Poll: Would you take a Boxster with a Carerra engine over a Carerra or even a Turbo?
 

A Boxster the new 3.6 litre enginge could be the perfect sports car to me.

That would be awesome and I would definitely want to own such a car. So Porsche will probably never build it.

richard
'87 Carrera-3.6L

Here's a can of worms, OK I'll bite.

The Boxster series is positively underpowered; 2.5, 2.7 and yes the the 3.2 S as well. Let me put it another way. If PAG marketed +300Hp in the mid engine Boxster I'd buy one right NOW! Make mine Arctic silver metallic, ROW-M030, et cetera.

Until then, casual sprints in my wifes "hairdresser Boxster" with the installed baby seat will have to do.
Great platform. Needs juice!

Have fun,
MS <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

two questions or even three

For a convertible yes.
3.6 boxster over 996 convertible
twin turbo over 3.6 Boxster (too many other things that come with the Turbo)

If the car was dual purpose track and street -- prefer 996 or twin turbo, unless I had a convertible requirement. The question is too hard.

We solved the dilema.


<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

I've got a 3.4 Boxster with upgraded cams and it is darn near perfect. I'd always lean toward the covertible. 3.6 would be even beter.

For now I'm driving my 3.4 and loving every minute. Read my post on this board for more details. Someday when there is a Garret turbo system available and thus less real estate needed for intercoolers I may TT the little beast. I've got enough juice until then and it will take me a while before it seems tame and in need of a shot again.

Do you have the Carerra tranny in your car also?? Or the stock Boxster gear box? Does the Boxster have to be a 97-99 to work? Where can I find a 3.4 or 3.6 litre engine out of a wrecked car??

I've got the boxster 5 speed. Any year will work. Can be standard Boxster or S. Of course standard Boxster gives better over all improvement.

I'd troll the Porsche salvage yards, also many ships that do installs have engines, FVD, Ruf and Gemballa for exaample.

When you get near 300 hp in the Boxster it really turns into a little ubercar.

I think this is what the 911 owners don't realize is that the Boxster is a better balanced car and given enough horsepower would leave the 911 wanting on the track. Porsche didn't build its next supercar the Carrera GT on the Carrera platform (they didn't build it on the Boxster platform either) but rather chose a mid-engine Boxster-like design for it.

Porsche isn't going to kill its bread and butter 911 so you'll never see a 300+ HP Boxster from Stuttgart (or Finland) until the standard Carrera is over 350HP. The 911 simply makes up for its inherent design flaws through additional HP and a few other "goodies".

If I had the funding I'd put a 911 race motor in a Boxster and enter it at LeMans and clean up in the GT class, might even take out a few GTS cars as well. :D

I saw this knowing full well some 911 owners might get upset. Hey I like the 911, I'd love to have a 993 or 996 TT to jet around in, no doubt, but when I step back and look at it from which platform would I take to build a race car from if money were no object, I'd take the Boxster for its superior handling characteristics. It's simply a matter of physics.

Oh yeah, I could get a tan in the Boxster too... :)

Ok off my
<img src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" border="0" alt="[soapbox]" />

I am sure you are correct, at least it works out that way on paper. I have driven and instructed in both cars on the track and will agree that the Boxster is better balanced, but without question the 911 is more fun on the track. The downside to the mid engine is the rate at which a spin will develop without PSM of course. The Boxster with equivalent power-to-weight may be faster, but I can't say for sure, it is certainly way more civilized. I believe aesthetically the Boxster has it all over a 911 Cab because it was designed to be one.

Having a boxtser and moving up to a 911, let me introduce my 2 cents. A properly created mutant is very appealing. The Boxtser would need the motor, 3.6 X51 sounds like the way to go, the tranny needs improvement even from the S. It would need bigger brakes even from the S. The boxtser weighs almost the same as a C2 Coupe. Now you have a wonderful sports car. Shed some weight and it gets better. The problem becomes the chassis. The mid engine does have its own unusual set of spin characteristics. Give me a few months and I'll let you know which I think is worse. Last issue is the top. Although an open top is wonderful for daily motoring, it sucks for racing. The chassis is WAY to soft for serious power and a stiff suspension. There were rumors of a Boxster Coupe with a bigger motor, but that is getting towards what we are creating which presents a problem for the 911s. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

I realize people want stiff body cars for track cars, so the question is how much flex is there in a Boxster. Evidently, according to those who have tested front and rear shock tower bars, those bars provide little if any additional stiffness that Porsche got it right from the start. Of course once you dump a lot more HP into a car that could change, but I assume since most 911's have cross bars in the back for additional support that you could add something similar for the Boxster to make it equally as stiff.

