csLA

The other day i walked by a 997 turbo, and just like that, I’m obsessed. However, I’m not sure about the drive vs a boxster s. I love the sportiness, handling, and how raw the boxster feels. Primarily canyon driving and backroads. Has anyone compared the 987.2 to a 997 turbo?

Also, if anyone knows where to rent a 997 turbo. I’ve been searching all over turo etc

2swoosh

is your 987 a manual? i drove a manual Boxster S and it's enough to enjoy the Porsche feel but not enough power for banzai runs. The turbo can give it to you manual or automatic

csLA

It’s PDK. That’s what I’m reading about the turbo, the power feels incredible and the power comes easy. Also, that it’s a much smoother and more comfortable drive than a 987.2 when you don’t need the power

Bxstr

I've driven 986 Boxster, 987 Cayman and lots of driver and passenger seat time in 997 Turbo. Little time in .1 Turbo, more time in .2 Turbo and .2 Turbo S, both .2's were PDK.

Depends what you want. Boxster/Cayman is a lot of fun to ring out. You can actually go full throttle on a backroad and not get arrested. I enjoy that. If you do that in a Turbo, you will be going to jail. Both are going to feel sporty and fun, but just in different ways. With the Turbo, you're going to have fun due to the rush of torque. With Boxster you're going to have fun because of the ability to go full throttle. With the Turbo, I'd highly recommend an exhaust with high flow cats in order to really get the sound out of it. I don't see a huge difference in handling between the two. The Turbo is going to stick really well with the AWD on it. The Boxster is mid engine and is super confidence inspiring due to that fact.

I'm not a speed guy so in many ways a 987.2 Cayman R or Boxster Spyder would suit me better. What I will say though is if you get the right spec 997 Turbo, there are few cars that look better. I'd even say they look better than 997 GT3s most of the time, which is what I own. The side vents in particular just look perfect on that car. Add a few simple mods and I have what I think is a car you can keep forever.

Best of luck with your decision.

charsiuboar

Will toss my 2c in here as I have both a 987.2 BS 6sp and a 997.1 TT Tip and like to drive both “spiritedly” on streets and backroads and highways but never (yet?) on track.

To sum up my perspective — as the brits like to say “horses for courses”. Different purposes for both and I like both for different reasons. We also live in Texas.

The Boxster S 6sp will always be the fun car to drive in almost any situation - aside from long roadtrips. Wonderful handling, steering feel, quick enough and tossable in the twisties plus the glorious sound of the PSE exhaust. If it’s not raining or snowing or crazy hot, the top is down.

The 997.1 TT tip (which I sold my C7 Z06/Z07 7sp for) achieves a couple purposes - it’s plenty fast enough for fun, a bit more “mature” on the roads (ie I don’t get harassed every 5 secs by a mustang or Camaro or hellcat or charger etc wanting to do a dick measuring contest) and better for road trips, commuting when required, and my wife can drive it which always makes car ownership a happy experience for all.

they handle very differently. On 997 you can still feel the rear end of the car around turns and bends so need to adjust your approach to hard driving accordingly. Both are fun and highly capable and I regret neither. Just depends if you want to be Jekyll or Hyde. Neither is bad in the right circumstances.

if I had to sell one and keep one, however, I’d sell the 997.1 TT. The Boxster is just more fun and performance for the money. Turbo is great and tip performs surprisingly well but I’m not sure it’s 2x the fun vs money if that makes sense.

csLA

thanks very much for the info! I haven’t driven a cayman R (dream car) or spyder but I have found a spyder to rent nearby, saving it for a special weekend. How would you describe the rush of torque on the turbo? I completely understand and can appreciate your comments about the boxster - fun, confidence aspiring and ability to go full throttle 💯

charsiuboar

The rush of torque above 2000 rpm in original spec “sport mode” is comparable to the sensation of a passenger jumbo jet taking off.

if you tune it (softronic, FVD, Cobb) it’ll be even stronger/faster. But that also sends you down the forced induction cooling/intake/turbo sizing rabbit hole 💰… everything has a trade off. Just remember heat has to go somewhere.

csLA

I love the sound of the PSE exhaust on the boxster! Interesting about the wife being able to drive the 997.1TT, I think it makes sense since the 911s I’ve driven are more comfortable, easier to drive (less sporty feel compared with feeling everything in the boxster).

