Apr 9, 2006 9:45:24 PM
- Porsche-Jeck
- Rennteam Master
-
- Loc: Rheinland , Germany
- Posts: 4856, Gallery
- Registered on: Jun 27, 2005
Porsche honeymoon experiences (long !!)
After the factory pick up (see other thread) my wife and I went for a nine days honeymoon tour with our new ride 
ehem...P-car honeymoon of course
My wife did a fantastic job in planning the tour which seemed to be an endless string of Germany's finest twisty roads in beautiful landscapes: from Zuffenhausen to the Swabian Alb, down to the Danube valley, then up to the Black Forest, via Alsace/France towards the "Wineroad" in Palatinate, followed by the famous "Loreley-route" along the banks of the Rhine - THE perfect route to make your Boxey familiar with it's purpose: corners, corners, corners.....
We did some 1,500 km during our trip (of which only 150 km Autobahn) enjoying the Boxey every minute (driving-fun only interrupted by some extensive walks in the mountains and wine hills and of course enjoying the excellent local cuisine from Maultaschen to Saumagen and fine wines of course)
Although we had some typical German April wheather (from 1*C at the Black Forest passes to 16*C at the Rhine valley) we drove 80% of the time with the top down
- I didn't expect the Boxster's passenger cabin to be THAT cosy and warm even with some really chilly winds outside - at least at countryroad speed.
Here is the summary of my impressions after the 1,500 km inauguration tour (o.k. I added another 160 km today):
Colour / Design
I love the seal/cocoa combo - especially in sunny wheather. It's a mix of rich colours with a sporty and classy appearance at the same time (Just my personal view of course).
I'm more than happy with the rear center console painted in exteriour colour adding a sporty note and providing a nice variation on the cocoa theme (apart from the full leather the painted console is my favourite in terms of interior design)
The titanium grey coloured back of the sportseats, the silvergrey seatbelts and the leather sunvisors complete the package (maybe it would have been worthwile to take the inner A-sills in cocoa also, but it's not a must have IMO, because the black sills are a nice fit with the black interior fabric of the top).
Also LOVE the look of the Carrera S wheels, adding a lot to the sporty appearance of the car.
Short-Shifter
Should be standard
I know that some guys reported a notchy feeling or too much effort to engage 1st or 2nd gear (especially when cold). I can only talk from my own experience of course, but after two days or some 300 km the shifter became smooth like butter, though providing a very nice feel of precision when shifting gears (note: I'm not a bodybuilder with huge biceps - not to talk of my wife who had absolutely no probs with the shifter also). I'm sure during a spirited drive you ARE faster with the Short-Shifter equipped car, just because it's so intuitive to operate it - if you take the frog-like race position in your sportseat rushing from corner to corner it's like a well choreographed ballet when you hit the pedals and change gears just with a quick throw out of your wrist ankle
When I switched to my BMW yesterday, I thought the gearbox must be broken, because the throw from 1st into 2nd gear seemed to be never ending
(Regular) Sportseats
It's hard to give some general advise regarding seats, but for me and my wife the sportseats are just perfect
Even after a four hours drive in the Black Forest with an endless string of corners I felt totally fit and relaxed after climbing out of the car (note: I have a history of back problems).
PASM
I've deliberated about this option for a long time (special thank to everybody who has shared his own experiences on this one
) and I'm very happy with it now
One strange (or better: pleasant) observation: many Rennteamers felt that PASM in normal mode as too soft (missing the road connected feeling) and PASM in sport mode as to harsh. To a certain extent (PASM being too soft in normal mode) I had to agree after some extended testdrives back in summer 2005.
Now I had been very astonished that my car driven in normal mode feels much more road connected and nearer to sport mode compared to the demo cars I drove. Just when driving out of the pick up center in Zuffenhausen even my wife as a passenger instantly asked me whether I had engaged sport mode already (which I didn't).
