Crown

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senator said:
interesting comparison. Peronally I don't think you can really compare them. I've just ordered a 123d coupe as my daily driver. For me its a relatively cheap, 4 seater with just about enough style that I won't be totally embarassed on my way to and from work. Doesn't even register as a competitor to my 997. That counts the same for the 135i which albeit rapid really isn't a sports car.

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dreamcar said:

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senator said:
interesting comparison. Peronally I don't think you can really compare them. I've just ordered a 123d coupe as my daily driver. For me its a relatively cheap, 4 seater with just about enough style that I won't be totally embarassed on my way to and from work. Doesn't even register as a competitor to my 997. That counts the same for the 135i which albeit rapid really isn't a sports car.

I agree totally with your view senator, the two cars aren't really comparable. I'd have the Cayman anytime over a 1351 because, like my Boxster, it feels special all the time. A one series is just a one series, it's only a 116i with more grunt. I've seriously thought about a 123d coupe as well, when I come to replace my Honda Civic daily driver, be interested to know how you get on with yours when you get it.

For what it's worth, I thought the 5th Gear comparison was a totally childish and meaningless "boy racer" exercise and did not do either Tiff or Jason any credit at all.

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

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dreamcar said:

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

If you don't know what's special about a Porsche, or any other thoroughbred sports car, driving, engineering, handling, precision etc over a 1 series BMW then you are missing the whole point of buying one. There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

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Dr. Phil said:

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

To me it's the perfect everyday driver - when you're NOT going shopping furniture.

* Looks. One of the best-looking cars around IMO.

* Ragtop. Great for sunny days and even greater driving experience while maintaining great stability in the chassis.

* Rock steady build quality - will probably outlast most non-sports cars that dont get pushed half as much. At least thats my experience.

* Handling is among the best around. Not as sharp as an Elise, but precise enough to be among the fastest cornering cars around.

* Take it to work in the morning and track it at night. How many cars can do that without getting totally worn out on the track?

* Tho underpowered for political/marketing reasons it handles just as well - if not better than- the 911 according to several car mags.
(Oh dear - I smell a return of the old "911 vs Boxster" war..hehe)

* Surprisingly versatile and useful as an everyday driver. The two trunks, while small, actually holds quite a lot of luggage.

* Economic. Good milage and low service costs.

* Engine sound. The roar at 5000 rpm is just beeeeautiful!

* "Smile on your face"-factor: It's just fun to drive. Plain and simple.

* Only minus is its "entry level Porsche" stigma and relatively weak engine.

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WAY said:

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Dr. Phil said:

Quote:
WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

To me it's the perfect everyday driver - when you're NOT going shopping furniture.

* Looks. One of the best-looking cars around IMO.

* Ragtop. Great for sunny days and even greater driving experience while maintaining great stability in the chassis.

* Rock steady build quality - will probably outlast most non-sports cars that dont get pushed half as much. At least thats my experience.

* Handling is among the best around. Not as sharp as an Elise, but precise enough to be among the fastest cornering cars around.

* Take it to work in the morning and track it at night. How many cars can do that without getting totally worn out on the track?

* Tho underpowered for political/marketing reasons it handles just as well - if not better than- the 911 according to several car mags.
(Oh dear - I smell a return of the old "911 vs Boxster" war..hehe)

* Surprisingly versatile and useful as an everyday driver. The two trunks, while small, actually holds quite a lot of luggage.

* Economic. Good milage and low service costs.

* Engine sound. The roar at 5000 rpm is just beeeeautiful!

* "Smile on your face"-factor: It's just fun to drive. Plain and simple.

* Only minus is its "entry level Porsche" stigma and relatively weak engine.

With regards to the good old Boxster vs 911 argument, having had the great fortune of owning and been entrusted with a few of these cars (and tracked extensively with them), I think I am fully qualified to comment on them.

