Is the boxster the new 911
Discussion
I have a new boxster s this week and after three hundred miles or so I actually really like it. Not as direct or brutal as The Daddy (being lovingly fettled by Cambridge OPC) but the PDK 'box and general feel is great. It looks really good at last and stands on it's own finally not as a weird 911 wannabe like before.
Given the 911 is arguably a jag coupe competitor not a lithe lightweight sports number is the boxster now lining up to take the mantle? Boxster GT3 perhaps? I'd definitely be interested...
SM
Given the 911 is arguably a jag coupe competitor not a lithe lightweight sports number is the boxster now lining up to take the mantle? Boxster GT3 perhaps? I'd definitely be interested...
SM
t ... Im confused
uknick said:
ellroy said:
No, but it's more of what the original car was designed as being for at the time.
Hope that makes some sense.
Does that description not suit the Cayman better, having a bit of metal between you and the sky?Hope that makes some sense.
For me it's a Boxster 981 as I want another convertible, but one of my friends is going to replace his 997 C4S with a new Cayman S. Both of us have had a brace of 997s and we've made a decision based on a combination of perceived value, driving feel, handling and practicality as well as fun. Both of us can afford a 991 (although it's more of a stretch these days), but neither of us felt that it fitted what we want out of our toys (which are not our everyday cars). So we're voting with our feet.
So neither car is the new 911 - but having reached that life goal of "I want to own a 911 one day" - neither of us feels any need to pay through the nose to have the "halo" model of the Porsche range to satisfy our egos, the "sweet spot" being elsewhere - at least to our tastes. Each to their own!
MadMark911 said:
Agreed that it suits it better - but the "new 911" is always going to be "the new 911" in my book. In this case it's now the 991 - but what we (as potential purchasers) have to decide is which of the new car range suits us best, following all of this evolution (and not just on the pricing front)!
For me it's a Boxster 981 as I want another convertible, but one of my friends is going to replace his 997 C4S with a new Cayman S. Both of us have had a brace of 997s and we've made a decision based on a combination of perceived value, driving feel, handling and practicality as well as fun. Both of us can afford a 991 (although it's more of a stretch these days), but neither of us felt that it fitted what we want out of our toys (which are not our everyday cars). So we're voting with our feet.
So neither car is the new 911 - but having reached that life goal of "I want to own a 911 one day" - neither of us feels any need to pay through the nose to have the "halo" model of the Porsche range to satisfy our egos, the "sweet spot" being elsewhere - at least to our tastes. Each to their own!
This ^^. The new 911 is the new 911, plain and simple. The new Boxster might be more like the car you think the 911 SHOULD be but that doesn't make it the new 911 IMHO. I got the 991 Convertible because I wanted a convertible. The new Boxster is a great piece of kit and I thought about it for about 10 seconds and then realised I would always be after a 911 if I bought one.For me it's a Boxster 981 as I want another convertible, but one of my friends is going to replace his 997 C4S with a new Cayman S. Both of us have had a brace of 997s and we've made a decision based on a combination of perceived value, driving feel, handling and practicality as well as fun. Both of us can afford a 991 (although it's more of a stretch these days), but neither of us felt that it fitted what we want out of our toys (which are not our everyday cars). So we're voting with our feet.
So neither car is the new 911 - but having reached that life goal of "I want to own a 911 one day" - neither of us feels any need to pay through the nose to have the "halo" model of the Porsche range to satisfy our egos, the "sweet spot" being elsewhere - at least to our tastes. Each to their own!
Have owned 2 Boxsters and driven many (including 981 S) and am definitely a Boxster fan !!
While its a fantastic & very capable sports car, I don't personally see it as a 911 replacement in any way. And that's a good thing ! The Boxster should be celebrated for what it is and not continuously compared to another model in the range. I mean lets face it, on most roads, a 981 S would be just as quick (or maybe even quicker through the twisties) than a 991....so this is not necessarily an argument about performance or ability (and please lets forget price just for a minute).
It's more about personality. For me, 911s have always had that idiosyncratic persona defined by having the engine slung out over the rear wheels. This defines not only the handling characteristics, but also the appearance and packaging of the thing. I know this has been very much watered down over the years....but it's definately still there IMO.
Whenever I drive a 911, I always approach it with a feeling of respect....like I can push it so far but then my lack of driving skills will be exposed....perhaps disastrously ! So it's like the car is the master if you will. Whenever I drive a Boxster, I just thrash the living day lights out of it without giving it a 2nd thought. So I never get bored of the 911, for me it always seems like it has more for me to explore and more for me to learn.
This is totally illogical I know but is just how the 2 cars make me feel personally. So no....the Boxster will never be "the new 911" and Boxster / 911 lovers alike should all be very grateful for that IMO.
While its a fantastic & very capable sports car, I don't personally see it as a 911 replacement in any way. And that's a good thing ! The Boxster should be celebrated for what it is and not continuously compared to another model in the range. I mean lets face it, on most roads, a 981 S would be just as quick (or maybe even quicker through the twisties) than a 991....so this is not necessarily an argument about performance or ability (and please lets forget price just for a minute).