I am wondering which of the following explanations might be right: either Porsche's engineers have modified the software meanwhile OR the tires make the difference (factory equipped my car with Contis whereas the demo cars have been equipped with Michelins) OR the calibration of my butt-meter has changed OR my memory doesn't serve me well anymore (or a mix of all the above mentioned possibilities)
Sport Chrono
Maybe it's just me but I feel the sharper acceleration better if I don't go really wild, but only "half-wild" (in the "really wild" mode I have a quite heavy gas foot anyway and I'm more focussed towards the next corner/braking point etc.) Can't comment on the sharper kick-in of the rev-limiter
as I won't approach redline during the break-in.
As for the "wart": could live without it (probably never use the stopwatch), but I somehow actually like the look
It complements the almost round airvents in the Boxster (different story in the 997 with the differently shaped airvents and the prominent dashboard edge) and the illumination at night adds a unique touch to the cockpit's illumination
Tires (Contis)
They don't feel as soft as the Michelins IMO, but still providing plenty og grip to enjoy those challenging twisties (maybe they are a little bit more "talkative" in indicating the grip limit) on dry tarmac.
In the rain (and cold wheather) I have been astonished about the high grip level - PSM never kicked in (opposed to my testdrive with the Michelins, which I tested for 50 km only in the wet though).
BTW: I don't know whether the tire brand choice for the factory equipped cars is sort of lottery - I checked today the new cars in the showrooms of two P-dealerships and I found a wild mix of tire brands on all the new cars.
Engine
I'm not too soft regarding the break-in procedure, but I rev the engine beyond 5k rpm only for some moments up to date (not beyond 6k rpm so far). The instructor in Zuffenhausen told me to go beyond 5 krpm for short intervalls only for the first 3k km, but otherwise just "drive it like always" (of course I didn't tell him about my driving habits
).
Today (first time without the wife on the passenger seat) I played really hard with some bikers and the engine seemed to breath very free already.
Of course I only go wild after a thorough warm-up and I spend some cool-down before parking the car after a spirited drive.
One nice remark made by the factory tour guide: we at Porsche build very good engines - and you (the driver) drive them to excellence
IMO the chassis easily could handle another 70 hp or so, but in the Boxster's prime domain (twisty country-roads) there is no feeling of lacking power. On the Autobahn it's still "o.k." (pushed it to 220 km/h only due to the break-in procedure), but for those who are after the ultimate straight line performance, the car industry offers other cars.
Having said that it's nice to experience that the car has enough "Überholprestige" (overtaking prestige - like we say in Germany) on the Autobahn
Somehow embarrassing to see most of the other cars (even better powered cars) clearing the Autobahn's fastlane expecting me to floor the Porsche not knowing that I'm still breaking in the car 
The sound is great (ranging from a harmless pussycat at low rpm to the roar of an angry lion at higher revs) I just detected my new love for all sort of tunnels, small villages with narrow roads and even valet parking garages
Nice side effect: It's much easier for me to comply with the city speed limits driving the Boxster, because it feels and sounds sporty even at low speeds/rpms
Other Options
Xenons are a must have for my ageing eyes, Sound Package Plus is so-so (though easy and intuitive to operate), the chrome exhaust tip sheer indulgence (though very nice to look at). The heated seats (not only heating the butt, but also the kidney area - very nice) and the windstop transform the cabin into a warm and cosy space even in the German April-wheather with chilly winds (even at 200 km/h with the top down), the auto climate works perfect (never drove a car with a better aircon).
Other people's reaction
Although I'm familiar with the German "Envy-Society" we only experienced very positive reactions so far (maybe because we avoided the bigger cities during our trip).
Some memorable examples out of dozens:
The sport-byciclist climbing up the steep Black Forest mountain with a face distorted from the effort: the face instantly turned into a big smile when he saw our car approaching
The cutest one: The four years old son of the hotel manager playing near the parking lot each time when coming along our parked car caressed the "Rössle" (Swabian for stallion) in the Porsche badge on the front hood (maybe the Swabians tell their small kids this helps to get an own Porsche later).
