HELP! Boxster S vs Elise
 

I know this is a Porsche board,but I've been around here loong enough to know I can get good advice.

I'm on the list for an Elise, July 2005 delivery. Expected cost with the touring and sport pack plus increase in MSRP about $46K. Im looking for a street legal track car and fair weather fun car. It will complement my C4S on the short track and autocross. Plus, it will get the wife into track events, since she is too afraid she'll do something horrible to the C4S.

So, here I am, patiently waiting for July 2005, when PCNA e-mails me the ad for the 2006 Boxster available January. I think the car is drop-dead GORGEOUS. Looks like a mini Carrera GT with the new front end. Plus, more HP and torque, available PASM/Sport chrono or whatever that package will be called. It's more money, how much I don't know yet, but I am seriously tempted.

Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?

no contest...when you want the complete package...Porsche is it

I saw one today in burgundy and it was hot except for the color.

I'd go with the Boxster S. It will offer more comfort, more features, more everything.

For a dedicated track car, the Elise would probably get the nod, but for a street/track car, the 987. Plus, I much prefer the styling of the Porsche.

Palting, do you want a track car, or a street car? The Elise is much more of a track car and lacks a lot of amenities for a street driven car. If nothing else, the fact that it is a pain in the ass to get in and out, is enough for me to be steered away from it, unless I was going to drive it *mostly* on the track. I test fitted myself into one, and my 210 lbs 6'+ body didn't like it much.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

I want it both as a street and track car. How much I use it as one vs the other I can't quite decide, yet. As a street car, I know what I have to give up if I get the Elise vs the Boxster. What is unclear to me is, as a track car how much do I give up if I get the Boxster vs the Elise?

That depends entirely on how aggressive of a track driver you are. The Boxster will be quite a bit easier to drive for most people.

That should help in getting the wife on the track. She's an excellent driver, though. Very intuitive. She's just intimidated by this whole driving on a race track idea. I have a feeling she'll be like me, as aggressive as she can be, once she gets comfortable with the idea.

If I were you, what I'd do is wait for the Boxster S coupe. It's supposed to be priced much cheaper than the roadster, it will be a good deal lighter, probably at least 100lbs, and considerably stiffer. If you wanted to reduce weight even further, I'm sure it would be relatively easy if you started removing amenities.
I've never driven an Elise, so I can't tell you how much you'd give up. It's perhps the best handling cars in the world compared to one of the best handling cars in the world.

Porsche's warranty doesn't cover competition or track use - at least here in Canada. I'd read the "fine print" in Lotus's warranty before deciding.

I was on the list for an Elise, had put a deposit down. The car was primarily going to be for track use, very rarely on the streets. Basically sit in the garage mostly.

The Elise is a stripper, no amenities....and I wouldn't want to be driving it around on the streets and parking it at the mall personally. It is just an oversized go-kart...smaller miata. Plastic flimsy construction of door panels and such...for the money...that kind of turned me off..but since it would have been just a track car...well...I decided there are better, faster track cars for less money if that is all I would do with it primarily.

I got my deposit back. Just didn't make sense that car to me in the end.

The Boxster of course, don't need to say much. But, unless you got your heart set on a Porsche...you should check out the S2000, you can get boost easily on those things making them extremely fast...they are reliable fantastic handling vehicles...and tons of aftermarket support, af half the cost of the Boxster.

Honda did good with that car.

If you gotta have the engine in the back and the Porsche logo..plus some amenities...then maybe the new Boxster would be a good choice.

I would rather put my wife in a S2000 than a Boxster though...the thought of it getting run off a track and damaged isn't very appealing to me with a Porsche at that price unless you got money to throw away.

Good luck.

You already have a great Porsche… go with Elise
 

Palting, if I were in your shoes I'd go with Elise for the experience and adventure. You already have an awesome P car in the C4S. Variety is the spice of life. There will be redundancy with the nearly identical Porsche interiors, not to mention the step down in power with the Boxster.

It's seems you've already gotten past the obvious Boxster/Elise differences so I think Elise can offer some unique kicks—it's a bottle rocket that can hammer corners like no other and it comes at a lower price.

As an alternative you may want to consider the S2000 as mentioned by techlogik. In my book it can't compare to the Boxster S on the street but apparently it is favored on the track—and it's at least $20k less! Interesting situation. Good luck no matter what you decide.

Well, maybe faster dedicated track cars. But, not a faster street legal car. The Elise should beat just about anything with a license plate.

Okay
Simple compromise

Lotus Elise now. Sell when the BOXSTER COUPE CLUBSPORT is available. I for one am putting a deposit down for one ASAP.

Just a thought.

I thought so, too. Plus, a base price of less than $40K. No brainer, right? Little things, like how spartan it was and difficulty in getting in and out I was willing to attribute it to "character". Then, Lotus raised the base price by almost $1K. The sport pack, a $2.5K option, is a must. Then I heard that the WRX STI beat the Elise by a full 2 seconds at Brands Hatch in an Auto Car test. Geez, that's a 4 door sedan by Subaru. That dimmed the giltter for me quite a bit.

Good thought. Don't know if they'll ship a street legal clubsport, though. But, I also thought they'd never ship a street legal GT3, either.