Drove 4 Carreras today

[ekam]

Originally Posted by AndyA6

After all that I wish for 1 thing only, a bit more power in the '04 S. The handling with the stock supension and 17" wheels is very nice and plenty "fast", the soft top is a great morning canyon run or evening sunset cruise option, it feels light and alive, the steering is hard to beat by ANY other car. Over time I might do a bit in terms of handling to get closer to the Spyder and def. some engine work. This for the track days.

Conclusion:- my used Box is so much fun and compared to today's 911 offerings I don't see the big reason to change. Now having said that I still want a GT3, closest thing to the old school aircooled cars. Even a real good/sorted 964 like mine built to RS specs would be cool.

Another reason I like the Boxster is more subjective, it has soul and feel. If you ever drove and owned a '70s Alfa or an aircooled Porsche you know what I mean. Of the modern Porsche lineup the Boxster is the one.

I've test drove the new BMWs, Nissan Zs and I've yet to come across any modern sports car that has the same steering feedback as my 04. I couldn't believe how little do people know how underrated our cars are. People nowadays just buy cars by looking at the 0-60 time and how many HP under the hood, or how fast the ring time is.

I drove the new PDK 911s, they're impressive, but they're too expensive for what you get (Porsche admit they have higher profit margin on them than Boxster/Cayman). I didn't grow up wanting a 911, nor did I dreamt of a Porsche.

Now a GT3, perhaps a 996 GT3, now that I will take gladly. But I really have a soft spot for 356 Speedster (more attainable replica).

[jmatta]

After having driven most of the current 997 line up, I'd take a MkII 996 GT3 hands down for the dollar/value and the purity. The modern cars are just getting too large, heavy and more grand touring in feel than the earlier models.

[blue2000s]

We got a chance to directly compare my 2000S with my buddy's C4S on a nice little twisy road. We drove down the road and back, switched cars and did it again.

The 17" tires take alot of the edge off the ride. The C4S moves around alot more over bumps in the road. I was surprised, but the Boxster has a nicer ride, even with my row030 suspension.

Both cars corner flat and have tremendous grip. The Boxster is clearly lighter, it feels more eager to be tossed around. I like the Boxster's steering feel, it felt like it was doing more communicating, although the 911 is pretty great too. The 911 can hustle through corners faster than the Boxster could, easily matching the Boxster on grip but with much more power.

The Boxster's power isn't as weak as I had expected it to be compared to the 385hp of the 911. The acceleration of the 911 on an onramp is truely impressive. But the Boxster doesn't embarass itself.

The newer cars have much better engine sound. The 911 is deeper and angrier. Much more like what a Porsche should sound like.

Finally the PDK. It's an incredible transmission. The shifts are so smooth that you can't feel them at all and you don't have to coax it to downshift with an extra long stab at the throttle like an automatic. It just seems to always find the right gear, although the monster engine may be part of that equation. It's great. Having said that, i have no desire for such a transmission in my sports cars. The involvement and satisfaction that comes with the stick shift will never be matched by a car with two pedals. I'll take a stick every time.

Overall, both cars are really fantastic. Very entertaining to drive and satisfying. In the end, I still hold to my original feeling that I like the Boxster better. It's obviously lighter and is happier to rotate. It's slightly more of the sports car compared to the GT of the 911.

My buddy, on the other hand preferred his 911. He liked the ride of my car better, but he's become a big fan of his PDK and appreciates the power difference more than I do.