It's official...the Boxster is underpowered
 

Spec on the new Honda Accord, which comes with a six-speed.

Model Tested: Honda Accord
Curb Weight: 3371 lbs.
Engine: 3.0-liter SOHC V6
Horsepower: 244hp @ 6,244 rpm
Torque: 211 ft-lbs. @ 5,000 rpm
Drive Type: FWD
0 to 60: 5.9 secs.
1/4 Mile: 14.5 secs. @ 98 mph
Price as Tested: $27,200

Model Tested: Porsche Boxster (987)
Curb Weight: 2,855 lbs.
Engine: 2.7 Flat-six
Horsepower: 240hp @ 6,400 rpm
Torque: 199 ft-lbs. @ 4,700 rpm
Drive Type: RWD
0 to 60: 5.9 secs.
1/4 Mile: 14.5 secs. @ 98 mph
Price as Tested: $45,000

In this review, the author recounts pacing an M3 convertible in his Accord. Could very easily have been a Boxster. Don't let this happen to you !

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/114590966941637828/index.php

Better upgrade to a Boxster S and kick the Honda's ass!

The physics of that bother me: Similar HP/torque and similar acceleration, but the Honda is 500 lbs. heavier! How can this be?
3.4 liters to the rescue (see other thread), and from the looks of it, not a moment too soon!

And besides, ya can't get the Honda in yellow... ;)

And for the money.........

Makes me happy I went with the 'S'. Although many sedans are close to that level of HP too. Glad to see Porsche will be doing the increases for the 2007 model year.

Maybe the "callin 911" cover story in MotorTrend (presumably read by lots of prospective sports car buyers) where teh 911 get trounced was a wake up call for Porsche headquarters.

p.s.
Unless we are talking an additional 50 HP to any Porsche I don't think its a big deal. An extra 20-30 ponies is nice but isn't going to re-invent the car.
But Porsche have to feed the power hungry masses, even though 90% will never see a track, DE or autocross with their shiny just waxed sports car.
Pretty soon 350 HP will nothing, considering how few Porsches have been built with this kind of displacement it seems like the times are a changing.

A question and a comment for SD987 --

Question: Are you tracking your car? If not, why (and where) would you need more horsepower to outgun a Honda Accord in a straight line? Not on my street, I hope :) . I can't find a place anywhere near my home where I can possibly use all 280hp in my 987S. Beyond that, the only reason for more horses is to engage in a "mine is bigger than yours"/bragging rights kind of thing and, IMHO, that's a dumb reason to buy a car.

Comment: Read the 987S review on the web site you mentioned and see if you'd rather have the Accord. I can't imagine that the base 987 wouldn't run rings around an Accord on the slalom.

you know come to think of it in addition to never having seen a Merc at a track/autocross I have never seen an Accord either (my first car, hatchback).

p.s.

$30K for an Accord? Damn I remeber when Beamers were expensive at $35K

I'll take a second hand Boxster or 993 over a BRAND SPANKIN NEW fully loaded Accord any day. (yep I'm a single guy).

Guys that straight line acceleration. You don't buy a Boxster or an Accord for that matter for straight line acceleration. If you want to do 1/4 mile times, buy a Supra, Talon or Rx7. Those are straight line cars, though they can all do corners well if you want. If your into newer cars that you don't modify, buy a Corvette Viper or Mustang GT they are all fast in a straight line and can't corner to save their lives. The new Corvette still uses leaf springs if you can imagine that. LEAF SPRINGS!!!! :rolleyes:

The Boxster is a track and cornering car. If you put the new Accord against the Boxster at a track, it could not keep up. Even with 400hp a front engine FWD car just can not keep up period. The Accord would be left sliding off the road looking like a poor excuse for a car. Front wheel drive is the work of Satan and no real car is FWD.

The Accord is not as fast as a boxster in any way shape or form. It will not break as fast, it will not turn in as fast, it will not go as fast around a track, corner or anywhere else where real driving counts. It will however go in a straight line as fast, whoptie do. If thats what your looking for, buy a train cause they do that pretty well too. Hell with 409hp and 415ft/lbs I will bet the new Escalade will do 14.5 in the 1/4. Is it fast? Hahhah yeah, right.

'The new Corvette still uses leaf springs if you can imagine that. LEAF SPRINGS!!!! "

The car handles like it is on rails. It could have jello back there for all I care.

Well, more accurately it uses a single, non-composite leaf spring in the rear, which simplifies the suspension system and, I believe, actually isn't all that heavy!

don't forget the balsa wood wrapped in carbon fiber underbody.

The ZO6 spanked the 911 so bad at Laguna Seca I'm surprised Porsche didn't have a day of mourning.

