Not enough power?

[blue2000s]

I always wonder if people who are looking for more power, especially in the S, ever run over 4000 RPM. I know they're usually looking for low end torque, not really power when asking, but every time I take the car out and run above 4000 RPM, I'm extremely impressed with how fast it gets from corner to corner. Not to mention the pull out of the corner. There's an impressive push from this engine once it's breathing heavy. I also don't have any trouble breaking the rear end loose, albeit with no limited slip. I have no desire to move the car any faster than it already does. And I live at 5400 feet above sea level, so the car's down 15-20% on power compared to you sea levelers.

It may be because I have always driven sports cars with little 4 cylinders and rotarys, but I love to rev the engine of a sports car to get it to work. It's part of the thrill. It's also the way ALL Porsche's used to be when 911's were still air cooled 3.0s and 3.2s (besides the 928). They didn't have low end torque until the bigger water cooled engines were introduced.

Just an observation, I guess.

[Topless]

I suppose all of us have walked in their shoes at some point. Everybody wants just "a little more" than they have. These days I figure if you haven't learned how to drive a Boxster around a Corvette or a 996TT at the track every now and then... you haven't really learned how to drive a Boxster.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by Topless

I suppose all of us have walked in their shoes at some point. Everybody wants just "a little more" than they have. These days I figure if you haven't learned how to drive a Boxster around a Corvette or a 996TT at the track every now and then... you haven't really learned how to drive a Boxster.

ABSOFUQINLUTELY!

Making the most of what you have is where driving becomes an art.

It's easy to add headers, reflashes, 3.6's, etc. In a very real sense, it's almost cheating. Plus, playing the numbers game is just that... a numbers game. In truth, people buy Horsepower... but they drive Torque. Power is a sucker's game - it's as additive as a drug and there's no end to it.

History is full of 'underpowered' sports cars which can wax heavy-chested rivals - think Lotus Seven, Lotus Elan, 550 Spyder, etc. Cars which have more than stood the test of time.

You have to always remember the old axiom: "It's not the Wand... it's the Magician..." I know several Boxster Pilots, in 1st Gen 2.5 cars, who can hand most comers their lunch without breaking a sweat.

This forum regularly cycles through a bunch of new, often young, owners eager to add this Go-Fast part, or that - seems like an almost regular 6-9 month cycle.

Most often, they'd be best served by taking a bona fide driving course to learn how to get the most out of their car as is.

The Go-Fast part will eventually be bettered by the next innovation for those with the cash. But improving one's own skills lasts a lifetime and cannot be obsolesced.

Cheers!

[gschotland]

"It's not the Wand... it's the Magician..."

Thought it was: "It's not the size of your wand, but the magic in it."

[Boxtaboy]

I used to feel that way even in my lowly 2.7...until I drove a 3.4 converted Boxster, a 3.4 Cayman S, and then a 996 GT3. Car feels extremely underpowered now...even at revs over 4k. Lol

[stephen wilson]

I think both camps have valid points of view. Cornering G's are one type of fun, as is the pure rush of acceleration. I do miss the torque of a V8, but I still love the car. I just need to play with the alignment/ tire pressures, to reduce the understeer a bit.

[landrovered]

If you look at ALMS you can see the effects of exactly what you are talking about.

LMP1 cars have the most horsepower and should be much faster than the LMPC and GT cars.

On long tracks this difference is notable but on examples such as last weekend's race at Long Beach the LMP1 and LMPC cars were suffering from a lack of mechanical grip and the GT cars were actually faster in the corners than their more exotic bretheran. The speeds were too slow for the aerodynamic grip to give the LMP cars an advantage.

A well driven GT car will usually place in the top ten of any ALMS race when they can be slower by more than15 seconds per lap.

So as noted above, it is not total horsepower that is the key to success but what you do with it and planning a strategy that plays to your cars strenghts and not its weaknesses.

