Test drove a Boxster today.

[FC]

They did not have Boxster S demo car.

This is my first experience with a Porsche. The first thing you notice is the engine at idle. It is not very quiet. The car looks much better in person and to my wife and I, it looks far better in darker colors. This particular base boxster had 17" wheels with PS2's.

The Boxster's cockpit feels very inviting and comfortable and orders of magnitude better in quality. Seats felt snug and I have a relatively small frame.

Now, keep in mid the only comparable reference I have is my 330i. The car took a bit to get used to. The gas and brake pedals have a LOT more resistance than I expected. I could deal with the brake pedal, but the gas being so stiff took some getting used to. Conversely, the clutch was relatively light. At the very least it felt very different from my ZHP which has a very stiff clutch pedal and relatively light gas and brake pedals. This took a bit to get used to. The shifter was very good, though I find the ZHP's to be a bit better.

The ride was firm. I would say as firm or even a bit firmer than my 330i. Going over shitty roads (a common occurrence 'round here) the ride was rougher than on the ZHP. It also seemed worse because you could hear the soft top making a bit of noice over bad bumps.

The brakes were simply amazing. Much better feel, response, and perfromance than the 330i. I tried to hit them hard and it always felt like they weren't even trying. The handling far exceeds anything I could have possibly tried on the street. I entered an off ramp at probabaly 70 mph and was planning on really pushing the car but if I had, my wife would have though I was psycho and never let me get a sports car again. That said I still took it fast enough to be amazed at it. The steering, reflexes, balance, and body motion on this car make my ZHP feel fat and floaty in comparison.

I would have to say that this car seemed faster than my 330i in every way. It felt more torquey and it pulled better at higher rpm's. This really surprised me.

Overall, this car really felt like a sports car compared to my 330i. That is both good and bad. The steering was heavier but provided GREAT feel and the clutch was forgiving and made shitty shifts seem like you had just bary missed it. But everything about it was enhanced. It was VERY loud, and you could hear the engine right behind you along with all the little mechanical noises you'd never usually hear. When I started driving it I immediately rememebred the last car that gave me a similar sensation... Zach's E36 M3. But magnify that feeling by at LEAST twice. VERY raw, very mechanical, very direct.

It was quite the experience.

I got back on my ZHP and noticed several things immediately. First of all, I couldn't believe how much like a Lincoln Towncar my ZHP felt. Ultra-quiet, super smooth, comfortable, with light steering, easy pedals, comfy ride ( ), etc.

It was like getting out of the amusement park ride. I immediately drove my ZHP hard to see the differences. The car is slower, no doubt. I was able to shift beautifully in it. It felt like a luxury car. I never thought a base Boxster could make my ZHP feel slow and cushy.

I need to test drive a Boxster S topless this summer. I'm sure it will go like stink. It should be awesome.

I could see me driving one of these for sure. It was awesome. If I didn't need anything more than than a roadster and I had to buy a car again, I think a Boxster would be worth the 10K over a ZHP. But given what my car is worth, I would not pay the extra 25K to get one. My ZHP is an incredibly well-rounded car. If only it had the torque and speed of the Boxster. But it doesn't, so I do see me getting a Boxster S in a few years.

My wife loved the looks and "coolness" of it. Hey, whatever works.

[rumatt]

Nice writeup!

> I couldn't believe how much like a Lincoln Towncar my ZHP felt

It's amazing, isn't it? I've experienced the same thing.

> my ZHP which has a very stiff clutch pedal

Huh? Is the ZHP clutch different than non-ZHP? Mine is extremely light, particularly compared to the E30. I agree the 330 gas pedal is light as well.

> Much better feel, response, and perfromance than the 330i.

Wow. I think the brakes are excellent in the 330.

[FC]

Originally Posted by rumatt

Nice writeup!

> I couldn't believe how much like a Lincoln Towncar my ZHP felt

It's amazing, isn't it? I've experienced the same thing.

> my ZHP which has a very stiff clutch pedal

Huh? Is the ZHP clutch different than non-ZHP? Mine is extremely light, particularly compared to the E30. I agree the 330 gas pedal is light as well.

> Much better feel, response, and perfromance than the 330i.