As far as which car is more "fun" on the track, I think that is subjective and that either car could be considered more "fun" than the other given circumstances and drivers.

:)

Oh, and I'm still getting a tan... ;)

Does anyone really prefer the 911 Cab to the Boxster?

The Boxter will never be as stiff as the 911 Coupe no matter what you do it. Well, not without adding 400kgs of weight (and perhaps not even then)!

I can understand the points being made from a Boxter owners view - and that is of course that their car is best, that the 911 is less stable etc. - but this is not true. Amongst other things, the 911 has less weight transference under heavy braking as well as much better traction than a Boxter will ever achieve.

As to the point about 'given enough horsepower, would leave a 996 wanting on the track' that is pretty much the same with ANY car. $20-25000 on my car would get me a RUF conversion with around 450hp. That would also leave the 996 'wanting' or even 'panting' on the track.

A cabriolet will never be the weapon of choice if you are looking for outright, allround performance. Having said that, I do like the Boxter and for people who live in warmer climates who do not require a pure performance tool - it does make sense. Especially if you really need a tan.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is not my intention to flame. The driver is what really counts. A very good driver in a 2.7 could keep up with an average driver in a 996.

I will concede that "fun" is subjective, but if I could choose where I wanted the additional power, I would prefer it in my 911 and give me another gear too. The Boxster is great the way it is, but does need the glass rear window (more weight).

<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

being a early 911S guy and having tracked 911's since the mid 80's and instructing many POC and PCA drivers for many years and having owned a 996 and a Boxster S. I feel that I am very qualified to open my mouth.
FACT: Porsche states that the Boxster chassis is as stiff as a 996 C2 COUPE. This is a bonafide fact.
FACT: The Boxster is lighter than a 996 C2 Coupe.
FACT: A Boxster with a 3.6L X51 engine would simply leave any 996 in teh dust on any track.
FACT: Its easier to spin a 996 than a Boxster I know. Ive done ALOT of skid pad work on both cars. The rear engine and the shorter wheel base of the 996 allows you to see the rear end take the lead. With the Boxster's Mid engine and soft front bushings and longer wheel base make the Boxster push out of turns. Thus preventing or making it harder to induce a spin.
FACT: TTP makes a 3.6L twin turbo Boxster with 650HP that is truely an engineeing masterpiece.
FACT: Porsche will never put a 3.6L in a Boxster. However they will put in a detuned 280HP 3.4L engine in the car.
FACT: It is very easy to get 30 HP out of any Boxster S by replacing the intake,headers and remapping the ECU. This alone will make it as quick or a little bit quicker than a 3.4L 996.
FACT: The Boxster S is the Sleeper super Sports car that Porsche doesnt want anyone to know about. Its the true modern Porschephile's Porsche. People that "diss" the Boxster S as a lesser Porsche don't know what they are talking about.

Robert G
69 911S
85 911 Turbo
00 Boxster S
Stock 3.2L Engine
TTP Headers
handmade Cold Air intake (I built it)
Stock Muffler( Because its the best in performance)
remapped ECU
H&R twin spring coilovers
GT3R Brake system
front and rear strut bars
short shift kit
Big Willow track times 1:32
Streets of Willow, 1:14
Pomona Fairplex dragstrip 3-01
0-60= 4.88 sec
1/4mi=13.02 107 mph

RobertG. I could not agree with you more!! Having similar time as yourself with all the Porsche cars, the Boxter S is a bloody WOLF in Sheeps clothing.

A reason why I guess we have a lot of fun with HP Upgrades and Engine Conversions we build.


Theo

I don't think I am going to argue with somebody as qualified as Robert G, but a couple of observations from a 'neutral' (i.e. I have a 911 but don't have any love for the 996 per se):

1. FACT: The Boxter chassis is as stiff as a 996 C2.

Is it the actual chassis that is as stiff or the whole vehicle? How could Porsche manage to build a coupe that isn't stiffer than a convertible? Think of 2 cardboard boxes, one with a top - the other open. The open one would have to be 3 times as strong (at least) in order to retain structual integrity. Is Porsche just sloppy?

2. FACT: the Boxter is lighter than a 996 Coupe.

Totally agree. If we look at point 1. - how did Porsche achieve this?

