Boxster - I've been so wrong! - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Good for you! I took my Cayman out briefly today, wonderfully balanced car, it's just such a great bit of kit. Can't fault it, great NA engine, manual, mid engined rear wheel drive, not too big, tons of space for two and luggage. It's a great car! Just can't bring myself to buy something else (which is very unusual for me - unless it's in addition to the Cayman)

I've always loved Porsches but to me, as a car snob and an old git, I've always considered the Boxster and more recently the Cayman as a sort of lesser Porsche compared to the various 911 models - and I've had a 996 C4S and a 997 C4 Cabriolet in the past. Well today I picked up my 2014 Boxster with a PDK gearbox from Wolverhampton and took the long way home - about 100 miles. The car has absolutely blown me away. It's an absolute delight to drive and the mid engine position seems to make it so well mannered on the road. I'm happy with the 2.7 power plant and it really seems to suit the PDK gearbox so well. I'm no driving guru but, so far, I have to say that I have been so wrong about these cars - they are fantastic. So far, dare I say that, I actually prefer it to any other Porsche that I have owned. I know it's early days but I'm one happy bunny. Edited by Davel on Tuesday 12th April 20:01

Boxster is a cracking piece of kit, enjoy your new car

Current Boxster and Cayman are way better drivers cars than the 911, personally the boggo basic 2.7 manual is the pick of the bunch. Very thrashable and still requiring the driver to put some effort in to get rewards.

It would take something very special to get me out of my 987 Cayman S (including as famously documented on other threads on here the Cayman R!) Great car and controversially brilliant with PDK.

They are cracking cars to drive. Congratulations on the purchase....now post up some pictures

supersport said: Current Boxster and Cayman are way better drivers cars than the 911, . Which 911s have you driven to arrive at this conclusion?

av185 said: supersport said: Current Boxster and Cayman are way better drivers cars than the 911, . Which 911s have you driven to arrive at this conclusion? 991 S, felt un-involving a bit like a large Audi, and oddly too fast but without effort. I would qualify my previous comment to say that the Boxster and Cayman are good but don't come close to an old school 911, still wouldn't swap.

I had a 987 Cayman, 981 Cayman, Cayman GTS and currently have a 991 C4S. My second Cayman GTS arrives in 10 days - the 911 just never did it for me like the Cayman GTS did.

After driving 800 miles in my Spyder , wiich is great fun , makes me appreciate what an accomplished car my daily 991 C4S pdk is , great stable mates , but if I had to choose one it would be the. Carrera .

I used to think the very same, I just thought they were a poor mans Porsche. Until a friend let me use hers for a weekend while she was away. A truly great car. It was a 2007/2008(I think) boxster S spyder, a limited edition thing I think. I fell in love with it inside 20 miles, especially the howl at 5000rpm. So well balanced and poised, I am not the greatest driver in the world but it certainly made me feel I was a better driver than I am. Very forgiving too! Having driven a couple of 911's and a Cayman, they are quite different cars and all great in their own right. I now defend them to the hilt! Enjoy the car.

I've never driven a Boxster, but my current Cayman R is leagues ahead of my old 911 4S

Well since you asked!

Davel said: Well since you asked! Very nice !

I have to agree. When, three years ago it was that time in my life that I had / could have a Porsche - after my e46 M3 was destroyed by Harrogate BMW (Stratstone), test drove several 996 and 997 911s and also the 987 Boxster and my conclusion was inescapable; the Boxster was a much better car for me - the size, the balance the precision all suited me far more than any of the 911s that I tried. I choose to have a Boxster rather than a 911. Edited by Wollemi on Wednesday 13th April 13:39

Wollemi said: I have to agree. When, three years ago it was that time in my life that I had / could have a Porsche - after my e46 M3 was destroyed by Harrogate BMW (Stratstone), test drove several 996 and 997 911s and also the 987 Boxster and my conclusion was inescapable; the Boxster was a much better car for me - the size, the balance the precision all suited me far more than any of the 911s that I tried. I choose to have a Boxster rather than a 911. Edited by Wollemi on Wednesday 13th April 13:39 Although your roof seems to be stuck in the down position

I think it's what your used to. I've had two 987/1 Boxsters followed by a 987/2 Cayman S PDK. I never really got on with the Cayman (well SWMBO never got on with it, the first Porsche we had without PASM and she found the ride way too hard on the broken roads where we live) so we chopped it in fairly quickly for a used 997/2 Carrera S PDK which was, well different obviously but still loved it. When I was thinking of changing that car had a weekend loan of a 991 - and to be honest found the greater refinement, somehow less mechanical more electronic in feel and character than the 997. Got bored with it surprisingly quickly! When the Boxster GTS came out I was sold on it the first turn of the wheel, the mid engined precision, the sound everything. Never looked back!!

