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Old 09-07-2021, 11:25 AM   #21
lemming
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Well, the biggest thing to me was the size, chassis rigidity, and just general quietness. I would say refinement, but would not be the right word because I feel like it implies softness and that wasn't the case at all. It could well be the fact that the car was much newer than my NC, but still, it just felt more upscale, cleaner, tighter, etc. Sounded good too. It was at least as fast, though I didn't push it. Steering felt better, suspension was good though being stock it did have more lean than my NC with aftermarket sways.

I guess for me the point was that, unlike many current instances with other models, the ND is equal or better than the NC in every way. In my case, the NC was not a mint, low-mileage sample. Not upgrading is simply a matter of $. All I have to decide is if I want a pristine/new ND or add a bunch more $$$ and consider Boxsters instead. I'm perfectly happy waiting until next year to decide. I also want to know what shakes out with the next gen Boxster first.
Ironically, the NC was the car that got me a speeding ticket. Because i was accelerating away from the tollbooths (which don’t exist anymore) at 128/Weston onto the Pike headed into Cambridge. And there was a State Trooper right on the shoulder.

I was trying to wring the neck out of that engine because I was so frustrated with it. And voila. Ticket.

Would have kept the NC if I felt like it had an engine to better match the rest of the car. By and large, even though the 3.4 litre flat six is not torquey whatsoever, it still felt like a revelation at the time.

What the NC or ND has that the 987 lacks is this sense that if something goes wrong, it will be inexpensive and mostly…not much will go wrong. I never get that sense in any Porsche of the 996/997 era. They always feel like you’re one scored cylinder wall away from something expensive.
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Old 09-07-2021, 11:54 AM   #22
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What the NC or ND has that the 987 lacks is this sense that if something goes wrong, it will be inexpensive and mostly…not much will go wrong. I never get that sense in any Porsche of the 996/997 era. They always feel like you’re one scored cylinder wall away from something expensive.
There is definitely that, but that's a risk exposure one must be comfortable with. The obvious drawback to Miatas (though I can't speak specifically to the ND) is highway driving. The poor insulation, low gearing, and lack of power are pretty apparent. It's usually ok if stints are brief and rare, but not great for a commuter or even semi-regular hwy use. But around town, for quick errands or backroad spirited drives, Miata's are awesome.
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Old 09-07-2021, 12:04 PM   #23
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There is definitely that, but that's a risk exposure one must be comfortable with. The obvious drawback to Miatas (though I can't speak specifically to the ND) is highway driving. The poor insulation, low gearing, and lack of power are pretty apparent. It's usually ok if stints are brief and rare, but not great for a commuter or even semi-regular hwy use. But around town, for quick errands or backroad spirited drives, Miata's are awesome.
Having driven my formerly shared Boxster S on the highway, I much prefer my 2 in that scenario. It's actually possible to drive the 2 with the wind deflector in and not be pummeled by air. And the visibility with the top up is MUCH better in the 2. As with the Miata (I imagine), twisties and backcountry are fun in the 2, but nod goes to Boxster there.
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Old 09-07-2021, 12:13 PM   #24
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Having driven my formerly shared Boxster S on the highway, I much prefer my 2 in that scenario. It's actually possible to drive the 2 with the wind deflector in and not be pummeled by air. And the visibility with the top up is MUCH better in the 2. As with the Miata (I imagine), twisties and backcountry are fun in the 2, but nod goes to Boxster there.
I was talking about the Miata with the top up!
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Old 09-07-2021, 12:42 PM   #25
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I was talking about the Miata with the top up!
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Old 09-07-2021, 01:00 PM   #26
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Seriously, you could not hold a conversation without yelling in the highway. The car is doing 3500rpm and the wind is brutal. And if it's raining, forget it.
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Old 09-07-2021, 01:29 PM   #27
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Seriously, you could not hold a conversation without yelling in the highway. The car is doing 3500rpm and the wind is brutal. And if it's raining, forget it.
For my application, it would be a car forward deployed so when I fly in, it’s there and I don’t need to rent a car.

Which is why the reliability aspect is so key to me here.

I would never do extended highway driving in a convertible. It’s a lot of white noise that is grating quickly. Especially when you have these modern wide and low profile tires which send noise into your skull for hours.

I think the highway is also the place where any MX5 Miata doesn’t do well because there’s no top end on the car and that tiny little engine can be frustrating.
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Old 09-13-2021, 12:26 PM   #28
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What the NC or ND has that the 987 lacks is this sense that if something goes wrong, it will be inexpensive and mostly…not much will go wrong. I never get that sense in any Porsche of the 996/997 era. They always feel like you’re one scored cylinder wall away from something expensive.
Lots to chew on in this thread. We currently just have 1 car since that's all we have garage space for and frankly all we really need (especially now w/ remote working becoming the norm). But sometimes I like to fantasize about what my "ideal fleet" would be. Inevitably there's a Porsche Boxster or 911 in there. But I'm not sure I can quite wrap my head around the relative risk of something expensive happening and/or just the generally large amount of money that i'd have to sink into pretty much anything decent. And realistically, it'd be for a car that i'd use at best maybe for a couple hours a week (probably less).

A Japanese sports car of some type probably makes more sense...but I just can't seem to get excited about any of them.
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Old 09-15-2021, 05:58 PM   #29
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Lots to chew on in this thread. We currently just have 1 car since that's all we have garage space for and frankly all we really need (especially now w/ remote working becoming the norm). But sometimes I like to fantasize about what my "ideal fleet" would be. Inevitably there's a Porsche Boxster or 911 in there. But I'm not sure I can quite wrap my head around the relative risk of something expensive happening and/or just the generally large amount of money that i'd have to sink into pretty much anything decent. And realistically, it'd be for a car that i'd use at best maybe for a couple hours a week (probably less).

A Japanese sports car of some type probably makes more sense...but I just can't seem to get excited about any of them.
I thought about this. And I came to the same conclusion. It’s a great car (the ND MX5) but I can’t get myself to buy one.















I’m going to get a GT3.
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Old 09-15-2021, 06:08 PM   #30
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Lol well that’ll do it, yes.
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