Carrera cab vs Boxster
02-19-2017 | 09:14 PM
#16
Banned
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,687
Likes: 37
From: Westchester, NY
Thanks for the great responses so far. This will be a third car for now, possibly seguing into a second car. We have an E350 wagon and an aging 3-series. My wife dailies the wagon and I daily the ZHP.
I'd like a light, tossable, fun car for the curves. I don't care about power and straight line speed, really. Whether I get the Boxster or 911 now, later in life I'd plan to get the other. I don't care too much about image or the NARP thing. I could see the back seats being useful for my two young kids and I'd probably get the 911 if I wasn't planning on keeping and trying to stretch out the useful life of my E46. The car I really wanted, truth be told, was the Miata. I'd probably get the Boxster without asking any questions if it weren't for the reputation that the 911 has as being God's gift to car enthusiasts. The Boxster seemed fun and the 911 a little sanitized during my test drives. (I drive about 6/10 on normal commutes, generally don't mash on the throttle, and prefer to take curves and ramps quickly.) Hence my moment of doubt and question for those who've had substantial seat time in both.
With the above said, does that impact anyone's advice for me?
I'd like a light, tossable, fun car for the curves. I don't care about power and straight line speed, really. Whether I get the Boxster or 911 now, later in life I'd plan to get the other. I don't care too much about image or the NARP thing. I could see the back seats being useful for my two young kids and I'd probably get the 911 if I wasn't planning on keeping and trying to stretch out the useful life of my E46. The car I really wanted, truth be told, was the Miata. I'd probably get the Boxster without asking any questions if it weren't for the reputation that the 911 has as being God's gift to car enthusiasts. The Boxster seemed fun and the 911 a little sanitized during my test drives. (I drive about 6/10 on normal commutes, generally don't mash on the throttle, and prefer to take curves and ramps quickly.) Hence my moment of doubt and question for those who've had substantial seat time in both.
With the above said, does that impact anyone's advice for me?
02-19-2017 | 09:20 PM
#17
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19,034
Likes: 255
From: Centerton, AR
Thanks for the great responses so far. This will be a third car for now, possibly seguing into a second car. We have an E350 wagon and an aging 3-series. My wife dailies the wagon and I daily the ZHP.
I'd like a light, tossable, fun car for the curves. I don't care about power and straight line speed, really. Whether I get the Boxster or 911 now, later in life I'd plan to get the other. I don't care too much about image or the NARP thing. I could see the back seats being useful for my two young kids and I'd probably get the 911 if I wasn't planning on keeping and trying to stretch out the useful life of my E46. The car I really wanted, truth be told, was the Miata. I'd probably get the Boxster without asking any questions if it weren't for the reputation that the 911 has as being God's gift to car enthusiasts. The Boxster seemed fun and the 911 a little sanitized during my test drives. (I drive about 6/10 on normal commutes, generally don't mash on the throttle, and prefer to take curves and ramps quickly.) Hence my moment of doubt and question for those who've had substantial seat time in both.
With the above said, does that impact anyone's advice for me?
I'd like a light, tossable, fun car for the curves. I don't care about power and straight line speed, really. Whether I get the Boxster or 911 now, later in life I'd plan to get the other. I don't care too much about image or the NARP thing. I could see the back seats being useful for my two young kids and I'd probably get the 911 if I wasn't planning on keeping and trying to stretch out the useful life of my E46. The car I really wanted, truth be told, was the Miata. I'd probably get the Boxster without asking any questions if it weren't for the reputation that the 911 has as being God's gift to car enthusiasts. The Boxster seemed fun and the 911 a little sanitized during my test drives. (I drive about 6/10 on normal commutes, generally don't mash on the throttle, and prefer to take curves and ramps quickly.) Hence my moment of doubt and question for those who've had substantial seat time in both.
With the above said, does that impact anyone's advice for me?
I own both a 2002 2.7l Boxster (with 308K+ miles) and a 2003 996 Turbo (with 152K+ miles so seat time I think I have plenty of).
Have to be honest and say if I had to get rid of one car I'd be hard pressed to chose which one. They are both great cars but different. (Just spent over $2K on the Boxster with new tires and rear brakes.)
The Boxster is a well balanced machine, a Goldilocks kind of car, in that every thing is just right. Right HP. Right brakes. Right weight. Plenty of storage/cargo space. And that mid-engine placement is to die for. The 5-speed shifts like a hot knife through butter and the car is very maneuverable around town and plenty of fun in the twisties. Great on long road trips too. Didn't accumulate over 308K miles just making grocery runs.
Kind of a weird thing in a way but when I lived in the KC MO area there was this one off ramp (on north bound 291 at E. 39th Street) a kind of decreasing radius off ramp. More than once in the Boxster I'd take this with some car on my tail no doubt the driver thinking he could with his car match the Boxster's cornering speed. I'd take the corner and know it was going to tighten up but the Boxster could handle it with ease. I could even accelerate some as the corner tightened. Behind my car I'd hear the other car with its tires squealing as the driver learned the cornering difference between his car and the Boxster.
'course more than once in cold weather I'd take a on/off ramp at somewhat reduced speed, too, and in these cases even jacked up pickups could stay with my car. The Boxster high performance tires so great in warm weather needed to be treated with more than a bit of caution in colder weather.
