Helen

i was wondering what made you buy a Boxster?

and what other cars did you look at before you bought.?

ettsn

I was out looking for a '99-00 996 coupe, when I decided to drive a well-equipped '01 Boxster S so I could write it off my list of potentials. Well, I came back with a grin and bought it the next day. It seemed like a huge bargain to me. I could get a newer Boxster S, low miles and loaded for less than an older base 996 with more miles on it. How could I go wrong? It was most of the performance for a lot less money, apples to apples.

-Paul

EricT

Well, I haven't bought a Boxster YET, but I plan to (I have to wait out a lease on another car first).

For me, it was test drives. I compared a '99 Box against a brand-new S2000 and 350Z. I simply liked the Boxster better, it's just an all-around sweet car. And...it's a Porsche

Helen

i wasn't looking for a new car as i had ordered a Merc CLK Coupe. which at the time was new to the British Market.
I was taking a grou[ of teenagers shopping to a trade village when we drove past a Porsche dealers. for a laugh they dared me to go in. anyway 2 hours later i left the dealers with 4 very happy teenagers as they had been allowed to sit in and twiddle all the switches and ***** of all the display cars.not to mention arms full of badges,stickers and brochures.
and me with a huge grin as i had been for a drive and had booked my husband in for a test drive.
the Merc was forgotten about and i've never regretted it.

HBacura

At first I was looking into buying a used NSX when I came across the great deals you could get for a used Boxster. I'm someone who will take a car and hook it up for better performance. I already have 2 other 4-bangers that exceed the 300hp range, and I know too many other ppl who were hooking up NSXs, so I wanted to opt for something a little different. Since everyone knows that the Boxster is not a fast car, I could opt to drop in either a 3.4 or 3.6 engine and make it an ultimate sleeper. I sometimes do have regrets on not purchasing the NSX, but I know when my project comes to an end, I'll be a very happy camper.

autobahnNY

HBacura...everyone knows a Boxster isn't a fast car?? I disagree.

craigg

Traded in my 911 Carrera for the Boxster S. The reasons are, in order:

It's a Porsche - a newer, well air-conditioned and decent stereo Porsche.
The looks - as a convertible, there's nothing that comes close. Love those side air- intakes
The sound - the Boxster flat 6 is fantastic - and the S is just a bit moreso. The Air Cooled 6 in my 911 was pretty darned good too!
The handling - In a word... WOW! I thought I could have fun in a 911, but now I know it was just the beginning!
The Speed - it's faster than an NSX! I've driven both and while the NSX is a really nice car, the value for money equation isn't there. You hardly ever hear that when you drive a Porsche.

And did I mention the looks...

Doug&Julie

Cheaper than therapy. And more effective since I get it every day.

adsc4s

I think what he meant was that the earlier 2.7 Boxsters are not a fast car by todays standards. With the influx of Z's (350 and 4), WRX, Evo, RX8, etc, competition has become fierce.

HBacura

Unfortunately I was referring to all the models
it's a nice sporty looking and handling car, but acceleration is not it's strong point. Needless to say I went to the track this past weekend and saw an S get smoked by a slightly modded civic SI and a VW golf VR6. The same guy raced his rx-7 later and was pulling mid 12s, so he knows how to race.

HBacura

I'm not sure If you really don't know how to drive the NSX well or not but even that god forbidin honda 2000 has a faster 0-60 time over the S. Boxster S 0-60 in 5.7sec. best 1/4 i heard was 13.8. Honda S2000 0-60 in 5.5sec. 1/4 14.1. NSX 0-60 in 4.5sec. 1/4 12.9 ('97+) but most drivers hit 13.3-13.4. The type R does 12.8

craigg

Perhaps you can't read stats, HBAcura. The S time you quoted is 0-100 KPH, not MPH. 100 kph is a tad over 62 mph so let's do apples and apples, huh. The S 0-60s seem to come in around 5.3-5.4, not that it really matters.

As for your love of all things Honda, fair enough. AN NSX now lists for $89,000, about $20,000 more than a 911, and nearly $35,000 more than a Boxster S so, to use your own value for money argument for the S2000, that's not a very good return on the speed investment, is it? When stacked against the 911, it doesn't stand up either.

You seem obsessed with the acceleration numbers for cars. Having driven Porsches for a fair number of years, I can assure you they are not very good dragsters - they are really aimed at road racing and handling. Actually, so is the NSX, but I guess you would know that.

A Diesel powered Dodge 3500 Ram has WAAAAY more torque and HP than most cars but I wouldn't take one to the drag strip against a WRX either! But give me a tree stump to pull...now we're talking. Apples and apples.

I wish you the best in your quest to get your Boxster to beat an RSX or Civic or Si or whatever. I doubt that is the desire of most Boxster owners.

HBacura

That's funny that you mentioned my failing to read numbers correctly, because right now I'm looking at the latest Road & Track mag. and yep right there page 94 is that exact figure 0-60 mph time 5.7sec. I have a couple other mags that say the same exact thing. I'm not trying to bash you or anything, but I'm looking at the facts. I've seen them on the track in person. The boxster is not known for straight line performance, it's the overall package. If you are a person who considers a car in the high 5s 0-60 time being fast, then more power to you. Me on the other hand, low 5s high 4s with great handling is what I'm looking for. Lets not go into investment wise, because I already proved a 34k 4banger sadan that out performed an 80k 911 in every performance aspect in another thread. My friend...chill out, this is no attack towards you. I know negative remarks towards our cars is like a reflection towards us. A lot of men are like that...these are just facts. Let the facts be facts, don't take it personnal...in the end they are just machines.

As far as accelerations numbers, I'm not obsessed with them. But, that's what the unknown perceives a porsche to be...FAST. Within the first week of owning my boxster, most of my friends and others admiring the car asked me about how fast the car is. That is the first thing they think of when they think of porsche (it's a very fast car) that's what I mean by the unknown. No matter what model it is, it's a porsche so it's gotta be fast. Ask yourself, did you think the same thing before you started looking into porsches???? Be honest. I know when I was a kid playing those video games seeing the porsche in those racing games, I thought the same thing.

O...did anywhere in my post did I say I raced civics and RSX's, I thought not, but just making sure.

adsc4s

The Boxster S is a fast car. Hell. the Boxster is a fast car. It is not the fastest/quickest on the street but it is plenty fast/quick. Car companies are just pushing the envelope now and coming out with cars that are faster, quicker and great performance packages.

My 993 C4S is no slouch in 0-60 or 1/4 mile times. However, I know I can get smoked at most stoplights by Volvos, Mercedes, Subarus, Mitsubishis, Hondas, etc. In the end, I am happy with the overall package my Porsche offers me. And there is nothing else out there that puts a smile on my face everytime I drive/look/see/wash/smell/work on, etc, it.

HBacura

That's what it is all about.