3. FACT: A Boxster with a 3.6L X51 engine would simply leave any 996 in teh dust on any track.

I would tend to agree, however it doesn't so it won't which is what my point is. Go back to my comment about a RUF conversion for my car.

4. FACT: It is easier to spin a 996.

I agree, but haven't had much time in a Boxter so don't know from experience - but logic dictates this.

5. FACT: TTP makes a 3.6L twin turbo Boxster with 650HP that is truely an engineeing masterpiece.

Interesting and I agree, but irrelevant.

6. FACT: Porsche will never put a 3.6L in a Boxster. However they will put in a detuned 280HP 3.4L engine in the car.

You have an unequalled insight into Porsche's strategy for the coming years if this is indeed a 'fact'.

7. FACT: It is very easy to get 30 HP out of any Boxster S by replacing the intake,headers and remapping the ECU. This alone will make it as quick or a little bit quicker than a 3.4L 996.

No experience of this personally but sounds totally plausible. I don't understand the relevancy of this 'fact' - presumably you are saying that it is impossible to get another 30hp out of a 996 by similar means?

8. FACT: The Boxster S is the Sleeper super Sports car that Porsche doesnt want anyone to know about. Its the true modern Porschephile's Porsche. People that "diss" the Boxster S as a lesser Porsche don't know what they are talking about.

I would have to argue that the first part of your statement is your personal opinion so cannot be granted status of 'FACT'. The second part of of your statement is interesting. This is because Porsche have made the Boxter as a lesser Porsche and therefore it IS one. That doesn't mean that with minor modifications it changes that completely.

All I am saying is that we can all modify our cars endlessly and be faster than the next guy etc. - but there will always be someone faster than you. I hope we can all enjoy our cars whether they are stock or at 650hp. If some of you get satisfaction out of knowing/shouting to the world that the Boxter is the 'Super Sleeper Ultra Sports Convertible' or whatever then that is part of the joy of ownership. I know some 964 owners that do the same thing regarding 'damned waterpumpers'.

I hope I have not 'dissed' the Boxter any more than you guys 'diss' 911's. And it is quite possible I don't know what I am talking about Mr. G. But opinions are like a**holes. Everybody's got one and they all stink.

Drive carefully!

A Boxster RS;
w/ 3.6, tt brakes, sport suspension, sport wheel/tires

wo/ ac, power widows, power top

Would get my hard earned $

Fact: It is easier to get 30HP out of a Boxster than a 996 because Porsche severely hampered the intake and headers on the Boxster. The stock intake hole for the Boxster is roughly half the size of 12 ounce can of soda (in diameter). You open that hole and you get some real solid HP gains and much better intake sound. The stock headers on a 996 are much more open than the stock headers on a Boxster S. You open that up with after market headers and you again get some real gains in HP and Torque. So it is impossible to get similar gains in a 996 by the same modifications because Porsche gave the 996 better (freer breathing) stock headers and intake systems .
FACT: its called BoxSter not Boxter.
FACT: the Boxster is as stiff as a 996 coupe due to the four point roll bar and more cross bracing in the chassis than a 996. Engineering wise the Boxster has the same Hertz value as a 996.
FACT: A Boxster is lighter not so much because it lacks a hardtop (optional one weighs 52lbs) but because it doesnt have a rear seat and glass windows and extra carpeting, speakers, soundproofing, etc etc etc which all have wieght that adds up.
FACT: 996's are not 911's Neither are 964's Only 911's are 911's &lt;nudge&gt; &lt;nudge&gt;
FACT: I have very good sources for info on upcoming 996's and Boxsters and they have never been wrong so far. 2005 will be a good year.
FACT: I also was in Anaheim a year or so ago when the Boxster Coupe was unvieled to potential customers. It looked very nice. It will be a great track car.

I saw a Carrera GT being tested, reminded me an awful lot of the Boxster. Do I win something? :)

yes, you win a big yellow Banana

Hey RobertG-man,

Did you see my updated website, now with a GALLERY for users to upload their pictures into? I expect to see a pic of your wheels there!