Dudes and Dudettes,

Accord? I don't care if it had a Mr. Fusion and disappeared to the 1950's at 88 mph...an Accord is for soccer moms, librarians and hippies.

1.21 jiggiwatts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is there an option number for this on the Boxster

Being German, I am confident in what I am about to state:

The guys in Stuttgart hardly noticed. They have SUCH an attitude, they didn't even mind that the Penske/Porsche Lemans Prototypes lost to the Corvette C6R at Sebring this year.

Ah, I love German arrogance.

Anyone for a nice beer? I'll have mine warm and sudsy!

Point is: there are a lot of great powerplants being produced for the masses now. We are in a sort of Golden Age of power. Imagine the day when Porsche owners defend their cars with the excuse that we don't care about straight line acceleration!! I love it. After all, only a cad would go fast on the street.... or in a straight line........ :ah:
bwahahahaha

I'm sure Porsche will be coming out with some big HP and torque improvments. :D

Meanwhile I'm havin a blast, even whilst being blown away by Z06's, M3's and EVO's. :p

Query: If James Dean were alive today; what would he drive? :confused:

James Dean would be driving a spatula.

yeah, one of them Italian models :D

I have it on good authority WHO WILL REMAIN NAMELESS that Stuggart have a ZO6 which they had disassembled to 'reverse engineer' it, what ever the hell that means. And that's NOT the first time they have done so.

Gettin pumeled by the Corvettes is not new but its becoming a trend. Sports car cred comes from the track. That Laguna Seca time differential in Motor Trend was enough to make any Porsche die hard wince. Getting beat on power is fine, but to get outclassed on handling too? what's next braking??!!

"Query: If James Dean were alive today; what would he drive? "

A hummer with exta air bags!

"Gettin pumeled by the Corvettes is not new but its becoming a trend. Sports car cred comes from the track. That Laguna Seca time differential in Motor Trend was enough to make any Porsche die hard wince. Getting beat on power is fine, but to get outclassed on handling too? what's next braking??!!"

Ouch, you are not kidding. Notice Porsche stays way away from the GT1 class in AMLS. You gotta hand it to Chevrolet, racing does improve the breed. The ZO6 is as close to the C6R as you can get and still pass emissions.

Awesome car, I drove one last week!

I understand the Porsche vs. vette thing...I really do. The Corvette is faster. However, I'm going to throw out an analogy. You can pick up a prostitute with no teeth on the street corner for 10 bucks. Can she deliver the goods? Hell yes. Or you can pay the big money for the Las Vegas escort who can deliver the goods with panache and class. Who would you rather have your friends see you with?

When I see a vette, I usually see a 45 year old fat guy wearing a Nascar hat driving it. When I see a Porsche pilot, I usually see well dressed, refined human being who understands style and class. Is this a stereotype? Yep. However, this is how I want to be stereotyped.

To Recap:

Vette = Hooker with no teeth or fat guy with Nascar hat.
Porsche = High class Vegas escort or well dressed aristocrat.

i have to admit - and maybe it's my despise for American cars (maybe that comes from living in Michigan for a while and having to deal with such narrow-mindedness!) but anytime I pull up next to a Vette i intentionally refuse to look or check it out. i know that some of them are faster and more expensive than what i'm driving, but i also know that for the most part, the caliber and intelligence of the lump behind the wheel is much less than maybe your average, hmmm... ricer?! :cheers:

BINGO Mach Schnell!

It was a Z06 against the 997 S. Thats not exactly a fair comparison as the 997S is more on the same level as the C6-C7 is not the Z06 model.

The new 911 GT3 makes 415whp N/A from a 3.8L motor. It would walk the Z06 around the track and did on top gear quite nicely and by a pretty large margin too. Granted their track is shorter with lap times in the 1.25's for those cars vs. around 2 seconds for Laguna Seca it was still a large margin.

The Z06 is fast yes, but honestly it's just not that impressive because they use 7L to make 500hp, that barbaric. I can make 500hp with a 20L engine and put it in a boat, that doesn't mean its a sports car. Put a Chevy's best 3.8L motor in the Vette and see what happens lol... Or let Porsche make a 7L engine and again see what happens.

Another good point. Anybody can keep bolting in larger and larger engines .

Yeah, and anyone can keep pushing the price of their cars up and up.

Face it, dollar for dollar, the z06 will walk anything Porsche can throw at it. Its a damn fine car, as is the 911. I just get annoyed when the C6 is slammed without any regard to the fine car and peformance bargain it is.

Believe me, if I have 45K, I am NOT buying a Boxster. That is just me.

And regarding your driver stereotypes, don't get me started.

Remember, I sell Porsches and Corvettes.

Both marques attract there lumps.

