2008 Boxster S Impressions

I dropped my car off for the coil pack replacement this morning (CPO) and was very happy to find they were loaning me my hairdresser's car, a bright red 2008 Boxster S. (just kidding boxster guys, I love the car) . I'm a black on black fan and am otherwise not too colorful in my car selection (last few have been black, white, silver, silver, black, black), but once I got over that and figured out how to get the top down, I had some ear to ear fun. It's very easy to drive this thing fast coming out of the 911, and this is a PSM car with the 295 bhp 3.4L motor. Doesn't really command the same respect from the driver (feels like it wouldn't spin if you dared it) and lacks the low end punch of the 3.6 in my car, doesn't sound awesome, but I'm sure I would be faster around any actual racetrack in this car than my own just because it feels like a slot car, I'm not afraid of it at all. I do prefer the old giant tiptronic paddles to the little ones in this car though, but as I understand it the 6 speed is pretty close to the 997 which I thought was a good 6 speed. It does get way more looks from girls than guys (the 911 is a total man magnet), so the boxster guys may have us beat on the attraction front. Might just be the fire engine red. Fit and finish are much better than the 05s which I've been in, really tightened up in there (it's practically new though). Ride quality is excellent on what I assumed were 18s (I'll go and flog it again once the thunder subsides). Great car. Wouldn't buy it, not a convertible guy and really like the weird rear engine, especially coming out of turns and from a standing start, but still it's very nice. My biz partner has a Cayman S and I will have to convince him to supercharge it sometime soon.

Boxsters are awesome cars!

Gant did you drive a new Cayman S or Boxster S before the M3? Just curious to hear your impressions if so. I remember you saying you had tried the 997S a couple of times in comparison.

Htny, I did not and have never driven a Cayman. I have however driven a 987 (2006) Boxster S. I drove one for the 1st time towards the end of owning my C4S and it helped make my decision to move out of it. I LOVED it, and it felt more throttle responsive and quicker than my C4S, I think cause it's so much lighter and more toss-able and 2WD. Main problem for me was I let the reputation of Boxster chase me away...hair dresser girls car etc... I think 911 owners have a lot to do with that stigma. Anyhow, once I drove a 997S I was able to kind of forget about the Boxster, then I drove the Turbo and completely forgot about 997S AND Boxster S. If someone is in the market for a 996 I would seriously say F the BS about Boxster and having to own a 911 for so many other reasons than just loving the car and DRIVE A 987S!!!!! I think it's all around a better car than the 996, except GT3 or Turbo.

yep... have had 2 Boxster S's.. 996 Turbo and 996 Aero Boxster S was the most fun of them all

I'm going to go really drive this one for a couple of hours

I've driven both the Boxster S and Caymen S. The convertable is fun as a roadster. 2wd and light. Needs more power as you quickly become bored. The Cayman S literally made my butt pucker in the corners. It corners like a go cart, but makes me a little claustrophobic inside. I can't say that I would trade my C4S for them though. But if I couldn't afford to be in a 911S then they would be a good second choice. Perhaps the only second choice since there really isn't any competition in their respective classes.

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That's the BEST thing you can do. Don't hold back on the Cayman S/Boxster S. Let it all hang out. Can't wait to see what you think!!

My brother just took delivery of new '08 Boxster S in Meteor Gray over full black leather, 19"s Carerra Sport, SSK. Just sold his '73 246GTS Dino, so he needed something to 'ease his pain.' The Porsche is doing just that - he loves it!

Boxsters are a hoot to drive. Quick, manueverable, intuitive, and very forgiving. They literally feel like they rotate around a pivot point located right at you butt! They also give a sensation of driving at speed. The 911 has a sort of disconnect from speed, either because it is so capable and effortless or because it is somewhat numbed up, while the 987S feels more raw and feels like it is going faster than the 911 even ar the same speed. Drive it a lot while you have it. You will enjoy it.

