up before I rev it.

When it's nice and warm,... It's fun time!

I push it, really hard. No major issues, only minor and regular wear/maintenance necessary.

d18mike · 09-23-2009, 03:37 AM

I am Swiss but live in Michigan for the time being. I don't find the Swiss are aggressive drivers at all. In fact the opposite: electronic speed traps at every turn and slope makes it tough. The Germans? That's a different story. While I drive my Boxster very hard, I do "baby" it in terms of general maintenance . I change the oil and filters more often than I need to. I wash and wax it more than is necessary. I'm just less tolerant of mechanical and physical imperfections and problems than I am with my daily driver. I think when you read "babied" around here, it refers as much or more to car care than driving styles.

box321 · 09-23-2009, 04:12 AM

"Spirited" driving here and there.

Apart from that I dont run it too hard

RandallNeighbour · 09-23-2009, 05:25 AM

Americans "baby" their Porsches because it was their dream car and they're selling it to someone else who will treat it as their dream car. No one wants to buy a car advertised as a vehicle that has been abused and driven hard... it's an advertising term plain and simple.

Germans would advertise that the car has been meticulously maintained, that the paint is flawless because they only washed it with a lint-free cloth and water (no detergents whatsoever) and that the K's on the vehicle were from autobahn driving, not congested city driving... which translates to the fact that they "babied" the car in the terms of some Americans.

There are a few guys who never drive their Porsches and just wash and wax them and put them back in the garage. But those really are rare examples.

sd_boxster · 09-23-2009, 05:57 AM

Properly maintained - absolutely. Babied? Hell no! I bought a sports car, not a taxi.

blinkwatt · 09-23-2009, 07:03 AM

I babied my first Boxster. No chance in heck this one was getting babied.

These cars drive better when driven harder. Just make sure your oil is changed as needed and all the other regular maintenance. I check my oil and oil level every other week just to make sure nothing super bad is obviously happening to the engine.

If you want to just cruise go pick up a Sebring Convertible or something.

ekam · 09-23-2009, 08:24 AM

If you like men and are the female in the relationship, I don't see why you wouldn't baby it.

That thread about their speedo is off is hiliarious.

Adam · 09-23-2009, 08:43 AM

I think there are about 3 main camps with Porsche owners, or any sports car owners for that matter. You have the show n shine group that never drive their garage queens and would just die if the car got rained on. Then there are the guys that use their Porsche as their only car or daily driver and drive it all the time. Lastly you have the track crowd that like to drive the car out on the track or autocross every other weekend. Most people don't fall directly into one catagory, but you get the idea. I say drive the damn thing and enjoy it, but take care of it. Why save it for the next guy?

Kirk · 09-23-2009, 08:52 AM

If I was selling my Boxster I would describe it as "babied", but I don't drive it like a puss. When I think of babying a car I think more of taking extra good care of it. I keep my Boxster in the garage. I usually don't drive it in the rain. I take absolutely meticulous care of the maintenance and other mechanicals. In those respects I would certainly want to purchase a used car that was also "babied".

Kirk

CRCGuy · 09-23-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d18mike

I am Swiss but live in Michigan for the time being. I don't find the Swiss are aggressive drivers at all. In fact the opposite: electronic speed traps at every turn and slope makes it tough. The Germans? That's a different story. .

you're absolutely right. The Swiss are not aggressive. they can't be even if they wanted to for the reasons you point out. I never implied they were...just that we have a lot of germans at work likely because of proximity (I'm in Basel). And I don't think anyone would argue german drivers are aggressive, in fact, I would say dangerous. if you are in such a hurry that you need to go 180 MPH (which I see all the time there) then you should either leave an hour earlier or take a plane. Car accidents do happen and they are more likely to be fatal than in the USA for obvious reasons.

I enjoy driving on Swiss highways because everyone drives at exactly at the same speed, and that speed is the speed limit. they know what cruise control is for and they all use it. it's actually very refreshing. you rarely have to look in your rearview mirror. Once you cross the border into Germany, get in the right lane immediately and hold onto your butt!

CRCGuy · 09-24-2009, 03:05 AM

also, I truly do not understand why people think that a car that "has not seen a drop of rain" is in better shape than a DD. this is rediculous. Unprotected iron will rust, regardless of the presence of liquid water. I don't understand the argument.

I have owned 10 cars in my lifetime, all daily drivers. all have seen copious amounts of rain water and I would challenge anyone to show me "damage" caused by this. my cars always look showroom new both inside and out.

Maybe I should start a new thread to see what people think?

vath2001 · 09-24-2009, 03:44 AM

Its not a Baby... its a car: steel, glass plastic and rubber. Built to drive... washing is optional.

sd_boxster · 09-24-2009, 05:46 AM

A good rain plus a couple of clogged drains can drown the electronics under the driver's seat and transform your Boxster into a wheeled doorstop.

So for the Box, at least, no rain can be a good thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRCGuy

also, I truly do not understand why people think that a car that "has not seen a drop of rain" is in better shape than a DD. this is rediculous. Unprotected iron will rust, regardless of the presence of liquid water. I don't understand the argument.

I have owned 10 cars in my lifetime, all daily drivers. all have seen copious amounts of rain water and I would challenge anyone to show me "damage" caused by this. my cars always look showroom new both inside and out.

Maybe I should start a new thread to see what people think?

Brucelee · 09-24-2009, 05:53 AM

As a former Porsche used car dealer, I can tell you what I used to look for.

Low mileage cars with complete documented service history.

No signs of abuse.

No body work

No non-oem options

No modified or tuned engines or suspensions

Perfect or near perfect cosmetics.

No funny business on the title.

No funny answers from the owner.

No stories of any kind.

No ricer add ons of any kind!

Now, I was coming from the perspective of having to sell the car to others, so I was pretty clear what THEY were looking for.