Watch it, Rail, I own an Accord, and I don't have kids in soccer, I ain't no mommy, I've not been into a library since I was 16, and while I smoked a fair amount of pot in my youth, I looked nothing like a hippie ... more like a computer geek, actually.

In 2 years I will own a white C6 Z06. Nuff said!

I hear where you are coming from but simple fact remains that on paper where dollar for dollar matters the vette is cheaper more hp faster 1/4 etc.. In day to day life your still left with Cavalier quality interior and exterior parts. Overall the quality of a Vette is low, the materials used are crappy and the feeling of the car is heavy, awkward, and the trannies suck poo. If your willing to live with that then it will be a faster car dollar for dollar.

If you measure two cars together with the same stats, GT3 vs. Z06 the GT3 is clearly better at everything. It is more expensive yes, but it's also a Porsche and not a Cavalier with a V8 in it.

I just couldn't be happy with the low overall quality in the Vette. I have driven some Z06's and they are just too klunky and junky for me. I'd spend the extra on something faster and more refined.

And don't compare the GTR cars to Porsche's racing initative. GM spends 6x as much money in that series as porsche does. We all know money wins races.... Take Porsche's cars and GM's money and guess what would happen?

I have the opportunity to compare my 987S to a C6 pretty much every day. That car kicks my ass, but the driver admits that he has a hard time really using the performance of the car. It doesn't instill the confidence you'd expect it to when you look at the numbers.

Other than that, he's a bit bummed about the interior quality, and so am I. The oil pump seizing at 6000 miles and subsequent treatment by GM didn't help his impression of GM either.

Fast cars, but not nearly as much of a driver's car as a porsche. Belongs on a track.

The Z06 marks the first time possibly ever that I would take the Chevy interior over the 997 one. Man you don't know how long I thought it would be before I would ever say that.
In the past the vette interiors reminded me of rental cars. Not anymore.

The 911 interior looks like I'm sitting in an SUV and not a 'pure' sports car at all, and that steering wheel looks it came from a VW beetle! And don't get me started on the front end that looks down right feminine.

The Z06 spanked the 997S for sure, but how much does that 997 (as tested) cost? it was out handled, out braked, out powered, a clean sweep.

EVO the Brittish magazine did a 996 GT3 match up vs. the ZO6 and they weren't of the opinion that the $100,000 GT3 was superior to the ZO6 by any stretch.
They (Yes Europeans) complained that the GT3 was way too nervous and twitchy vs. the fast right out of the box Z06. From a performance stand point, people seem to influenced by heritage and prestiege when what matters at the end of the day is your lap time. They don't give out trophies for best looking car at LeMans.

Rail,
as far as Vegas Call girls and $10 street walking hookers is concerned, They both whores. :D

Geez you guys are really bumming me out with this talk of Porsches sucking compared to Corvettes. I guess all the "looks" the boxsters get and the " Damn that is a nice looking car" doesn't account for anything anymore. In my area of town, Vettes are very common place just like Mustangs. I bought mine because of its uniqueness, performance and its beauty. I went out a couple of nights ago in it with the top down. I went to go pick up some dinner and actually got 2 compliments from other drivers about how nice my car was all within a half hour. I know it isn't a popularity contest but it does feel nice when someone appreciates your car, I know I do.

I agree 100%

If you gave me the option of Z06 or a 997S for the track,
I'd jump into that Z06 before you could blink.
Now if I had to drive one home from the track the Porsche no question.

when it comes to sports cars, reputation is 100% built on race cred.

Ferrari and Porsche would never have become what they are today without it.
otherwise Porsce might as well give up the Sports car image and follow Mercedes into the heavy, plush,options galore, luxury first sector.

Just wondering isnt the only fair comparision to GM's Z06 a Porsche's GT2? Isn't it only fair to compare the best that each company has to offer sports car wise?

The Z06 is "The Car" especially for its price and compares to cars costing much more! I'm a big fan and its on my short list of "next cars".

I never said that Porsches suck, far from it. Damn nice cars indeed (that is why I sell them!). It is just that SOME Porsche owners are SUCH snobs and look down on the C6 as it it wasn't "worthy of them.

Nonesense. I drive them both everyday and they are both great cars.

The C6 is simply a stone bargain in my opinion.

.... "Take Porsche's cars and GM's money and guess what would happen?"

This is such a lame rationalization, you should move to Germany!

PS-GM has no money, read the Wall Street Journal sometime.

:)

997 S, new Z06, or Aston Martin V8 Vantage
 

Mmmmm....there's a nice comparo............who threw the wrench in this one?

http://www.astonmartin.com/thecars/v8vantage

KRZ

Z06 easily....

All three would be nice too.