<a href="http://www.smiley.net/boxster/" target="_blank">http://www.smiley.net/boxster/</a>

:D

I wonder what you would have to do to a Boxster to enable it to keep up with a GT3 which, IMHO, is the only 996 type that follows the 911 tradition of being a sports car first and foremost.Comparing a sports car (Boxster) with a grand tourer (996) isn`t comparing apples with apples.

well the closest that I got to testing this was last May at the California Speedway during the SDR-PCA speedfest. I was coming off the infield course and onto the banked oval. Now, I was following a brand new 2002 GT3RS. Right before we got onto the straight high bank. There wasa little chink type turn. It was slow enough that I had to get into 1st gear for a few seconds to keep my RPM's up. Now, I was about 4 feet behind the GT3RS. As I went from 1st to 2nd gear I stayed with him on the straightaway and did not give up any ground up until I went into 3rd gear. Then he started very slowly pulling away. Nothing very impressive When I went into 4th gear and judging by the rear end dip on his car he also went into 4th. When we hit 4th gear. He went BUH-BYE! He really left me standing still and he kept excellerating. It was the coolest thing that I saw in a long time. I really wish I had video of it. It was very cool!

Robert G

What do you estimate your rwbhp? - 250?

last time that I dynoed it it came out to about 243.2 rwHP

Robert and I are very similar, same headers, same ECU programming, different intakes. My best run was 244.7, usually in the lower 240's for rwbhp.

Ah if I only had a turbo, or er uh a couple of them!!!

Hey Robert, haven't seen you upload a picture of your car to my Gallery yet!!! Get Crack'n!

240 rwbhp would make a Boxster a pretty quick car. The major critisism of Boxsters has always been lack of power and torque.
Is there any reason a GT3 engine couldn`t be used? - that would be quick!!

I would love to have a Boxster with a Carrera engine, if it were a coupe. Lots of torque, loads of fun, etc. Wait a second, thats a 996....

In Germany there are plenty of Boxsters with GT3RS and 3.6L engines. Lots of German tuners are cranking them out.These are some of my pics of my my sleeper.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...2/fd6be367.jpg.

Carrera yes, turbo no. Of course price would be a factor.

Boxster Coupe? More info please. Possible graduation present to self :)

Only trouble with trying twin turbos on a 3.4 or 3.6 in a Boxster is fitting the intercoolers without disturbing the rear profile of the boxster by adding a large wing to cover this. I really like to maintain the stock exterior of the car and not ruin the beautiful lines with a massive flat deck cooling wing.

TTP claims to have twin turbo kits for Boxster 2.5, 2.7, 3.2 and they even offer a kit that bores a 3.2 our to 3.4 and twin turbos it !! They do not have a picture of the rear of their car however. I also do not know about their track record or history so you may need to be concerned about flying debris !!

<a href="http://www.ttp-sportscar.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ttp-sportscar.com/</a>

I've got a 3.4 Boxster for now and loving every bit of it. I'm going to follow these guys for a while to see what their Twin Turbo Boster development brings and think about it next year. I'd be curious to see if anyone has experience with ttp.

I have owned 2 911s and have driven but not buying the boxster. I think a 986 is a more modern sport car, one which makes you feel good about the car. However, the 911(air-cooled) will make you feel good about yourself, which is a deciding factor when I made the purchase.
I dare to say that you can have similar driving "feeling" in other modern sports car that compares to a 986, but the "feeling" of a 911 is totally different and unique. And let me also say this, you will have fun in either cars: the differnt is that the boxster is for those who think they can drive and the 911 is for those who know they can drive.
My humble opinion.

964, your a trolling flamer. You no not of which you speak. anyways, TTP uses water cooled intercoolers that are attached to the firewall in the rear trunk. the rear trunk even with the intercooleris still quite usable. My boxster S gives me the light and nimble feeling of my 69 911S race car. A 996 gives be the feeling of 928GTS, Both are great. Both are different. Both are equal. Both are used for different events.

Nice call Robert. <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> Please provide all info you can on ttp twin turbo install. I would greatly appreciate it as all I have seen to far is on the website and that is very limited.

Do you have any Pictures?

Thanks Dave

Last time I talked to the TTP folks in the US, the TT Boxster was running around $22K !!! and as Robert said you give up part of your rear trunk.

I guess those big boat 996's just have a lot more dead space in them... ;)
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />

well, I talked to Guenther ( formerly of TTP) and he said that now on the new single and twin turbo kits they put the water cooled intercoolers in the rear fenders just behind the tail lights and ontop of the wheel well. He said that there is all sorts of unused space there. So now you can have your rear trunk untouched.

That sounds like a hell of clever install. I would love to see some pictures of that. What about other plumbing for the intercoolers (remote radiators) are there any?

How many TT 3.4 boxsters has TTP done? Any articles in excellence or European car yet?