Boxster has sublime handling, but ultimately it doesn't have the grip of a 911. Novice drivers will find the Boxster much faster, as it really is so easy to drive. Pro drivers who knows how to drive a 911 (simple, left foot brake into the corner to balance the weight to the front, then ACCELERATE EARLY) will always find the 911 much more rewarding and fun. Both are great cars, just a bit different in the way they drive. On Boxster vs Cayman though, the Cayman has a chassis setup that don't work as well as a Boxster on less than perfect roads in Australia. I find the softer sprung Boxster S to be a faster car than Cayman S on real roads as the suspension allows the car to get more grip over bumps. (ok I am now ducking for cover)

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WAY said:

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dreamcar said:

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

If you don't know what's special about a Porsche, or any other thoroughbred sports car, driving, engineering, handling, precision etc over a 1 series BMW then you are missing the whole point of buying one. There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

Dude I may be wrong, but I may have owned more sports cars/Porsches than you. And the 135i is not my only car, it's just one of the few and certainly not the sportiest. (until I turn it into a track car that is)

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temm said:

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ed_moree said:


Yes it sounds and look fantastic, and in all the test drives I have read is faster than the Cayman and the Z4 Coupe... but isn't it too much the fashion thing that in two or three years from now on it will look like bad taste?

Since when does a 4-cyl sound fantastic
Or were you talking about the 135i, and not the TTS

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Crash said:

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WAY said:

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Dr. Phil said:

Quote:
WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

To me it's the perfect everyday driver - when you're NOT going shopping furniture.

* Looks. One of the best-looking cars around IMO.

* Ragtop. Great for sunny days and even greater driving experience while maintaining great stability in the chassis.

* Rock steady build quality - will probably outlast most non-sports cars that dont get pushed half as much. At least thats my experience.

* Handling is among the best around. Not as sharp as an Elise, but precise enough to be among the fastest cornering cars around.

* Take it to work in the morning and track it at night. How many cars can do that without getting totally worn out on the track?

* Tho underpowered for political/marketing reasons it handles just as well - if not better than- the 911 according to several car mags.
(Oh dear - I smell a return of the old "911 vs Boxster" war..hehe)

* Surprisingly versatile and useful as an everyday driver. The two trunks, while small, actually holds quite a lot of luggage.

* Economic. Good milage and low service costs.

* Engine sound. The roar at 5000 rpm is just beeeeautiful!

* "Smile on your face"-factor: It's just fun to drive. Plain and simple.

* Only minus is its "entry level Porsche" stigma and relatively weak engine.

With regards to the good old Boxster vs 911 argument, having had the great fortune of owning and been entrusted with a few of these cars (and tracked extensively with them), I think I am fully qualified to comment on them.

Boxster has sublime handling, but ultimately it doesn't have the grip of a 911. Novice drivers will find the Boxster much faster, as it really is so easy to drive. Pro drivers who knows how to drive a 911 (simple, left foot brake into the corner to balance the weight to the front, then ACCELERATE EARLY) will always find the 911 much more rewarding and fun. Both are great cars, just a bit different in the way they drive. On Boxster vs Cayman though, the Cayman has a chassis setup that don't work as well as a Boxster on less than perfect roads in Australia. I find the softer sprung Boxster S to be a faster car than Cayman S on real roads as the suspension allows the car to get more grip over bumps. (ok I am now ducking for cover)

Nice analysis. Quite interesting when you think about it. The Boxster S with less weight and a folding top is cheaper than a Cayman S and probably faster on most normal roads.

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dreamcar said:

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WAY said:

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dreamcar said:

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WAY said:
But what's so special about a Boxster?

If you don't know what's special about a Porsche, or any other thoroughbred sports car, driving, engineering, handling, precision etc over a 1 series BMW then you are missing the whole point of buying one. There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

Dude I may be wrong, but I may have owned more sports cars/Porsches than you. And the 135i is not my only car, it's just one of the few and certainly not the sportiest. (until I turn it into a track car that is)

I believe the Great Doctor summed it up admirably in his post above.

