100+ mph in 3rd gear, so why...

[BruceH]

I loved driving the base but yes, driving an S will spoil you in a hurry! If when you are looking and an "S" comes along at a great price, don't hesitate! I'm glad that I did Now, if the other Base Boxsters that I was looking at had checked out ok, I would have been fine with one of them as well. Bottom line, Base or S, it's just a fun car to drive!

[Squozen]

I love the torque of my S to get me up hills but the base 2.5L I drove for several days in Tasmania was good enough to convince me that I needed a Boxster. Base guys shouldn't feel bad in the slightest...

..until I pull up next to you at the lights, naturally.

[firstporsche]

..until I pull up next to you at the lights, naturally. [/QUOTE]

LAUGH!!

(since you're on the other side of the world from me, that ain't gonna happen any time soon!)

[Ghostrider 310]

We might see each other Mr. first depending on your definition of "upstate". I'm going to be getting L5 sliced so I'll only be driving the spyder another week to ten days.

[ekam]

I have the S brakes. What's that saying... more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

Oh yea, buy tires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_IWa_qlt3g

[particlewave]

Well, my base '99 has enough brake to make the anti-lock kick in, so...yeah. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, which in this case certainly is not the brakes, but rather the traction between tire and road. Bigger discs/pads would make absolutely no difference. On the track may be a different story, but I wouldn't know since I don't/won't track my car.

I don't get your statement. Don't even try to argue physics and thermodynamics with me, mister.
Just messing with ya! But seriously; wth are you going on about?

[The dude]

Originally Posted by firstporsche

The other day, I had a great, empty straightaway. My 2002 base Boxster hit 104+ mph in 3rd gear without redlining.

With this fact in mind, why the heck would I need a "S?" I can rarely use the full performance of my 10-year old base Boxster.

Any thoughts?

This makes zero sense to me. My 2008 Honda cbr1000rr motorcycle does 90mph in first gear. My 2012 Honda accord can go 100 mph...... Not sure how long it takes and it's auto, so not sure what gear that is. Point being, what does the speed have anything to do with usability or driving performance on the street? The fastest you can legally drive here is 65mph. Nobody NEEDS more than that.

Most of us can't use the full performance of a base or an S. Unless we are professional race car drivers at a track.

To me..... the "S" is a whole different car. That's like comparing a 911 base to a 911s, 911 turbo, or 911gt3 and saying they are all the same because a base is fast enough. I've driven a base 986, 987 base, own a 986s, driven a 996 base, a 997s, and a 996 turbo. Trust me, they are all significantly different. I can also say that I can't drive any of them to the limit. But, why would that stop me from owning one?

I am an avid cyclist. Often, among cyclists, people feel guilty when they have "pro" gear and far from a pro. You buy stuff because it makes you smile. It's that simple. Hell, some people collect cars. They don't even drive them!

[Spidey]

You don't need an "S", but I think it helps keep the "racing" crowd in check. I get a lot of minivan and Camry folk trying to hang, which is fine, because I like to hang in my family hauler too.

Originally Posted by firstporsche

The other day, I had a great, empty straightaway. My
2002 base Boxster hit 104+ mph in 3rd gear without redlining.

With this fact in mind, why the heck would I need a "S?" I can rarely use the full performance of my 10-year old base Boxster.

Any thoughts?