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I drive about 6/10 on normal commutes, generally don't mash on the throttle, and prefer to take curves and ramps quickly.
No one drives these cars at 60% on normal commutes. And unless you have Prius or the like, you probably don't drive most regular cars at 60% of their capability. To put it in numbers, if the top rated speed of these is north of 170mph, then even at 80-90 on the highway, you're barely pushing 50%. And you really can't get close to the cornering limits of either of them (911 or Boxster) around town or on most country roads.
Don't get me wrong, they're a hell of a lot of fun to push, but there's so much more capability than most of us will ever see from these cars (off the track). I'd be surprised if the most of us could get to 4/10 on a regular basis, to be honest!
Originally Posted by Incendiary
Any issues with DDing either in moderately snowy climes? The Boxster has more storage space than the 911 due to the trunk, or the back seats make up the difference?
I've read several people say they're fine in the snow. With the right tires, and that's not the ones that come from the factory. As my 3rd car, with factory tires, I leave it in the garage when the temp is below 40F (the tire's rating) and drive my truck or the wife's Cayenne.
I drove both the 911 and 981 (Boxster and Cayman) on the track at the World Roadshow, two years in a row.
I bought the Boxster because it put a bigger smile on my face. It was just more fun to toss around. Not as fast, but definitely quicker!
We got a 911 Cab as a loaner a couple of times and while it was nice, it didn't make me regret the Boxster a bit (but it did make me want to add one!).
It sounds from what you've written that the intuitive, flickable (and don't forget now also devilishly fast) Boxster might be the way to go. I haven't driven the 718, but the 981 is an incredibly transparent and entertaining car to drive. I honestly think that if people drove the two back to back and didn't know which was supposed to be 'better', more people would choose the mid-engined car than not.
Don't get me wrong a 911 is fun, possibly even more fun ultimately, but one has to learn to make it so. The pleasure of gassing early out of a corner and feeling like one is being pushed around it by a giant claw (911) is something one has to acquire and quite regularly remind oneself to do. The pleasure of turning into a corner, apparently just by thinking about it (Boxster) is always there and never goes away.
If I had to have just one car, and the thing existed, I would have a PDK Spyder. As you're after a manual, it does sound like a Spyder would be ideal if you can find one. If it helps, I don't think they will depreciate very much compared to a new 991 or 718.
That said, the new Boxster is loads of fun - it's really quick. From a "fun to drive" aspect, the Boxster is actually a little more fun to drive than the Carrera. But that's subjective. The 911 is faster and it looks alot better.
This... do you flip through cars? I would recommend getting the boxster first. Once you have a 911 - you'll always have to have a 911.
I'm thinking of joining the Porsche fold and would be looking to get a 2018 MY. I want a manual transmission convertible and am trying to decide between the Boxster and the Carrera cabriolet. (I thought I'd like the Targa 4 but have ruled it out.)
Anyone owned both who can weigh in? I realize they're somewhat different cars but would like to hear thoughts and experiences, please. Which was more fun? Which would you buy again?
Thanks in advance!
I'm not sure why so much talk about everything but the 718 but it was a fun test drive for me. From the current sales figures it looks like sales are picking up so get it while it's hot.
Been there done that and I traded my 981 Boxster S for a 991 911S Cab. While when I bought I would have preferred MT in both, the reality was those are hard to find with options/color/interior that suits me so I settled for PDK (I susually don't order and try to find a good one on the lot). Turns out I really like PDK. For me, at 6'4", the Boxster S was a little cramped on legroom and the 911 fits a whole lot better. Plus as someone mentioned, the 911 is iconic and after I sold my 1999 996 I always wanted another 911. Economics forced me in the Boxster but in retrospect I should had waited and put more in the cookie jar as overall it would have been less expensive to leave the Boxster out of the equation and gone straight to the 911.
That said, the Boxster was an absolute blast to drive and legroom aside, I miss the car. You can't go wrong with either. Personally I like the 981 styling better than that of the 718, but both are super sharp. Getting rid of the 911 doors and going to sculpted doors on the 981 and 718 was a great move by Porsche and the styling on those cars is just gorgeous.
Done plenty of miles in both, mine and friends. Back to back, road and track, and over extended periods. As an open car personally I'd probably go for the Boxster. If you fit that is - at 6'3" and with long legs I only just fit into a Boxster or Cayman, the seat simply doesn't go back far enough.
But if it was a coupe question then 911 always. Good as the Boxster / Cayman chassis is the 911 is just more planted on the road. Not necessarily faster, but more planted. Drive them back to back on a twisty mountain road and the differences are significant. But cruise along the highway not so much. But either way, if I'd been driving a Boxster over a weekend getting back into the 911 Monday morning for peak hour commute still felt good.
If somebody offered to swap me a 981 Spider plus appropriate cash (to represent relative value difference) for my 991 GTS I'd give it a serious consideration. Great cars, the Boxster series. (For many reasons I'd not want a 4-cylinder version, even if it was faster than the six. A big part of that is the feeling of NARP -- much like 944Turbos always were cast with. I'm not talking about taking heat from other people about it -- talking about knowing inside that I have a less-traditional Modern Porsche engine architecture than the 911 guys have. But that's just me.)
Used to have a 981 Boxster S and changed it for a 991.2 last September. Boy I miss the Boxster.
The 991.2 is fast but it just doesn't feel as planted as the Boxster. Is a complete different feeling. The Boxster turns nicely and you don't have the feeling of the front part of the car floating when you accelerate. Having said that, as an everyday driver, the 991.2 is a better car. The suspension is smother and that makes a big difference if you are planning to spend a long time in the car. Off course the two back seats are also handy (not that I use them too much...).
I'm 6.1 and still the Boxster felt comfortable. Off course in the 991.2 I have more space and overall visibility in the car is better.
They are both nice cars and by the way, the new 718 Boxster is a rocket. If I could buy one, I would do it on a heartbeat (Lava Orange with Black wheels).
I have both the 997 (not in convertible form) and a 981 Boxster S. Carving the canyon roads with top down is much more fun in the Boxster than my 997. 911 in convertible form just doesn't look that nice to me. The Boxster looks so much better and more exotic. The only argument for the 911 is it's a 911, if you don't care about that, Boxster S or GTS is a better choice.
The boxster is a lot of fun. Since it's mid engined, it drives very differently and feels like it's on rails. Not sure about the newest generation but the previous ones were a lot less powerful, noticeably so. You'd want the S or GTS for sure. The only drawback is the lack of backseats. The bonus is the extra trunk which is perfectly sized for large pizzas.
The Boxster is beautiful. No shame. If we were honest with ourselves and didn't buy a brand/lifestyle then many here would be in a boxster and not a 911. I had to get something with a "back seat." But.... was really torn in trying to convince the wife - and still find myself looking at older, manual, Boxtser/Cayman S's to supplement the C2S Cab/PDK.
It is a fantastic car. My build that I keep going to is 100k.... not cheap but way more optioned than my 991 and still less than a lot of used 911's.
Go test drive them back to back and follow your heart. Don't make a spreadsheet with pros/cons.
Even though the Boxster might feel more fun and all that, at the end of the day, if you only own a Boxster you know deep inside that you have indeed a lesser model than a 911 (pedigree). I know because I was one of them with a well optioned 981CS costing more than a base 911 for 2 years daily driving. It has been nice but every day was a reminder of what the childhood dream car would feel like to be mine.
Once I got into the 911, even just a base model, I knew that I got the aspirational car.
02-20-2017, 02:12 AM