Hey Robert, see if Guenther can figure out how to slap a larger supercharger on the 3.2L as well... evidently TPC says you can't go larger, but I disagree and think there must be a creative solution out there...

yeah, TTP does all of Gemballa performance mods. Also TTP won the german tuner championship from 2000 to 2002 with their Boxsters. Guenther is hard ot get ahold of.TTP provides alot of performance mods for other tuners in the US and Germany. Most of these tuners would have you beleive that they researched these mods themselves.

[quote]Originally posted by RobertG:
<strong>In Germany there are plenty of Boxsters with GT3RS and 3.6L engines. Lots of German tuners are cranking them out.These are some of my pics of my my sleeper.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...2/fd6be367.jpg.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Robert - what is a sleeper?

http://static.ifilm.com/image/stills...347_m_1_a_.jpg
Heres a sleeper

I am certainly not an engine or TurboCharging guru, but I thought that turbocharging such high compression motors was not a good thing to do.

Do these kits that TTP and TPC put on Boxsters change out the heads, pistons, etc...to lower the compression ratio.

I am interested in the Turbo kit for my 2002 2.7L. Now that would be a nice sleeper! Especially since the base Boxsters get majority of the shaft all the time. Heck, I love my 2.7L as it is my daily driver and fun to drive.

<img src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" border="0" alt="[blabla]" />

TPC doesnt. But TTP changes the heads, cams, intakes, lifters. etc

[quote]Originally posted by Ken2KS:
<strong>I think this is what the 911 owners don't realize is that the Boxster is a better balanced car and given enough horsepower would leave the 911 wanting on the track. Porsche didn't build its next supercar the Carrera GT on the Carrera platform (they didn't build it on the Boxster platform either) but rather chose a mid-engine Boxster-like design for it.

Porsche isn't going to kill its bread and butter 911 so you'll never see a 300+ HP Boxster from Stuttgart (or Finland) until the standard Carrera is over 350HP. The 911 simply makes up for its inherent design flaws through additional HP and a few other "goodies".

If I had the funding I'd put a 911 race motor in a Boxster and enter it at LeMans and clean up in the GT class, might even take out a few GTS cars as well. :D

I saw this knowing full well some 911 owners might get upset. Hey I like the 911, I'd love to have a 993 or 996 TT to jet around in, no doubt, but when I step back and look at it from which platform would I take to build a race car from if money were no object, I'd take the Boxster for its superior handling characteristics. It's simply a matter of physics.

Oh yeah, I could get a tan in the Boxster too... :)

Ok off my
<img src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" border="0" alt="[soapbox]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

This sounds like the same arguments when the 914-6 came out:
- aerodynamically more efficient
- better handling
- better dynamic characteristics

It's deja-vu all over again

Heck, 914's still clean up at racetracks/autocross events.

The Boxster was based on the success of the 914 too.

You don't need a bigger engine to embarass more powerful cars in a Boxster, just a great driver. There was a Boxster S at the Porsche/Ferrari track day I was at on Saturday, about the only things it couldn't gain on and/or pass through the turns were a GT3 (which was lapping just about everything including the F40 that was there) and a quartet of slick-shod F360 challenge cars. It doled out some severe embarassment to a great variety of Porsche and Ferrari drivers :D

Agreed John, evidently one of our brethren was lapping them all at Watkins Glen recently. :)

Uh, fact: both the 986 and the 996 are way too heavy.

If you look at the track time at The Nurburgring (below), a Boxster with 3.4L ain't faster than a regular 996. I don't know if 3.6L makes a big difference.

Having said that, I would be VERY seriously tempted if they have a Boxster TT with say at least 340hp.


<a href="http://home.swipnet.se/~w-32546/nbring/home.htm" target="_blank">Link to Nurburgrin Track Time</a>

Sorry I posted the wrong link... The right one should be

<a href="http://www.track-challenge.com/main.asp?useframe=tracktest1.asp?ordering=8" target="_blank">http://www.track-challenge.com/main.asp?useframe=tracktest1.asp?ordering=8</a>

The TechArt 986S and Gemballa 986TT is faster than the S but about the same if not slower than a regular 996.

Every single 996 I have run my 3.4 Boxster against I have smoked. Two coupes and a cab so far. 993's are beaten even more severly. (love the confusion on the oil pumpers face !)

Bring your MY00 C2 AS to the Midwest and we can add it to the list of 996's I've thrashed.