It's more about personality. For me, 911s have always had that idiosyncratic persona defined by having the engine slung out over the rear wheels. This defines not only the handling characteristics, but also the appearance and packaging of the thing. I know this has been very much watered down over the years....but it's definately still there IMO.
Whenever I drive a 911, I always approach it with a feeling of respect....like I can push it so far but then my lack of driving skills will be exposed....perhaps disastrously ! So it's like the car is the master if you will. Whenever I drive a Boxster, I just thrash the living day lights out of it without giving it a 2nd thought. So I never get bored of the 911, for me it always seems like it has more for me to explore and more for me to learn.
This is totally illogical I know but is just how the 2 cars make me feel personally. So no....the Boxster will never be "the new 911" and Boxster / 911 lovers alike should all be very grateful for that IMO.
OggyDJ said:
Whenever I drive a 911, I always approach it with a feeling of respect....like I can push it so far but then my lack of driving skills will be exposed....perhaps disastrously ! So it's like the car is the master if you will. Whenever I drive a Boxster, I just thrash the living day lights out of it without giving it a 2nd thought. So I never get bored of the 911, for me it always seems like it has more for me to explore and more for me to learn
Pretty much how I summed it up to OPC when I handed back the 2013 boxster courtesy car I had for two days last week.Am angling for a drive in the new cayman though, I like the look of it.
having owned both, i would say no.. the 981 is an excellent excellent car, better in many ways than the 911 (well a 997.1 in my case) but the 911 is a legend 
if i could afford a 991 and another cab for summer i'd have one in a heartbeat (i'm not a fan of the 911 cab sorry)... there's a special feeling you get in a 911 that a Boxster just doesn't give you IMO, its a difficult thing to describe, its the same in a TVR and no doubt a Ferrari or Lambo, despite most of them being pretty rubbish cars - still love my 981 though LOL best car I've owned!
if i could afford a 991 and another cab for summer i'd have one in a heartbeat (i'm not a fan of the 911 cab sorry)... there's a special feeling you get in a 911 that a Boxster just doesn't give you IMO, its a difficult thing to describe, its the same in a TVR and no doubt a Ferrari or Lambo, despite most of them being pretty rubbish cars - still love my 981 though LOL best car I've owned!i've seen and particpated in many threads on this subject and generally it seems to come down to whether you're a pure 911 fan or whether you want a decent sports car that delivers 90% of what the 911 can do for around 70% of the cost.
For some cost is unimportant, for some image is very important and for some the driving experiance is all that matters.
My view? I think the Cayman represents the modern interpretation of what Porsche originally set out to achieve, a light(ish) small sports coupe that people bought for fun and excitement and if it wasn't artifically restricted would be even better. I have Boxster as a second car and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and that for me is all that counts.
I suspect there will be many on here that will agree with that and many more that won't and on that point all I can say is, each to their own.
Miopyk
For some cost is unimportant, for some image is very important and for some the driving experiance is all that matters.
My view? I think the Cayman represents the modern interpretation of what Porsche originally set out to achieve, a light(ish) small sports coupe that people bought for fun and excitement and if it wasn't artifically restricted would be even better. I have Boxster as a second car and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and that for me is all that counts.
I suspect there will be many on here that will agree with that and many more that won't and on that point all I can say is, each to their own.
Miopyk
Miopyk said:
i've seen and particpated in many threads on this subject and generally it seems to come down to whether you're a pure 911 fan or whether you want a decent sports car that delivers 90% of what the 911 can do for around 70% of the cost.
For some cost is unimportant, for some image is very important and for some the driving experiance is all that matters.
My view? I think the Cayman represents the modern interpretation of what Porsche originally set out to achieve, a light(ish) small sports coupe that people bought for fun and excitement and if it wasn't artifically restricted would be even better. I have Boxster as a second car and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and that for me is all that counts.
I suspect there will be many on here that will agree with that and many more that won't and on that point all I can say is, each to their own.
Miopyk
I agree with this. It's all very subjective. For me Boxter only delivers about 50% of what the 911 can in terms of the whole package, performance, looks, how I feel about driving the car etc... for 70% of the cost, so why bother? I do sometimes think that people say "is the Boxter the new 911" because it somehow helps them feel like it's a better car for that reason. There's no doubt that the 911 is THE iconic Porsche sports car and I can't see that changing anytime soon. It's great to see that Porsche has such a great range of top-notch alternatives as well these days!. For some cost is unimportant, for some image is very important and for some the driving experiance is all that matters.
My view? I think the Cayman represents the modern interpretation of what Porsche originally set out to achieve, a light(ish) small sports coupe that people bought for fun and excitement and if it wasn't artifically restricted would be even better. I have Boxster as a second car and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and that for me is all that counts.
I suspect there will be many on here that will agree with that and many more that won't and on that point all I can say is, each to their own.
Miopyk
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