The neighbours at home stopping their car in the middle of the road when they saw our car for the first time giving a thumbs up and stating: "Porsche=Dreamcar"
BTW those of you thinking that a P-car is a mass-product today: during our 1,500 km trip we saw some 10 Porsches (all vintages/models) only and all of them flashed their lights or gave a thumb up
One funny experience today: parking the baby at a remote parking lot to take some pics an elderly couple with their small grand-daughter approached the car, but kept a distance of maybe 15 meters. The small girl asked their grandparents: what car is this ? Grandma said: Porsche (Bingo), Grandpa said: no, this car is so beautiful (!) - it must be an F-car - I guess Grandma is the car expert in the family
Conclusion
Never another car has evoked so much emotions and driving fun for me
You can cruise with the top down but once you want to go wild the baby turns into a little racer (especially with PASM in sport mode + Sport Chrono + Short Shifter). The best is that once you're in "race mode" everything seems to be so effortless (true for both, car AND driver).
I'm sure the superb ergonomy, the "gripping" sportseats and the de facto non existing body roll all contribute to this pleasant result.
BTW: "my passenger" seems to be far more relaxed in the P-car also (sometimes she complains when I play hard with my other cars due to the bodyroll, missing "seat-grip" or slides which are easyly to provoke with the BMW at relatively low speeds especially in the wet ).
The health insurance companies should give a big discount on their premiums to every Porsche owner: as they say - "laughing is the best medicine" and laugh you do behind the wheel of this car
Thanx for your patience with this lenghty novel of a happy and proud first time P-car owner
Now I need some good rest to prepare myself for the most challenging thing tomorrow: posting the pics - Special thanx to Dreamcar for having me advised on this one. Let's see whether an IT-challenged dinosaur like me can handle it (break-in of a P-car is a piece of cake compared with this IT-stuff ).
Cheers to all you Rennteamers
ehem...P-car honeymoon of course
My wife did a fantastic job in planning the tour which seemed to be an endless string of Germany's finest twisty roads in beautiful landscapes: from Zuffenhausen to the Swabian Alb, down to the Danube valley, then up to the Black Forest, via Alsace/France towards the "Wineroad" in Palatinate, followed by the famous "Loreley-route" along the banks of the Rhine - THE perfect route to make your Boxey familiar with it's purpose: corners, corners, corners.....
We did some 1,500 km during our trip (of which only 150 km Autobahn) enjoying the Boxey every minute (driving-fun only interrupted by some extensive walks in the mountains and wine hills and of course enjoying the excellent local cuisine from Maultaschen to Saumagen
and fine wines of course) Although we had some typical German April wheather (from 1*C at the Black Forest passes to 16*C at the Rhine valley) we drove 80% of the time with the top down
- I didn't expect the Boxster's passenger cabin to be THAT cosy and warm even with some really chilly winds outside - at least at countryroad speed.Here is the summary of my impressions after the 1,500 km inauguration tour (o.k. I added another 160 km today
):Colour / Design
I love the seal/cocoa combo - especially in sunny wheather. It's a mix of rich colours with a sporty and classy appearance at the same time (Just my personal view of course).
I'm more than happy with the rear center console painted in exteriour colour adding a sporty note and providing a nice variation on the cocoa theme (apart from the full leather the painted console is my favourite in terms of interior design)
The titanium grey coloured back of the sportseats, the silvergrey seatbelts and the leather sunvisors complete the package (maybe it would have been worthwile to take the inner A-sills in cocoa also, but it's not a must have IMO, because the black sills are a nice fit with the black interior fabric of the top).
Also LOVE the look of the Carrera S wheels, adding a lot to the sporty appearance of the car.