Wow. I think the brakes are excellent in the 330.

My 330i clutch seems a bit stiff to me (at least when I first got it it did). I test drove a Mazdaspeed Miata and an Impreza Outback and they had feather-like clutches. The Boxster's was average. What I would expect a clutch to feel like.

I'm not kidding about the brakes. It was a stiff pedal, but the level of precision braking is simply amazing. I have a feelign my 330i brakes are due for a brake bleed though.

[lemming]

that's the thing about the porsche driving experience.

they use a lot less insulation between the chassis subframe and the driver's seat; but they also tune that engine so that it is damn near mellifluous @ speed. it's a wonderful mechanical whirring plus the air intake sound.

i love that porsche sound. they've probably trademarked it.

the only issue that i've ever had with the (last gen!) boxster was the part of the greater notion that it could use more power. it's very balanced and overall, pretty stout even for a convertible.

i'll bet though, if you drive a 997 or even a used 996 with the 3.6 you'll be drooling. right now you're smiling. once you get a whiff of that added torque and more of that intoxicating sound, you're hooked, dude.

[FC]

Originally Posted by lemming

that's the thing about the porsche driving experience.

they use a lot less insulation between the chassis subframe and the driver's seat; but they also tune that engine so that it is damn near mellifluous @ speed. it's a wonderful mechanical whirring plus the air intake sound.

i love that porsche sound. they've probably trademarked it.

the only issue that i've ever had with the (last gen!) boxster was the part of the greater notion that it could use more power. it's very balanced and overall, pretty stout even for a convertible.

i'll bet though, if you drive a 997 or even a used 996 with the 3.6 you'll be drooling. right now you're smiling. once you get a whiff of that added torque and more of that intoxicating sound, you're hooked, dude.

That is the part that really floored me. I expected to come away impressed with the dynamics but feeling "it's a shame it only has a wimpy 2.7L engine." Well, it still kicked ass or at least it felt like it. The 3.2L 987S will probably feel great.

Coming from my 330i, I would have thought the car had 250hp/230 lb-ft of torque, and not 240hp/199 lb-ft. I'm sure the fact that it is 400lbs lighter than the 330i made all the difference. Maybe the numbers don't show it, but it felt fun and fast, manufacturer's numbers be damned (5.9 secs for ZHP 6.2 secs for 987). And when you don't plan on tracking the car all that much, that is what counts. Still, I do want more power, because as fast as it seemed it did not feel a lot faster than my car.

What is impressive is that I don't drive some POS, and having the car perform so much better than what is considered by many the best sports sedan on the planet was really something.

I can blindly extrapolate and say that if I had 85K to spend, I'd get a 997S. End of story.

[FC]

It really just hit me that the Cayman will basically be a lighter car, stiffer, and with 60 more hp.

Drool.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by mbr129

Coming from my 330i, I would have thought the car had 250hp/230 lb-ft of torque, and not 240hp/199 lb-ft.

Did anyone else read this sentence and burst out laughing?

[lemming]

the cayman looks cool.

and the advantage of porsche has always been a strong dealer network. so, in comparison to the elise, for example, or that noble car --you have a dodgy dealer network although quantifiably superior cars.

that "feel" as you described it is what i seek in my cars. it's that e36m3 type of road feel that gets diminished more and more in the newer cars.

[FC]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

Did anyone else read this sentence and burst out laughing?

If you're laughing at how close the hp numbers are, I was pointing out the feeling of extra torque. The boxster felt like it had the 20-30 lb-ft my 330i is missing. Particularly because my 330i has peak torque at 3500rpm, whereas the boxster peaks at 4700rpm. It must be a much flatter curve, expecially early on. Or again, it must be the 400lbs difference.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by mbr129

If you're laughing at how close the hp numbers are, I was pointing out the feeling of extra torque. The boxster felt like it had the 20-30 lb-ft my 330i is missing. Particularly because my 330i has peak torque at 3500rpm, whereas the boxster peaks at 4700rpm. It must be a much flatter curve, expecially early on. Or again, it must be the 400lbs difference.

It's more the notion of quantifying the butt dyno.

And have you compared the gearing? BMWs are generally very weak on acceleration thanks to excessively tall gearing.