Big difference between 2.7 and 3.4 engines on 981? - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

There seems to be plenty of 2.7 981s in either PDK or manual form, but not so many 3.4s in my price range. Is there a big difference in performance? Not just at the top end but day to day?

The advice I typically give is to focus on the best car you can find and park the desperation for an engine type. Neither car is really that (in italics) fast compared to lots of modern performance cars. To answer the question directly. Yes there’s a noticeable difference as you’d expect, but personally I really like the 2.7. Drive it like you stole it and it’s huge fun. A lovely condition, great spec base vs an average to scruffy S and I know where I’m putting my money.

Test drive both.

Having driven an S and a 2.7 id say its worth the extra wait and money to find a good 3.4. They have a lot more torque and feel a lot faster. The 2.7 requires move revs and thus means if you like revvy engines and working for the power they are still good fun. I knew that if i'd bought a 2.7 id still be looking at Autotrader in the evenings for a well specc'd 3.4 as i'd always be thinking about the bigger engined car.

PDK is very effective at masking the limited torque of 2.7 as it shuffles the gears so quickly. If you want a manual transmission the torquier 3.4 is more driveable.

As others say, think you need to test drive them. For public roads it's plenty. It's amazing how quickly you get used to the power anyway, even if you've owned or driven bigger and more powerful cars before it. And the other poster is right on how good PDK is at masking any loss of power versus a larger variant

I went through this, having previously owned a 2.7 987. I purchased that after driving both the S and Base and preferring the “slower” engine! Both from a longevity, but also usability perspective. You could just drive it like you stole it everywhere. Great car! When I moved to 981 I did the same and tried both, mainly because the 2.7’s seemed easier to find In Manual and were considerably cheaper even with exceptional specification and colour. However I found a marked difference between the base and S. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 2.7, I have some mates that own and love them. I just felt the 3.4 felt like the correct engine for the chassis. The right amount of power, the car just felt right. The 2.7, to me, made the car feel a bit lethargic.

Weird reply - but I've just moved to France and the house 'came with' a silver 2007 3.4S Boxster in amazing condition, manual, right hand drive with 95k on the clock with a massive service history! I'm selling my 2013 UK Vantage S Roadster on this website, as it's pointless to pay the import tax, they just hate expensive V8's now. Despite owning the Porker for over 2 months I have only just driven it (too busy unpacking our UK crap) and I must say it feels just as lively as the Aston but without the 'dragons' V8 exhaust notes. Really good handling and very engaging, I just can't see me using it here as it's more 4x4 country and I have a Wildtrack which does everything I need. Not sure what year/version you were looking for, but I'm sure you can import it back to the UK without any taxes as it was UK registered when new, so if you want any photo's etc just drop me a line. Deffo no oil leaks etc as it's stored in a garage and I gave it a good work out! If not - best of luck finding your 3.4S manual

No brainer personally. Having owned both, 3.4 all day. I cant understand the replies recommending the 2.7 over the 3.4. I suspect they're 2.7 owners.