<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Boxster 3.4, come on out to California, and I'll show you what even a 29-year-old 911 can do to your fancy little convertible. ;)

(Actually, I'm a pretty big Boxster fan. I don't think it will get much of a reputation, though, until they reach a price point where they make attractive track cars. Then, if an aftermarket develops, watch out 911's...)

Sorry I have to pixx somebody off again. I said it before and I'll say it again: If you THINK you are a good driver, get the boxster, doesn't matter if it's been modified. You will come out looking real good(people will think you are a good driver). If you KNOW you are a good driver, get the 911. If you come out after a drive looking real good, you are real good.
I will take a boxster for convertible fun, and a 911(coupe) for driving challenge and fun. I remember when the 944 first came out, all the adjectives we saw describing the boxster today were used to describe the 944 then, well..........

First, I am a Boxster fan too and would really like one as a 2ndcar if I can afford it.

Now, let me quote Vic Elford...

"The 911 is prehaps the most maligned car ever built. ANytime car enthusiasts get together they tell horrendous stories of 911s spinning or leaving the road backward. Any black marks on the guard rail around freeway exits are automatically attributed to out-of-controls 911s.

Curiously, few, if any of these stories are recounted by 911 drivers themselves. Theu usually come from people who assume that because of their rear weight bia, 911s automatically spin the moment conditions are anything but ideal.

The truth of the matter is that although early 911s were a little more difficult to drive than "conventional" cars, largely because they had compararatively narrow wheels and tires, one you master the technique, you can do things with a 911 that, if not impossible, are certainly much more difficult with other cars. However, it is vital to cultivate the sense of balance and develop the smoothness discussed earlier if you want to get the best out of this car."

Jack - Your car is is a great idea. Drop a 260hp 3.6 in a 2500 lb car. You'd give me a good run.

My car is 276 RWHP in a Mid engine chassis with 10 inch rear wheels running 265's.

If we come west this winter don't worry I'll look you up. You bring the 104 gas !!

:D

Paul,
I think that actually PROVES our point. The Bi-Turbo 911 from Gemballa has 500hp, the Bi-Turbo Boxster has 320, yet both went around the track in the same amount of time.

This of course can mean many things:

1) Different drivers with different skill levels
2) The 911 made up for shortcomings in the turns by increased speed in the straights
3) The track configuration favored straightline performance as much as cornering performance
4) Differences in suspension setups not listed here
5) etc. etc. etc.

So while this chart is "interesting" it is hardly conclusive of anything...

I'm happy to film some 911's at the track in a couple of weeks, but to do so I'll have to turn my camera around and point it backwards... ;)

One thing you guys should know is that the Gemballa TT Boxster is using a 2.5L engine. Gemballa now uses a 3.6L twin turbo for the Boxster S. HP ranges from 450HP to 650HP.
You guys are right. The Boxster IS easier to drive. Just like 964's are easier to drive than REAL 911s like a 69 911S. Now I also have a 930 Turbo and I can tell you she is bitch that will biteyou if you dont pay attention to her in a corner.non turbo 911s are easy to drive when you compare them to the early 911 turbos. But My Boxster and my 930 are both a blast to drive. For canyons, itsthe Boxster, for freeway use lonely roads its the 930.

Ken:

Look at the numbers again. The comparison wasn't to a 911 Turbo, but a 911 S (C4S) with 3.6L and 320hp.

Porsche 911 Carrera S 320 370 280 5 5,2 1.15,9

TechArt-Porsche Boxster 3.4S 310 365 278 5,7 6,5 1.15,6

Gemballa-Porsche Boxster Turbo 310 400 265 5,5 6,2 1.18,8

Porsche Boxster S 252 305 260 6,1 8,5 1.19

According to these numbers, the Boxster 3.4 is neck-to-neck with a 996 C4S (3.6) around the track. Straight line time is significantly faster on the C4S. Unfortunately they don't have performance numbers for a regular 996 C2 which is lighter and a bit faster than C4S.

My guess is that a Boxster 3.6 and 996 3.6 would be about neck-to-neck. The choice from then on is straightly driver perference. i.e. whether you perfer a mid or rear drive, cab vs. hardtop, etc.

Hey Boxster 3.4 guy, what is your net weight after the engine upgrade. I wonder what the power-to-weight ratio is comparing 986 3.4, 3.6 and the 996 C2 and C4S...

Yes, I saw the RUF Boxster 3600. I would have ordered one if not for the fact that my company is still in layoff mode... :(

In any case, good to know we are all so passionate about this subject. ;)