mzn50

My wife just picked up a Boxster.. and here are my findings ..

Responsive
Very good Accereraltion
Excellent handeling
Balanced handeling
less of a nervous car then the 997 s
Hell of a fast convertible system ...

Most of all ....Sheer FUN

For a car that is much less expensive, this car competes well with my 997s, Im not speaking about performance, although perhaps in a different league, it still competes, Im talking the joy of driving, we drove this car yesterday for almost 5 hrs and top up or down, we both had smiles.

I often read about the "S" and non S" versions of our P-Cars..Sometimes we forget to just enjoy the drive .. and any speed..

This P-Car surprised me !!!!

Turbo Jonny

In these days of speed cameras and higher fuel costs the boxster makes a lot of sense.Fast enough for the street and a sheer pleasure to drive.
We are planning to get one , still not sure of options ,especially whether to get ceramics.Hopefully by next spring...

Ray S

It is really a shame that so many Porschephiles (I suspect most of whom have never driven the Boxster) hold the car in such low regard.

The car is routinely knocked in various forums on this board.

I happen to think the Boxster is one of the greatest Porsche's the company has ever produced. It seems many well know and highly regarded Porsche enthusiasts and former race drivers agree. A little over a year ago Excellence asked a group of these people to pick the top 10 Porsches the company has ever made. The majority of the lists included the Boxster as one of the 10.

I am glad you are enjoying your new Boxster.

tetzlafh

When speaking with Alois Ruf and bringing up the Boxster he mentioned that he thought of it as a "true" Porsche. The sheer driving experience that Porsche intended.

mborkow

i've owned both (911 and boxster); the boxster is the better car.

fast1

It's one of Porsche's best kept secrets. You can buy a moderately equipped Boxster for about the same price as an Audi TT roadster, and as far as I'm concerned the Boxster is a superior car in every way. I would expect that 99% of those who hold the Boxster in low regard have never driven one.

Leica356

When it comes to the new stuff, Mid engine is the way to go...

I've always loved the Boxster since it came out, and have never forgot that bad feeling I got in my stomach when I first saw the 996 back in 99.

Putt-Putt

Replaced my 997S with the 07 Boxster and an 07 BMW 335i coupe. The Boxster is just perfect. The BMW, like the 997S is too fast for American roads, but it's stunning. No knock on the 911 though, it's just another form of art.

ELUSIVE

I miss my 05 Boxster S. The handling was impressive.
I also like the front end of the Boxster Better. I like the rear end of the 997 way better though.
Both are great cars and the Boxster is all Porsche.

ncsustats

A couple months ago, in an attempt to do the ultimate test drive, I participated in the porsche sport driving school down in Birmingham. As I've never owned a porsche, and my only driving experience at that point had been a 997S Cab test drive, my goal was to walk away with a clear decision on what to buy....
What I noted:
-) I like the sound of the 997 better than the 997S
-) brakes are king, and although the ceramics are over 10x the cost of regular 997s brakes, they last 10x longer on street/track...so not so much of $$ empediment, and I will get them if available,

and most pertinent to this discussion...
-) The most exciting event was the boxster/boxster S autocross!!


I actually liked the boxster open air experience so much that it created enough doubt for me to remove myself from a number-one '08GT3 allocation I was holding. Not that I believe the 987 was a true match for the GT3, but it reminded me of a time when I had both an '01 Mustang Cobra Vert and an '02 Honda RC51 (sportbike for those not into them). Although the mustang could not compete on the track with the bike, I just loved the open air, hearing the engine/exhaust first hand...it felt much more engaging....as did the boxster experience.

Growing up I always had posters of 911s, not boxsters, and honestly that has been the only thing holding me back...but after the drive...the boxster seems to be just a hands down winner vs the 997 (as long as you can remember that the car will perform best on a race-track and not a dragstrip, so don't feel bad if a lone mustang cobra takes you at a street light...hehe..i did beat a couple early boxsters w/ my cobra!)

SD987S

nc, that's an interesting point about the 997 sound. I've owned a 987 base and a 987S (3.2) and the base 2.7 arguably sounds better. It's more of a screamer and the sound is constantly present top up and down, the 3.2 less so. I will say though, in a closed environment, at slow speeds (like a parking garage) the 3.2 definitely sounds the boss.

mzn50

The Boxster does sound very sweet.. bit of a high whining sound .. however..my 997S has the PSE (Sport Exhaust) .. no comparison with that option ..

ELUSIVE

Boxster S sounds really good inside, but kind of wimpy outside. Always a disappointment.
997S sounds awesome inside and out.

ncsustats

Well, it's all fairly subjective I guess. I'm used to american V8s, my Cobra had a fantastic sound...but I always liked the sound of older volkswagen engines and I guess I feel that the smaller porsche engines remind me of that. The 997S sounds fine to me, but it doesn't have the real thunder of an american v8 or the race car sounds of Ferrari's or amg MB's. That being said, I'm a bigger fan of performance than just audio...so I'd be opting for the 3.8X51 in the Boxster if i was given the option!

fast1

The challenge that any manufacturer has is to make an exhaust sound that not only sounds great for a few moments, but one that you can live with for extended periods of time. Of course PSE allows you to shut it off when the noise gets tiresome on long trips. IMO Porsche makes about the best OEM exhaust sound. It's not irritating on long trips, and it really wails when you get over 5K.