WalterMitty

Scooby921

I don't own one, but a friend has an M3 Competition. Awesome car. Gives me torque envy vs. my 981. Flappy paddle gearbox is rather fantastic. Within the limits it's a very fun car to drive. More space makes it rather practical all things considered. Only complaint is the on/off nature of ESC. There is no "sport" or "track" mode. Either it's there to protect you or it's not. Makes it a bit of a monster to drive on the track as it has a ridiculous torque curve. Either ESC is on and way too intrusive or it's off and you struggle to keep it straight if your right foot is the slightest bit too heavy.

If I could get that torque in my 981 I'd be set for life. If I only had one car I think I'd go for the BMW just for the slight practicality advantage. Having two cars, I'll keep the 981. Mid-engine, light, nimble. It's not faster in a straight line, but it responds faster to steering inputs and I turn faster lap times at the track.

JAhmed

Very different cars. My cousin got his M3 ZCP at the same time I got my 981 Cayman GTS. Every time he drives my car, he looks like he is physically in pain from making (his words, not mine) "the wrong choice". I think his car is fun in its own way...as the above poster has mentioned, the car has an immense amount of torque and (once it gets traction) is incredibly fast. Personally, I think it all comes down to what you are looking for from the car... keep in mind the M3/M4 is a relatively heavy beast, and has the power to back it up. The 987/981 are have less power and less weight. Of course, you could get a 718 Boxster and have your handling AND torque...

TulaneAg

I have a 13 Boxster S and a 15 M4. I'd say you have it a touch backwards. The Boxster S is a well mannered car and very easy to drive fast. The M4 is a fire-breathing dragon that will bite you hard if you don't give it the proper respect. And in my experience, much harder to drive well and get the proper lap times out of it on the track.

WalterMitty

JW3

fast1

If you want a practical car that provides you with a spirited drive, I'd go with the M4. OTOH if you regularly track your car, the Porsche is the clear choice. Keep in mind that the M4 is built on a 3 series platform,and has a curb weight of nearly 3600 lbs. The 911 or Cayman was designed for sport from the ground up. Granted that the BMW M guys have done a great job with their mods, but it's going to fall way short of any Porsche on the track. I know one M4 owner, and he loves his car. He never tracks it, and loves the straight line acceleration that the M4 provides.

TulaneAg

algiorda

I don't know why everyone keeps bringing up the Cayman. The OP mentioned BOXSTER and CORVETTE and I presume the OP is looking for a convertible. The Boxster with the Top down is an ethereal experience in my opinion; especially living near Coastal city in a warm climate. Sure, I get my *** kicked by M4's and Vettes off the line, but I get more interest in my Boxster than my son get's in hi Vette. LOL

p997s123

Pruettfan

It seems a lot of people cross shop the M4, M2, Cayman, Boxster, and Corvette in various combinations. They are all different animals and pretty substantially different driving experiences. All good but different. I drive an M2 daily and love it, my next car will likely be a 718 Cayman S. I have spent 4 days on track in the M4/M3 during 2 Day M School and Advanced M School, they are both great cars but very different experience from Boxster. They are large and you can feel the weight when pushed to the limits but are absolutely fast cars that love to be driven hard. If I were looking for a car that I could haul 4 people in with a good trunk and the flexibility of fold down seats the M4 or M3 would get my attention especially because you can pick up great low mileage used examples for great prices and they have proven to be very reliable cars. Just about every person I know who has bought a M2 or Boxster/Cayman in the past 3 years has considered the other. Again they are different cars but they do offer a smaller footprint, fun to drive and sporty ride. The Corvette can be a great value and I think the Grand Sport is the sweet spot in the C7 lineup. I have considered a C7 in the past but the ergonomics are not my favorite and any sports car I own has to be comfortable enough for me to take on long drives and also to the track so headroom with a helmet is a key factor for me.

I would say anyone who would consider an M4 sterile hasn't driven one. They are a great experience but I am partial to the M2 over the M4/M3 because it is the right size, plenty quick and handles great. I would add the M2 to your list and go drive an example of each.

pitt911

I have an M3 comp, and had a BS and spyder
different cars but both are great.. Matter of personal taste , and other practical needs
but one thing for sure
they are both better than corvette

manifold danger

That Ferrari red M4 is DEAD SEXY.

Here was mine:


Here is what I replaced it with:



I still miss that car. I still try to think of ways to this day to buy another one just like it. As others have mentioned, it's a different experience; the cheap and easy way of putting it, the M4 is more of a GT whereas the 981 is more of a sports car. The DCT was fantastic, but ultimately what led me to the Boxster was my individual requirement to have a manual transmission in my life. Maybe if I bought the M4 with a manual I never would have looked elsewhere... I didn't track it regularly (once a year on average so 2 times total), but I found it incredible on the track. It's blazing fast with gobs of torque, but it also is very easy to make it go where you want it to, and feels great doing it. The stock steel brakes won't last on track though, I found out the hard way.

But all that said, I'll probably keep my BGTS forever. Not as fast, but more fun to drive on a daily basis- as you'd expect from a car built as a sports car from the ground up.

But the M4 just did EVERYTHING so very well.

Some would also argue about the sound. As having owned both cars for at least a year each, I feel like I have solid credentials from which to make an informed observation. I don't think it's much of a question on "which car sounds better"; the clear choice is the Boxster. But the M4 doesn't sound nearly as bad as people would try to have you think. It's different, but it's actually sort of exotic. I think it's the cold start noise that turns most people off; you'll have to get past the around 45 seconds of blaring with the flaps open at 3000 rpm. But driving with the windows down and the car in sport mode was always pleasant to me.

Anyway, be grateful you have the opportunity to make this choice, as they're both great cars in their own way.

CaymanSinAR

I was a BMW guy long before I was a Porsche guy, but as for the M4 convertible, I'd say pass. I found it massive and heavy on the road, even compared to my 4GC. Crazy power and torque, but sounds like it is gargling rocks. Plus, when you put the top down your trunk space becomes limited. But you do have a very usable back seat. If you need a back seat where people will actually ride it's the better option.

But I'd go Boxster GTS all day long.

I'd pick the 911 over the M4 as well. My PDK 991.2 somehow feels lighter and more nimble daily driving than my 981 GTS. But I prefer the Boxster for canyon carving and track duty. Manual, NA, and mid engine balance do it for me.

MidEngineRules

No experience with Vettes, but M4s are horribly suspended and the motors are no longer of racing heritage or pedigree. They annoyingly crash over every bump, and lack a lot of feel. My former GF had one, and I didn't enjoy driving it, nor driving in it. BMWs lack the refinement of Porsche, and lack the lightweight feel. My 991.2 Targa 4S is about the same power, but the cars are world's apart. They ought to be considering the price difference. You'll see a lot more used BMWs on a Porsche lot than vise versa.

A lot depends on your use. 911s have no real usable back seat comparatively, and Boxsters/Caymans have none. For fun factor driving I'd look at used Cayman GT4s, used 981 Cayman GTS, or a new 718 Cayman GTS, in that order. If you want the best driving car for the money, find a mint 2012 Cayman R. Only 330 hp but better suspended (X73) than all but the GT4, and the steering is sublime as is with all 987s. Cayman R's are only 2800 pounds and are actually very quick and surreal balanced. They are incredible lightweight toys. They are also poised to start going up in value.

I also own a 718 Boxster GTS, which is my wife's car. I still prefer NA and am thinking of trading the Targa 4S for a 981 GT4 with PCCB. I had a 2016 Spyder and miss the 3.8. The Targa is beautiful but tame.