I've nothing against a one series, as you may have read above I'm thinking of buying one as a daily drive - but no matter how many sports cars you own, or have owned, a 135i is not a sports car and can never match the precision handling of a purpose built, mid engined sports car such as a Boxster or Cayman. That's what I meant about the "special" feeling. For me the Boxster is the ideal sports car, Exige / Elise too hard core, uncomfortable, unsafe and impractical, SLK AMG too soggy and American Car feeling with marginal build quality and terrible dealers. BMW Z4 is just awful, with overly hard ride, tacky cockpit design and terrible forward visibility. The Boxster is small enough to be nimble unlike more expensive and exotic cars that are so wide as to be virtually unusable on narrow twisty roads where true sports cars excel. I love the open top and accept the marginal loss in handling over the more rigid and excellent Cayman.

What's this me, of all Rennteamers, accused of Cayman-bashing at any opportunity, defending it's honour.

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dreamcar said:
There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

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Just_me said:

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dreamcar said:
There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

and 135i is more than just a straightliner, the car also turns good and fun to drive. There is also a Z4 which is a sportier car to drive than 135i.

Note that noone is saying 135i is like a Boxster to drive (sounds more like its Porsche owner claiming this) but it doesnt mean 135i is a sleeping pill. There is enough joy in a 135i and same time it works as a daily-user.

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Crash said:

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Just_me said:

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dreamcar said:
There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

I have no problem with the look, I prefer it over Cayenne
and 135i is more than just a straightliner, the car also turns good and fun to drive. There is also a Z4 which is a sportier car to drive than 135i.

Note that noone is saying 135i is like a Boxster to drive (sounds more like its Porsche owner claiming this) but it doesnt mean 135i is a sleeping pill. There is enough joy in a 135i and same time it works as a daily-user.

That's absolutely true. Now if only we could do something about its looks .

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Crash said:

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Just_me said:

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dreamcar said:
There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

and 135i is more than just a straightliner, the car also turns good and fun to drive. There is also a Z4 which is a sportier car to drive than 135i.

Note that noone is saying 135i is like a Boxster to drive (sounds more like its Porsche owner claiming this) but it doesnt mean 135i is a sleeping pill. There is enough joy in a 135i and same time it works as a daily-user.

That's absolutely true. Now if only we could do something about its looks .

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Just_me said:

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Crash said:

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Just_me said:

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dreamcar said:
There's a whole lot more to making a great car than straight line performance.

and 135i is more than just a straightliner, the car also turns good and fun to drive. There is also a Z4 which is a sportier car to drive than 135i.

Note that noone is saying 135i is like a Boxster to drive (sounds more like its Porsche owner claiming this) but it doesnt mean 135i is a sleeping pill. There is enough joy in a 135i and same time it works as a daily-user.

That's absolutely true. Now if only we could do something about its looks .

I have no problem with the look, thats all subjective. I prefer it over Cayenne

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WAY said:

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Dr. Phil said:

Quote:
WAY said:

Boxster has sublime handling, but ultimately it doesn't have the grip of a 911. Novice drivers will find the Boxster much faster, as it really is so easy to drive. Pro drivers who knows how to drive a 911 (simple, left foot brake into the corner to balance the weight to the front, then ACCELERATE EARLY) will always find the 911 much more rewarding and fun. Both are great cars, just a bit different in the way they drive.

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Woolfe said:

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WAY said:

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Dr. Phil said:

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WAY said:

Boxster has sublime handling, but ultimately it doesn't have the grip of a 911. Novice drivers will find the Boxster much faster, as it really is so easy to drive. Pro drivers who knows how to drive a 911 (simple, left foot brake into the corner to balance the weight to the front, then ACCELERATE EARLY) will always find the 911 much more rewarding and fun. Both are great cars, just a bit different in the way they drive.

Sorry to be off Topic Way but why do you left foot brake? (Braking normally would also load up the front?) Is this so that you are on the accelerator quicker and thus are smoother?