Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Battles a Boxster GTS: Track Time Thursday Presented by Yokohama Tire’s All-New ADVAN APEX
Porsche 911 benefits from extra cylinders and more power, but the Boxster holds its own against the legend.
Since the earliest days of the Porsche brand, the 911 has been the premium performance model, quickly become a legend in the automotive world. While the German automaker has offered up a variety of models over the years that could beat the 911 in a race, at the end of the day, there is no question that the 911 is the car to which all other Porsche models are compared.
As for the Boxster, it was introduced as an entry-level model that helped bring new life into the showroom. In the early years, there was a massive difference in performance between the 911 and the Boxster, but lately, that gap has narrowed quite a bit. The folks from the CarWow YouTube channel recently put together a video showing just how close the two are in terms of acceleration and braking performance.
Porsche Duel Lineup
In the near lane, we have a new Porsche Boxster GTS, driven by host Mat Watson. This machine is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four that delivers 365 horsepower and 430 n-M of torque, which translates to 309 lb-ft. That power is sent towards the rear wheels by means of a 7-speed dual clutch transmission and this car has a curb weight of roughly 3,300 pounds.
In the far lane is the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, powered by a 3.0-liter flat-six that delivers 450 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels by means of an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox. Like the Boxster, the 911 has a high tech launch control system, but the Carrera 4S weighs roughly 3,527 pounds, so it is quite a bit heavier than the Boxster.
Racing from a Dig
In the first race, the Porsche Boxster GTS takes on the 911 Carrera 4S from a dig. On the launch, the rear-driven Boxster jumps out to a surprising early lead thanks to a better start by Watson, but as the two head down the track, the 911 catches, inches past and races to the win.
At the finish line, the 911 wins by a half-second, running an 11.3 to the Boxster’s 11.8, which is still very respectable. Frankly, an 11.8 quarter mile time will beat the vast majority of stock muscle cars, shy of the likes of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the Chevy Camaro ZL1 or the upcoming Ford Mustang GT500.
Racing from a Roll
Next, the two Porsches go head-to-head from a roll, starting at 50 miles per hour with both cars in third gear. When Watson calls for the start of the race, the 911 immediately begins to pull away, showing that the extra weight doesn’t make much of a difference with all of the extra power. We don’t know how far they raced, but it is safe to say that racing from a roll led to a more severe beating for the Boxster.
Stopping Battle
Finally, the two cars “race” to a stop to see which stops more quickly from 70 miles per hour. The Porsche 911 and Boxster speed down the track at 70 miles per hour and when they reach the cones, both drivers are hard on the brakes. The advanced antilock braking system in both cars gets them stopped in a hurry, but the 911’s bigger brakes get the heavier load stopped first.
As you can see, it is a difference of a few inches, but the 911 does stop faster than the Boxster from highway speeds.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy!
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