$20k to spend - '97 Boxster or C5 Vette?
#16
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Originally posted by HBacura
All that extra V8 power with better gas mileage
No offense, but when will Porsche get it right
All that extra V8 power with better gas mileage
No offense, but when will Porsche get it right
#17
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Randolph, NJ USA
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I have been driving my 2002 Boxster for 4000 miles now (I got it with 7700). I routinely get 23-26 mpg driving to and from work (18 miles each way on suburban roads - about 35-40 minutes). On the highway I get 30 or more running at 70+ mph.
#18
Vampyre,
Thanks for that excellent comparison of 2 similar but very different cars. Even magazine road tests don't offer the insight that car owners can contribute.
Magazine writers often consider sports cars to be in a variety of distinct classes and only compare cars with other cars in their class. For prospective sports car buyers the alternatives are usually those cars that fall within a given price range.
I am considering a Vette vs a 996. A lot of people would laugh at that comparison but I like to autocross my cars and there's nothing like V-8 torque to make up for poor cornering skills. In my 540 I beat quite a few sports cars at every event and that's based solely on the V-8 advantage.
Thanks again,
Mickey
Thanks for that excellent comparison of 2 similar but very different cars. Even magazine road tests don't offer the insight that car owners can contribute.
Magazine writers often consider sports cars to be in a variety of distinct classes and only compare cars with other cars in their class. For prospective sports car buyers the alternatives are usually those cars that fall within a given price range.
I am considering a Vette vs a 996. A lot of people would laugh at that comparison but I like to autocross my cars and there's nothing like V-8 torque to make up for poor cornering skills. In my 540 I beat quite a few sports cars at every event and that's based solely on the V-8 advantage.
Thanks again,
Mickey
#19
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I have an '02 Z06 and an '03 Boxster S. In the German navy it they would be a pocket battleship and a torpedo boat... Both can whip your butt. And don't ever forget it...
They are so different it is almost impossible to compare the two. The Vette is a bulldog and the Boxster is a ballerina...
They are so different it is almost impossible to compare the two. The Vette is a bulldog and the Boxster is a ballerina...
#22
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I have been to Detroit before and it seemed to me that every car I saw was either a C5 or a Mini-van. This being the case I would go with the Boxster. Be a little different in an American Iron state. Either way your a lucky guy and I am sure you will have a smile on your face every time you drive the one you pick. Hell, pick both, it is not like you can take the $$$$ with you. Best wishes - Jay Gratton
#23
The Porsche Boxster is a way better choice.....!!!! the handling of that corvette in no way compares to the Boxster. The Boxster is tight and very responsive... the vette suspension is like mush in comparison and the car can get away from you in turns very quickly....
#24
The two cars are really quite different, the Corvette will be far more muscular in torque. However, IMO the vette will also feel less refined, rougher riding. As my dad said when we drove the 944 and Vette back to back, "the corvette is a gorilla, a powerful beast whereas the Porsche approach is more like Baryshnicov, powerful yet more focused on balance". When I was in Michigan driving foreign metal used to garner some looks, nobody ever keyed the Z though. If you do select the Porsche, try to get a S or a newer car than the 97. The horsepower bumps from a 97 are noticeable. Lastly, some may say it's a draw but there is nothing like a M96 with headers (except air cooled oldies) at high RPM, you will want to wind it up again and again for the sound alone.
#27
Are you really going to pay $20K for a 1997? When I bought my 1999 Boxster (only 39K miles) it was only $10K. And it was a great example of a boxster. I think for $20K, you could get a 996 Boxster S. Hell, for $20K, you can get a 996 911...
-td
-td