I just got back from a few spirited hours of driving like a madman on some NYC streets, highways, byways, some state park driving on the edge of a series of cliffs, a few expressway sweepers, and some OK winding roads with too many stoplights. I then drove to the dealer and picked up my car and drove it the same way back. I'm tired, and I may have swallowed a bug, but I'm grinning ear to ear. I don't have a C4S, and I've always personally thought the C2 felt a lot lighter than the AWD car (not because of ultimate weight, simply the AWD feels way different to me), so my basis for comparison might be different. The 987S is definitely fun, but the tip gearing was maybe a little too tall in this decidedly unscientific comparison, and it shifts when I don't want it to on public road turns in manual mode, but I guess that can be figured out and is a non-issue in a standard shift. Also it is said in 987S land that you need sport chrono if you have a tip in that generation, and I guess for now I can believe them. It is however an absolute breeze to drive quickly, and is deceptively fast in my opinion, but in my eyes gives less sensation of speed than my car. This could be a generational thing, I always felt 986S were a blast and ultra light, but I've only driven that gen in 5 speed standard (can't remember if the 986S I drove was a 6 speed, it was 7 years ago). The 987S felt more SLish to me, but is obviously way faster than old 986/S. It does seem to just pivot under center, and would not slide no matter how stupid I acted. I officially don't like PSM for now (although sometimes I have wished I had it in my car). For all of the Boxster S' positives though, I did get bored pretty quickly, probably because it's pretty much perfectly balanced, quiet, has no handling quirks, and there is no racetrack nearby (Pocono was rapidly becoming an insidious option until they called and told me my car was ready). I imagine that a 987S would be a TON of fun on a track, especially if the manual is as good as the 997 tranny While I did think it was fun to have the wind in my hair, I was glad to have my now firing consistently on all cylinders 911 back, and maybe it's just me but I just couldn't compare. Sure the interior isn't much to look at, but with the exhaust blaring and a tip first gear that's good to nearly 45mph at redline (vs 30ish for the boxster), I always felt like I was in the right part of the powerband in the 3.6 996. And it just feels so much faster to me. This was primarily on low traffic public roads, which while vacant during the day of cars, still have bicyclists an animals to watch out for, so definitely 5/10ths driving at 10/10ths awareness, no racing line. That having been said, the 987S on its 18s with the top down is way better in the city, more pliant, however the visibility is not great with the top up. Red also beats black when it comes to scratches and cleaning. Fuel economy was something I discovered by accident, 987S is marginally better even at maximum hoonage levels. Got nearly 16mpg compared to 13.2 in 996 as per trip computer, but some of this might have to do with the gearing, as I never felt like I was in the zone with the boxster. Nice thing that has less to do with the car, but much to do with the perception, was that the stares today were mostly from women, some of them driving convertibles or wearing spandex, as opposed to blend of crazy hookers, homeless amputees and grown men I get staring into my 911. Might be a convertible thing, a red car thing, whatever. I did not however get ANY love from 911 owners, regardless of generation. As a little test, I flashed at and even waved at 9 or 10 997, 996, 993, 964 and 930/911 models in different places and not one acknowledged my existence in this car. This might be a good thing, as according to the general public we are a bunch of jerks most of the time, and as it turns out, snobs. In my car, I have a pretty high degree of flashing coming in my direction from opposite side Ps, so I found that very amusing. Another amusing thing, a younger woman waiting for a bus did ask if it was a ferrari. I said sure. And tried fruitlessly to light up the rear tires. ****ing PSM. The color: I think that whole thing I always say about my wanting my first Ferrari in red/tan just went out the window though, it's not just the ladies, I got a lot of attention from law enforcement. I might elaborate privately at our hooters get together, but rest assured no tickets! Again on the + side, no one tried to race me. One guy did give me the finger, but in all fairness I probably deserved it. I emailed a few of my buddies to give them some much needed ammo to make fun of me with, and only one (in a sidebar email not copying anyone but me) didn't ask me if I was dating my hairdresser or tell me that I always was cute. Jerks. Does anyone's hairdresser drive a 987S?