I guess that’s the dream: owning both! I definitely envy you! Definitely makes sense about the fun and 2xcost.

csLA

747 take off every time I get in my car? I’m even more intrigued now. Thank you!!

harlanmott3

Just remember everyone with a 997tt could have had a boxster if they wanted and saved money. There is a reason for that. Where are you located at? May be able to find someone local with one that will take you out in it.

charsiuboar

And then there’s a population of folks who have a Boxster who could afford a 997 Turbo (or insert any more expensive car) and choose not to. What’s your point?

to be clear, I’m not picking a fight at all. Just pointing out a potential cognitive flaw in reasoning vs rhetoric. In the end, I have both because I like the differences and contrasts.

One can exist without the detriment to the other.

cjcam930

I totally agree that you really need to test drive or at least ride along in the different cars of interest and see what you like best. The differences are quite huge considering AWD vs RWD, rear vs mid-engine, and turbo vs NA... The Turbo's powerband and astounding torque is a very different driving experience vs any non-turbo Porsche. Also the Turbo will have more leather inside and a more luxury 'feel' overall; remember it cost roughly 1.5-2x more when new. LOL like many I'm a fan of boost as well as high-revving NA engines so I have one of each but in the form of a hot-rodded 914-6 not a Boxster... I really would have a tough time choosing just one. I blame a B5 Audi S4 (2.7L V6 biturbo) for originally getting me addicted to boost around 20 years ago.

Bxstr

The torque is insane. It is really unlike anything else. Things start coming at you very quickly. Literally feels like a huge gust of wind just came up behind you to push you along.

TurboTime997

The boxster is a fantastic sports car. Period. So to me, if I had a Boxster, whatever I moved into next would have to address something I didn't like about it. As noted above, I could have bought a Boxster instead, but this is also my first Porsche and I always wanted a 911. And for the price, the Turbo gives the best bang for the buck 911 experience, IMO. But, if the car was stolen or got totaled, I'd probably move to a Boxster/Cayman of some vintage. There is a lack of feel/feedback from the 997 turbo that I felt even in the base 987.1 I drove several years ago. The hydraulically assisted clutch with no feel and (IMO anyway) overboosted brake pedal feel in the 997 turbo takes away from the driving experience for me. And then there's the stock exhaust, which isn't great IMO in the 997 turbo. But the pace, the steering, and the overall feel of the car when on the highway or backroad is excellent. Coming from an e92 M3 and before that a new Mustang GT 5.0, I don't find the AWD in my 997.1 turbo to be a hindrance at all. It feels largely as RWD to me as the other cars I mentioned. I also like the interior appointments in the Turbo cars vs lesser models (unless optioned to Turbo spec).

There's a lot to like about a boxster/cayman, but it's just a different driving experience than a Turbo. If you can't or don't want to drive a manual, you then have to determine if you want a 997.1 with the tiptronic (which won't be as sharp as the PDK in your car) or a .2 with the PDK, which also has the benefit of the updated interior vs earlier cars. Find a way to get behind the wheel of a Turbo and you'll know pretty quickly whether it's for you or not.

Carlos4S

Having owned 986 S, 981 S and now TTS, they are very different cars. The mid-engine cars have amazing dynamics, making corner-to-corner transitions a thing of beauty. The TTS brings on the torque in any environment to power through pretty much anything. TTS can be made to handle well, but it would be expensive, challenging, and still unlikely to match the dynamics of the 987/981. Physics and weight distribution being the major differentiators. Likewise, you can add power to the 98x, but it won't match a TTS. The 98x rewards managing momentum, while the torque of the TTS gives you an "out" if you messed up corner entry, etc.

The TTS is not as comfortable on road trips. 98x is much quieter and more sedate. More of a GT Lite. The TTS is more raw and much louder in the cabin, even with damping mats on the floor, footwells, and tunnel. Four feet of rubber on the road combined with a stiff chassis and light steel make for a lot of road noise. When driving more than a couple hundred miles in the TTS - which is often - I wear custom fit -25 Db earplugs just to reduce sound fatigue.

I average about 10,000 miles a year in the TTS. Reliability for the TTS has been very good. Aside from regular maintenance, I have thankfully avoided any repairs to the TTS over the past 5 years. I have no qualms hopping in for a road trip at any time, as it's been so reliable.

Handling, ride comfort and driving dynamics: 98x
Power, acceleration, and turning it up to "11": TTS
Aesthetics: your call, but I find them both beautiful, with the TTS purposeful and the 98x sleek
Cachet, legacy, classic, "cool factor": TTS
Livability as daily driver: 98x, but the TTS is no slouch

98x = scalpel that encourages and rewards precision

TTS = steak knife with plenty of heft to make the cut

Good luck!
YMMV