I've had all 3 and the Cayman is my favourite (which is odd as I love convertibles). As said previously just comes down to personal preference, driving style and what you want from a car. I like small, compact cars and have no need for 4 seats so Cayman for me.........poor man's Porsche boils my p**** though ....!

I've had all 3 and the Cayman is my favourite (which is odd as I love convertibles). As said previously just comes down to personal preference, driving style and what you want from a car. I like small, compact cars and have no need for 4 seats so Cayman for me.........poor man's Porsche boils my p**** though ....!

I've heard that said before too. As I said at the start I was wrong in thinking them of a lesser Porsche, I'm really pleased with the Boxster and it was a toss up between Cayman and Boxster a couple of weeks ago.

I've had a 997.1 C2S and a 997.2 C4S, but the 987 manual they loaned me while my Cayenne was in for a service put a bigger smile on my face than the pair of them put together. Porsche's best car by a mile/

I've had my Boxter 987 manual for two weeks now and still like to look at it sitting on the drive. I really love this car and find any excuse to drive it, deliberately taking a long route home from work which combines fast A and B roads through the countryside. Great engine, gearbox, exhaust note above 4000rpm and envious comments from the neighbours. Thing is, it cost no more than your average bog standard used Ford Focus. However, I did begin my initial search with the 996 but after seeing bog standard C2's go from £14K to £20K for 2002-3 models in the space of the last few months the economics made no sense. So I've ended up with a Boxter for half the price of an older 996. I can't say the Boxter is a better car as I've never owned a 911 but the cost per smile must put it near the top of the tree.

quite a few years ago I bought an 05 Boxster which I loved but the need of 4 seats I ended up buying a 997 which aside the looks I never got away with just felt old and numb and understeered like a cat on a polished oak floor , I sold it on pretty quickly and replaced it with another Boxster and bought an M3 for taking the nippers out , since then have owned a 981 which I loved and recently bought a 981 Spyder which is something else ! I have owned 3 911s over the years and none of them have floated my boat. saying that the GT 911s are a different kettle of fish.

JeffC said: quite a few years ago I bought an 05 Boxster which I loved but the need of 4 seats I ended up buying a 997 which aside the looks I never got away with just felt old and numb and understeered like a cat on a polished oak floor , I sold it on pretty quickly and replaced it with another Boxster and bought an M3 for taking the nippers out , since then have owned a 981 which I loved and recently bought a 981 Spyder which is something else ! I have owned 3 911s over the years and none of them have floated my boat. saying that the GT 911s are a different kettle of fish. As Oscar Wilde might have said - "buying 3 looks like carelessness". I know what your saying - I've always admired 911s as no nonsense sports cars- but whenever I've driven one the understeer puts me off. I know afficionados will say that driving around the understeer is part of the art of driving one - but driving around a handling deficiency doesn't float my boat. It is, of course, perfectly possible to set the cars up more neutrally (as FIA GT3 ones are) - but perhaps Porsche fear that the car would reaquire its reputation for transporting its owners backwards through hedges if they did. The fear-factor may have been an attraction to the enthusiast owners of the past - but certainly wouldn't be to the present day wider market audience.

Don't forget that Porsche's first ever road car was a 2 seater, mid engined roadster (356/1). The Boxster is the car most linked to Ferry Porsche's dream. The 356 only became a 4 seater and rear engined to increase practicality and reduce cost. So in purist terms the 911 is just a compromised Boxster. Just sayin'. Edited by VladD on Monday 18th April 12:51

yeh but a Boxster isn't a proper Porsche as I have been reminded of more than once !

Exactly and that, I guess, was my thought prior to buying one.

I can understand how that attitude might have arisen and been applied to the 924, which really did have nothing to do with Porsche's heritage, but to apply it to the Boxster which shares so much with the 911 (even if the engine is the RIGHT way round) I find impossible to comprehend. That said I wouldn't be surprized if that attitude didn't gain currency with the 718.

JeffC said: yeh but a Boxster isn't a proper Porsche as I have been reminded of more than once ! Back in the late 60's early 70's the Dino 206 / 246GT was never considered to be a real Ferrari as a Ferrari had to have twelve cylinders - in fact Dino never wore Ferrari badges when it came out of the factory. Now we have a four cylinder Boxster when a proper Porsche has six cylinders - but at least the Boxster wears the Porsche badge! But no matter with all Caysters with four cylinders and 911's with six the ever closing gap between the two model lines has widened into a chasm now. Edited by dreamcar on Monday 18th April 19:00

I'm just waiting and hoping that Caymans drop to prices as low as Boxsters. I really just don't want a convertible.