Autocross and other quick questions! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Mrmaddbrad · 09-12-2011, 08:54 PM

Yeah the 986S is in B Stock with c4 corvettes. The base 986's are in C-Stock with miatas. Which is why i think they'll get destroyed in B-stock but be competitive in C-stock.

So it looks like i'll probably get a base model. Hmm... Talking to people totally changed my mind about things :P

Hearing that they feel a little under powered. Is there anything you can do to change that, like a new ECU or anything like that?

thstone · 09-12-2011, 09:48 PM

I track my base '99 pretty often and I've driven an S model too. Yes, the S will pull better out of a turn but a 987 will outpower that and a 997 will outpower that. Its easy to get onto the horsepower merry-go-round.

The base Boxster has more than enough power so I can learn to drive well on a track and have more fun that I've ever had before and still be able to give myself a darn good scare. When you think that you're going off into the dirt at 110mph, you could care less about your HP and a lot more about your brakes!

In regards to Boxster vs Miata, I happen to own both and had them both at the Streets of Willow last weekend. My experience is that the Boxster is indeed faster BUT 99% of the time it comes down to the driver and not the car.

Here are a few pics from last weekend:

Topless · 09-13-2011, 07:35 AM

Ok if SCCA National Solo is your game, here are the results for 2010:
http://www.scca.org/eventresults.aspx?event=15171&hub=6

*Cay S/Box S ruled the roost in A stock and destroyed the Vettes

*Honda S2000 owned B stock

*C stock was a mixed bag between Mazda Mx-5, Porsche 986 Base Boxster, Nissan 370

So yes, a base Boxster is very competitive at the highest levels of SCCA Solo AX under 2010 rules.

Mrmaddbrad · 09-13-2011, 07:46 AM

Wow guys! You know, I kept thinking to myself, if i'm going to get a boxster, i should get an S. But you're all totally right, its just a hp race and if i start getting into that i'll never buy another car lol.

Its funny because 986S have almost the exact same hp as bas 987's lol.

Well thanks everyone!! (oh, and i love that British Racing greeen of your miata!!)

BTW, i have a friend that lets me drive his miata around, and its the same color and everything, in return for a nice wash and wax job. But i'm sure you've driven both on the street. Which seems to be quicker and/or more fun on the streets?

ABQautoxer · 09-13-2011, 10:11 AM

I ran a Miata in BS then CS and then CSP over about 5 years then did many other classes. I love Miatas...but they are not great street cars compared to things with nearly as good handling but better power. Sure on the right road, the Miata is a blast but the lack of power hurts. The Boxster is a better car in that sense. The S's problem is second gear, its just way too tall which hurts acceleration. In stock class, the -1 camber really hurts as well. It is however, extremely fun to autox which I do in S03 for PCA.

P:S an 04 C5 won AS 2011 SCCA Nationals, not a Cayman. 2010 didn't count with no real fast guys in that class at all.

thstone · 09-13-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrmaddbrad

BTW, i have a friend that lets me drive his miata around, and its the same color and everything, in return for a nice wash and wax job. But i'm sure you've driven both on the street. Which seems to be quicker and/or more fun on the streets?

I've driven both the Boxster and the Miata on the street and track. I like the Boxster better for both but the Miata is a still a great car and an aweful lot of fun to drive - just not quite as much fun as the Box.

Where the Miata really shines is in $/fun. Its really cheap to buy and run.

j.fro · 09-13-2011, 05:51 PM

I had a 99 2.5, then moved to a 2000 986S. I've modded the 986S to be competitive in SCCA BSP. The folks who bring the most competition are the subbie WRX STI's. After R-comp tires, the 986S benefits from coilovers and big time weight loss.
Whatever your pick, for AX, ditch the spare and show up with 1/4 tank of fuel or less. The Box hates excess weight.

Perfectlap · 09-14-2011, 01:38 PM

wow this is a lot of replies considering most Boxster owners go nowhere near an autocross or DE.

Let me give you a little advice. Don't pick which Boxster you are going to buy based on Autcross classes. Pick it based on what you get the best feeling from when driving it. IMHO a roadster at about this weight "comes alive" at about 240 HP. Particular out of tight turns where the extra ponies come in handy and when overtaking cars from the merge lane on the highway. Either way choosing which Boxster to buy leaves you up to the whims of those who make up those classifications. I mean are you more interested in winning $10 trophies or learning how to drive?

Around these parts the base boxster both 2.5 and 2.7 are grouped with the S2000.
The 3.2 and 3.4 are grouped with the standard 996 Carrera and some of the M3's.
Depending on the driver of course, I often matched or better either's time. The club director told me that the S was a bit a trick to classify because it clearly had an advantage over the S2000's on power but was a little short of some of the newer Porsches and BMWs.

I also had a Miata that I learned to autocross on and IMHO again that car is way more fun to learn how to drive, like for real driving, than a Boxster. If it wasn't such a sardine can in a road of millions of 4 ton SUVs I probably wouldn't have ever sold it. I read a recent Road&Track review of the latest Miata and they had surprsingly mixed views on it.