Short-Shifter
Should be standard
I know that some guys reported a notchy feeling or too much effort to engage 1st or 2nd gear (especially when cold). I can only talk from my own experience of course, but after two days or some 300 km the shifter became smooth like butter, though providing a very nice feel of precision when shifting gears (note: I'm not a bodybuilder with huge biceps - not to talk of my wife who had absolutely no probs with the shifter also). I'm sure during a spirited drive you ARE faster with the Short-Shifter equipped car, just because it's so intuitive to operate it - if you take the frog-like race position in your sportseat rushing from corner to corner it's like a well choreographed ballet when you hit the pedals and change gears just with a quick throw out of your wrist ankle When I switched to my BMW yesterday, I thought the gearbox must be broken, because the throw from 1st into 2nd gear seemed to be never ending
(Regular) Sportseats
It's hard to give some general advise regarding seats, but for me and my wife the sportseats are just perfect
Even after a four hours drive in the Black Forest with an endless string of corners I felt totally fit and relaxed after climbing out of the car (note: I have a history of back problems).
PASM
I've deliberated about this option for a long time (special thank to everybody who has shared his own experiences on this one
) and I'm very happy with it now One strange (or better: pleasant) observation: many Rennteamers felt that PASM in normal mode as too soft (missing the road connected feeling) and PASM in sport mode as to harsh. To a certain extent (PASM being too soft in normal mode) I had to agree after some extended testdrives back in summer 2005.
Now I had been very astonished that my car driven in normal mode feels much more road connected and nearer to sport mode compared to the demo cars I drove. Just when driving out of the pick up center in Zuffenhausen even my wife as a passenger instantly asked me whether I had engaged sport mode already (which I didn't).
I am wondering which of the following explanations might be right: either Porsche's engineers have modified the software meanwhile OR the tires make the difference (factory equipped my car with Contis whereas the demo cars have been equipped with Michelins) OR the calibration of my butt-meter has changed OR my memory doesn't serve me well anymore (or a mix of all the above mentioned possibilities)
Sport Chrono
Maybe it's just me but I feel the sharper acceleration better if I don't go really wild, but only "half-wild" (in the "really wild" mode I have a quite heavy gas foot anyway and I'm more focussed towards the next corner/braking point etc.) Can't comment on the sharper kick-in of the rev-limiter
as I won't approach redline during the break-in.
As for the "wart": could live without it (probably never use the stopwatch), but I somehow actually like the look
It complements the almost round airvents in the Boxster (different story in the 997 with the differently shaped airvents and the prominent dashboard edge) and the illumination at night adds a unique touch to the cockpit's illumination
Tires (Contis)
They don't feel as soft as the Michelins IMO, but still providing plenty og grip to enjoy those challenging twisties (maybe they are a little bit more "talkative" in indicating the grip limit) on dry tarmac.
In the rain (and cold wheather) I have been astonished about the high grip level - PSM never kicked in (opposed to my testdrive with the Michelins, which I tested for 50 km only in the wet though).
BTW: I don't know whether the tire brand choice for the factory equipped cars is sort of lottery - I checked today the new cars in the showrooms of two P-dealerships and I found a wild mix of tire brands on all the new cars.
Engine
I'm not too soft regarding the break-in procedure, but I rev the engine beyond 5k rpm only for some moments up to date (not beyond 6k rpm so far). The instructor in Zuffenhausen told me to go beyond 5 krpm for short intervalls only for the first 3k km, but otherwise just "drive it like always" (of course I didn't tell him about my driving habits
).Today (first time without the wife on the passenger seat
) I played really hard with some bikers and the engine seemed to breath very free already.Of course I only go wild after a thorough warm-up and I spend some cool-down before parking the car after a spirited drive.