My wife has a 2.5 and I have a 3.6, I am quite aware of the differences between the two cars performance but I would not discount her 2.5 in any way. It is a hell of a good car.

If we were to race each other, I am sure that I would be much faster than her car but she would pass me while I was refueling.

[Perfectlap]

It only feels underpowered until a pair of quicker hands gets behind your car at the local autocross or track and goes a full second faster than you...in your own car...

I was just reading the Boxster Spyder vs Cayman S comparo in Excellence.
Very interesting. The Boxster Spyder despite no PDK was instanly quicker than the CaymanS.

Which got me thinking...the only time you think your car is underpowered is when you are just driving in straight lines...kind of a one dimensional way to look at it.

p.s.
I just had a new IMS (upgraded) and clutch/flywheel installed. That's one way to put down the power!

[blue2000s]

Learn to drive better seems to be a standard answer to the question for more power. I don't like that answer and I don't think the two are directly related. Someone looking for more power (who is actually asking for more low end torque) is looking for the thrill of acceleration without moving the tach needle too far. That's independent of how fast the car goes around a track.

Anyway, my contention is that if driven through the full RPM range, the cars ARE fast. 0-60 in 5.0 seconds is a fast car, even 6.0 seconds is a fast car. Unless you're street racing, I don't see the point to cutting 1/2 second from the car's 1/4 mile time.

There are very few driving situations where I wished the car had more power. After 4 years, the car still makes me smile, even in a straight line.

[Perfectlap]

I don't think you're telling the person to learn to drive faster as much as you realize (when you've learned to drive for real) that straightline acceleration isn't as exciting as it once was once you have a fuller picture of what the car can do.
For example, taking a hard right at 60mph on a closed course or track later makes a 0 to 100 charge on the highway seem like watching TV on a 17" PC monitor after watching on a 60 inch DLP with surround sound.

I actually found myself driving slower on public roads with more professional instruction. Probably because I started factoring the space needed to avoid a wreck with a nitwit in a giant SUV texting on their Iphone. My eyes seem to spend a lot more time darting from left to right and looking further down the road.

[jcb986]

You want a cure. See if you can drive a Fuele at the nearest drag strip. The pure acceleration from a V-8 with a blower will blow your mind. Then everything you drive is to slow.

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

I always wonder if people who are looking for more power, especially in the S, ever run over 4000 RPM. I know they're usually looking for low end torque, not really power when asking, but every time I take the car out and run above 4000 RPM, I'm extremely impressed with how fast it gets from corner to corner. Not to mention the pull out of the corner. There's an impressive push from this engine once it's breathing heavy. I also don't have any trouble breaking the rear end loose, albeit with no limited slip. I have no desire to move the car any faster than it already does. And I live at 5400 feet above sea level, so the car's down 15-20% on power compared to you sea levelers.

Heck, I agree with you, and I'm running around Denver/Arvada/Boulder with the even smaller 2.5 engine powering my smile.

The big issue is when I'm cruising along the Pothole to Pothole, and the car is down even more power. Oddly enough, the lack of power isn't an issue when I switch off onto the canyon roads, like Coal Creek, Left Hand, Golden Gate, or Squaw Pass.

Then taking the car out onto HPR for some quality time on that wonderful road course, I learn that the 2.7 and 3.2 engines really aren't putting any distance on me in the long straight, and when we're in the corners, they have no advantage at all, unless they are running full spec track tires.

The only advantage they have is pulling the uphill sections of track.
That's the ONLY time I wish I had more power in the Boxster.
I could use an extra 20 ft-lbs of torque between 2500 and 3500 rpms, honestly.

BC.

[dallison]

Originally Posted by jcb986

You want a cure. See if you can drive a Fuele at the nearest drag strip. The pure acceleration from a V-8 with a blower will blow your mind. Then everything you drive is to slow.

:werd: everything else will feel like a yugo

[ppbon]

... enough power
... enough beauty, or ...
... enough money.

Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

[landrovered]

The problem is when I have time, I have no money and when I have money, I have no time.