On twisty roads the car was a blast. One particular one stands out: South of the MO/ARK state line in Arkansas on highway 7 just south of Harrison ARK I had a heck of a time until I started to get car sick. First time since I was in short pants I've been bothered with car sickness. But the cornering speed and the g-forces the Boxster obtained was like a rollercoaster ride.
02-19-2017 | 09:22 PM
#18
Race Car
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,410
Likes: 714
From: Northern Virginia
02-19-2017 | 09:52 PM
#22
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,181
Likes: 6,516
Agree with tstafford. Boxster.
I own both a 2002 2.7l Boxster (with 308K+ miles) and a 2003 996 Turbo (with 152K+ miles so seat time I think I have plenty of).
Have to be honest and say if I had to get rid of one car I'd be hard pressed to chose which one. They are both great cars but different. (Just spent over $2K on the Boxster with new tires and rear brakes.)
The Boxster is a well balanced machine, a Goldilocks kind of car, in that every thing is just right. Right HP. Right brakes. Right weight. Plenty of storage/cargo space. And that mid-engine placement is to die for. The 5-speed shifts like a hot knife through butter and the car is very maneuverable around town and plenty of fun in the twisties. Great on long road trips too. Didn't accumulate over 308K miles just making grocery runs.
Kind of a weird thing in a way but when I lived in the KC MO area there was this one off ramp (on north bound 291 at E. 39th Street) a kind of decreasing radius off ramp. More than once in the Boxster I'd take this with some car on my tail no doubt the driver thinking he could with his car match the Boxster's cornering speed. I'd take the corner and know it was going to tighten up but the Boxster could handle it with ease. I could even accelerate some as the corner tightened. Behind my car I'd hear the other car with its tires squealing as the driver learned the cornering difference between his car and the Boxster.
'course more than once in cold weather I'd take a on/off ramp at somewhat reduced speed, too, and in these cases even jacked up pickups could stay with my car. The Boxster high performance tires so great in warm weather needed to be treated with more than a bit of caution in colder weather.
On twisty roads the car was a blast. One particular one stands out: South of the MO/ARK state line in Arkansas on highway 7 just south of Harrison ARK I had a heck of a time until I started to get car sick. First time since I was in short pants I've been bothered with car sickness. But the cornering speed and the g-forces the Boxster obtained was like a rollercoaster ride.
I own both a 2002 2.7l Boxster (with 308K+ miles) and a 2003 996 Turbo (with 152K+ miles so seat time I think I have plenty of).
Have to be honest and say if I had to get rid of one car I'd be hard pressed to chose which one. They are both great cars but different. (Just spent over $2K on the Boxster with new tires and rear brakes.)
The Boxster is a well balanced machine, a Goldilocks kind of car, in that every thing is just right. Right HP. Right brakes. Right weight. Plenty of storage/cargo space. And that mid-engine placement is to die for. The 5-speed shifts like a hot knife through butter and the car is very maneuverable around town and plenty of fun in the twisties. Great on long road trips too. Didn't accumulate over 308K miles just making grocery runs.
Kind of a weird thing in a way but when I lived in the KC MO area there was this one off ramp (on north bound 291 at E. 39th Street) a kind of decreasing radius off ramp. More than once in the Boxster I'd take this with some car on my tail no doubt the driver thinking he could with his car match the Boxster's cornering speed. I'd take the corner and know it was going to tighten up but the Boxster could handle it with ease. I could even accelerate some as the corner tightened. Behind my car I'd hear the other car with its tires squealing as the driver learned the cornering difference between his car and the Boxster.
'course more than once in cold weather I'd take a on/off ramp at somewhat reduced speed, too, and in these cases even jacked up pickups could stay with my car. The Boxster high performance tires so great in warm weather needed to be treated with more than a bit of caution in colder weather.
On twisty roads the car was a blast. One particular one stands out: South of the MO/ARK state line in Arkansas on highway 7 just south of Harrison ARK I had a heck of a time until I started to get car sick. First time since I was in short pants I've been bothered with car sickness. But the cornering speed and the g-forces the Boxster obtained was like a rollercoaster ride.
Wow!
02-19-2017 | 10:09 PM
#23
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 1,202
From: Playa Del Rey, CA
I had this same decision to make a few years ago. I opted for the 911 cab for several reasons: I wanted back seats (primarily for my golf clubs, not for people), I thought it looked better to my eye, I appreciated the car's heritage, and I felt safer in a bigger car. In hindsight, I made the right decision - for me - but it is a great problem to have, choosing between two excellent, albeit different cars. You can't go wrong either way!
02-19-2017 | 11:16 PM
#26
Race Car
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,410
Likes: 714
From: Northern Virginia
Silly talk from those folks. I had a Boxster S as a loaner (the last of the flat sixes) over a weekend and it was a lot of fun to drive. Still prefer my 911S and I'm not a convertible guy, but if I was, it would have been a very fun option! 
02-20-2017 | 12:17 AM
#27
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,642
Likes: 742
From: Canada
I needed rear seats for young kids and AWD for added traction in our snowy climate. While my friend drives his RWD Cayman all winter, I prefer the extra performance AWD offers, so,for me it's a 911.
02-20-2017 | 01:19 AM
#29
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 8,947
Likes: 2,631
From: The Woodlands, TX.
Originally Posted by Hurricane
That is one reason I switched from Vettes to 911s. I find I drive my 911 far more than my previous Vettes because I can bring a kid or two with me. Fun dropping them off or picking them up at school!
My kids are 6 and 10 and they love the back of the 991. Not many pure sports cars that can accomplish that.