One nice remark made by the factory tour guide: we at Porsche build very good engines - and you (the driver) drive them to excellence
IMO the chassis easily could handle another 70 hp or so, but in the Boxster's prime domain (twisty country-roads) there is no feeling of lacking power. On the Autobahn it's still "o.k." (pushed it to 220 km/h only due to the break-in procedure), but for those who are after the ultimate straight line performance, the car industry offers other cars.
Having said that it's nice to experience that the car has enough "Überholprestige" (overtaking prestige - like we say in Germany) on the Autobahn
Somehow embarrassing to see most of the other cars (even better powered cars) clearing the Autobahn's fastlane expecting me to floor the Porsche not knowing that I'm still breaking in the car The sound is great (ranging from a harmless pussycat at low rpm to the roar of an angry lion at higher revs)
I just detected my new love for all sort of tunnels, small villages with narrow roads and even valet parking garages Nice side effect: It's much easier for me to comply with the city speed limits driving the Boxster, because it feels and sounds sporty even at low speeds/rpms
Other Options
Xenons are a must have for my ageing eyes, Sound Package Plus is so-so (though easy and intuitive to operate), the chrome exhaust tip sheer indulgence (though very nice to look at). The heated seats (not only heating the butt, but also the kidney area - very nice) and the windstop transform the cabin into a warm and cosy space even in the German April-wheather with chilly winds (even at 200 km/h with the top down), the auto climate works perfect (never drove a car with a better aircon).
Other people's reaction
Although I'm familiar with the German "Envy-Society" we only experienced very positive reactions so far (maybe because we avoided the bigger cities during our trip).
Some memorable examples out of dozens:
The sport-byciclist climbing up the steep Black Forest mountain with a face distorted from the effort: the face instantly turned into a big smile when he saw our car approaching
The cutest one: The four years old son of the hotel manager playing near the parking lot each time when coming along our parked car caressed the "Rössle" (Swabian for stallion) in the Porsche badge on the front hood (maybe the Swabians tell their small kids this helps to get an own Porsche later
).The neighbours at home stopping their car in the middle of the road when they saw our car for the first time giving a thumbs up and stating: "Porsche=Dreamcar"
BTW those of you thinking that a P-car is a mass-product today: during our 1,500 km trip we saw some 10 Porsches (all vintages/models) only and all of them flashed their lights or gave a thumb up
One funny experience today: parking the baby at a remote parking lot to take some pics an elderly couple with their small grand-daughter approached the car, but kept a distance of maybe 15 meters. The small girl asked their grandparents: what car is this ? Grandma said: Porsche (Bingo
), Grandpa said: no, this car is so beautiful (!) - it must be an F-car - I guess Grandma is the car expert in the family Conclusion
Never another car has evoked so much emotions and driving fun for me
You can cruise with the top down but once you want to go wild the baby turns into a little racer (especially with PASM in sport mode + Sport Chrono + Short Shifter). The best is that once you're in "race mode" everything seems to be so effortless (true for both, car AND driver).
I'm sure the superb ergonomy, the "gripping" sportseats and the de facto non existing body roll all contribute to this pleasant result.
BTW: "my passenger" seems to be far more relaxed in the P-car also
(sometimes she complains when I play hard with my other cars due to the bodyroll, missing "seat-grip" or slides which are easyly to provoke with the BMW at relatively low speeds especially in the wet ).The health insurance companies should give a big discount on their premiums to every Porsche owner: as they say - "laughing is the best medicine" and laugh you do behind the wheel of this car
Thanx for your patience with this lenghty novel of a happy and proud first time P-car owner
Now I need some good rest to prepare myself for the most challenging thing tomorrow: posting the pics
- Special thanx to Dreamcar for having me advised on this one. Let's see whether an IT-challenged dinosaur like me can handle it (break-in of a P-car is a piece of cake compared with this IT-stuff ).Cheers to all you Rennteamers
Hope to get it fixed soon, hopefully by tomorrow.
) I now can blame my unsuccessful attempt to upload the pics on the Telekom rather than on my own lack of IT skills 
