986----->996

[mikes_box]

anyone make a switch from the box to the 911? going from a base to the 911... just wanted your opinion aside from the power difference... handling, ride comfort, overall feel.... if you did it would you do it again?

[blinkwatt]

I haven't bought a 996 but my Dad has a 01' c2 in the garage that I end up driving often.

Power
-Blows the doors off my 3.2L down low no question,top end isn't too different

Handling
-Not sure,haven't pushed around the 996

Brakes
-Duh. Same as my 986 S. The only reason anyone would have an advantage is if something is worn on either system

Interior
-Same

I wouldn't own both at the same time or jump from one to the other....not enough difference between the two for me.

[dbw]

I have been giving some thought to a Targa. As to the thoughts that it isn't as stiff as a regular 911 in the real world I don't drive it hard enough to make use of the extra stiffness. it could be just about the best of both worlds. Got to find one to take for a good drive.

[TMM986]

I didn't make a switch, just decided that both can fit in my garage. ;-)

The Boxster is an easier car handling-wise and is more "chuckable" through turns. Its suspension is more forgiving so you can drive it harder without Walter Rohrl level skills. It feels lighter on the road than my 911 and loves to rev (1998 with 2.5L engine.)

The 911 I have is a C4S which is very different from the Boxster. It feels heavy but very planted on the road. In tight turns you definitely feel the weight in the rear and need to be more mindful of that balance when driving harder. I think the all-wheel drive on the 4S helps with oversteer a bit but the back will step out easier on any 911 vs. the Boxster. It does have great handling as well, just have to think about it a little when approaching a curve.

The Boxster is more comfortable on a bumpy road at lower speeds but the 911 has a nicer cabin and the suspension soaks up the road better at speed for long distance cruising. Either works as a daily driver but the 4S gets driven in the snow with winter tires where I live.

Hopefully that helps a little.

[Kirk]

Like TMM986 I've got an '03 C4S and '00 Boxster S. Both have their virtues. Last Saturday night I took three Chinese chicks in the C4S to go clubbing. They were tiny and two fit in the back fine. I guess with the Box you'd have to limit yourself to just one gorgeous woman rather than three. The power of the C4S is certainly nice too, but unfortunately how often do you really get to use it? When it comes to looks, I like my Box, but they're pretty common too and even with my extensive mods the Box doesn't draw tons of attention. There is no question which one people find more attractive - it's the C4S. I have people absolutely gush over the 911. A couple weekends ago I had one girl so crazy about it she was almost humping it! She wasn't satisfied until after I took her for a ride, and I swear my passenger seat was quite moist afterward. Not a big deal to me as I like a car for what it is, not what it does to other people, but the attention the C4S gets sometimes can be quite pleasing to me.



As for handling.... well the C4S is a pig, almost 400 lbs heavier than the Box. Both of my cars have coilovers, but the Box setup is a little more hardcore race-style and it shows. The Box is amazing in the corners and can outperform my C4S any day.

As for brakes, the Box S is amazing. The Turbo brakes on the C4S though will stop the rotation of the earth. Either is 100% better than any other production car, but in comparison the C4S does stop quicker (much wider tires really help too).

In the end, would I give up the Box to buy a 911? Well my choice was just to buy both! But if I had to chose I'd take my C4S over the Box simply from a pure sex appeal standpoint. Although the Box does corner better it's still an issue of really getting to use that feature on a day to day basis.

Kirk

[turbo23dog]

From my standpoint, I have both a 986S and a 911SC. There's really no comparison here, as the are both completely different cars, although both are undeniabliy Porsche. Frankly, the Boxster does nearly everything better, go pedal, stop pedal, you name it. The SC is old school all the way, no power steering, AC, air bags or ABS. Just a plain old handbuilt 911 that was built with a singular purpose in mind.

Back to the original question about a comparo of the newer cars, 986 vs 996. My 2 cents is that for me, the question depends on the need for rear seats. When the time comes, I'll want to be able to stuff a grandkid or two in the back, and when/if that time comes, I'll trade the boxcar for a 996 or, even more hopefully a 997 given a few more years of depreciation.

[Perfectlap]

I've driven all the 996 except for the GT's. And I've autocrossed in many of the 996 and driven them pretty hard at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning in lower Manhattan type of setting.

The Boxster and Cayman are still in my book the best handling Porsches ever built. Period. I would even say its in the top three of any sports car of the last 30 years at under $100K. My goal is a Cayman S on R comps with Motons with GT3 Seats and ceramic brakes. SICK!!!

Now the 996's are all very different. but all sort of similar in some respects.
If you've gotten used to that mid engine precision its a whole other can of worms when you're going to the rear engine set up. A pendulus car is a whole different experience that I personally don't care for. I once started a poll on another Porsche forum and asked "if you could buy a mid engine Carrera instead of a rear engine Carrera would you?".
Well in the racing forum where most had the GT Carreras 3/4's said they would ditch the rear egine. In the regular Carrera forum where most never partake in an autocross or track event 3/4's said they would stick with rear engine. That was telling.

The heavier the Carrera gets the more it feels like a boat. The faster you go into a corner the more you feel that understeer that wants to pull you off the road. The C2 has this the least, the C4S had it the worst and that was a tin top, I'm sure the bath tub version is like a wet noodle that had too much too eat. The Turbo is pretty bad too and you've got the AWD to deal with on top of that. I've have to do some serious re-tooling of the suspension to get it to feel as nimble as I'm used to.

But hey they look great.

[23109VC]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Like TMM986 I've got an '03 C4S and '00 Boxster S. Both have their virtues. Last Saturday night I took three Chinese chicks in the C4S to go clubbing. They were tiny and two fit in the back fine. Kirk

Kirk-

I think your next car should be a LIMO. then you can have all the hotties in it you want..and some booze, and a driver to let you enjoy the "company".