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    With the benefit of hindsight

    ....if you were ordering your new Boxster today, what would you change, spec wise? Different colour choice? Or would you even have had a Boxster, maybe a Cayman instead

    Me, I love open top motoring so definitely Boxster, spec wise I would not have had the electrically operated memory (non-sports) seats, had the standard non-sports seats instead and used some of the money saved to have the Bose sound system ( I miss it - sound package plus is absolute garbage) although the storeage box is quite handy - and would have had door finishers in leather and maybe sun visors in leather, and aluminium effect instrument surround and aluminium / leather gear lever and handbrake all of which I could retro-fit if I was that desperate as the cost is double a factory order. No regrets for our other choices, though.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    No real regrets as such. I maybe regret getting an early-build car as a) It has had more recall work done on it - any messing by the dealer taking things to bits and putting them back together again can result in them introducing squeaks and rattles, or breaking something. and b) Some options, eg TPMS, weren't available back then. If I was buying again now, I'd be tempted to get a standard suspended Cayman, maybe on 19s, and maybe even the 2.7. Also maybe black leather with standard seats to cut the price of the options down a bit so I didn't lose quite so much cash. But then again, I do prefer a warmer interior, and love the Cocoa, and I like the lumbar adjustment of the electrics, and the memory position for the mirrors it gives you. I'd probably lose the Bose, as I hardly ever listen to it.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    you guys could almost swap cars!

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    I would have added cruise control, but as i rejected my original car (with cruise) and had to go elsewhere for a nearly new example i had to lose something from the spec. Then again, its now something i can retro-fit in the warmer months this year

    out of my spec..

    Atlas grey - love the colour, but no longer the price now its a special !
    19s - yes for the looks , although tyre availability a pain currently
    PASM - yes on 19s
    sports seats - yes
    heated seats - yes
    auto air con - i could live without it, but it is more intuitive to use than the manual standard system
    full leather - nice to have, wouldn't pay the extra on a new car though as the plastics are good enough on the 987
    crested head rests - nice touch
    sports sterring wheel - yes yes yes - a bargain
    Bose - its OK, but it ain't hi-fi, PSP would probably be OK
    Rear Park Assist - useful
    stainless sill plates - nicely offset the dark grey paint,look classier than the standard plastic ones


    Having said all of that, a new 2.7 would satisfy me most of the time for the driving i do in the UK, so a 2.7 with 18" wheels, no PASM, and heated sports seats and a sports steerign wheel would be fine

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    I wouldn't change anything except saving the money for the crappy soundpackage (no bose for me either, as I almost never hear music in the Boxey - just traffic news when driving the Autobahn). As a rule of thumb I'd skip everything adding weight and not contributing to the driving experience. No rule without exception - full leather is an indulgence must have

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Make sure you get the S

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    the only thing i'd change is making it an S and getting the PASM

    and maybe a shorter shifter... but that's all

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    My car's pretty bare bones -- I bought it off the lot -- but I love it. Standard Boxster with Boxster S wheels, Bose, heated seats and roll bars painted body color. I'd value the TPMS, which is now standard. If cost were no object I'd also add full leather including console, door finishers and all the rest. Yummy. But hey, I LOVE this car.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    The only regret is that I was not able to specify the make of tire on my car. My understanding is that the Michelin Pilots are a great combination of performance and comfort. My car is equipped with Bridgestone Potenza's (not the Pole Positions), which may last longer, but are a stiffer tire. As for power seats, I like having them, and use them often. What I seem to rarely use is the automatic climate control and auto-dimming mirrors, but would be costly to retrofit, should I desire it later, so I ordered them. In short, I would suggest that you order items that are too expensive to retrofit. Another example, the sport steering wheel is $270.00, and would cost over $1,000 to retrofit. The dealer forgot to order colored crests on my wheels (as I had on my '06), but the standard crests have grown on me. This is an easy one to retrofit and are often on sale for less than the factory-ordered cost. Lastly, PASM, Sport Exhaust and Sport Chrono are costly options but give the car an incredibly different character that I enjoy every time I get into the car. I would opt for these performance options over optional leather/aluminum trim bits. Yes, I will lose my shirt on resale value, as many don't place any greater value with these options on the car, but it certainly has more than paid for itself with dividends of enjoyment.
    vincesf

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Beautiful car VinceSF,

    I have some questions/need advice on. I've been waiting for the facelift (later this year) before diving in. I'm just looking to get a base model with the Carrera S 19", hardtop, & wind blocker.

    Can you tell me in more detail your thoughts on ...
    1) PASM?
    2) Bi-Xenon?
    3) BOSE or SoundPlus?
    4) full leather?

    thanks

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Quote:
    philpots said:
    Beautiful car VinceSF,

    I have some questions/need advice on. I've been waiting for the facelift (later this year) before diving in. I'm just looking to get a base model with the Carrera S 19", hardtop, & wind blocker.

    Can you tell me in more detail your thoughts on ...
    1) PASM?
    2) Bi-Xenon?
    3) BOSE or SoundPlus?
    4) full leather?

    thanks



    Hi and welcome to Rennteam

    If I can jump in here as I've had all of these options on both of my Boxsters :-

    1) PASM gives a wonderfully compliant ride, recommend it strongly especially if you want 19" wheels.

    2) Bi-Xenon lights are an essential for any high performance car, vastly superior to the standard lights. Should be standard.

    3) Had Bose on my first Boxster and it sounded really great - with the car stopped. Second car I went with sound package plus on the premise that I didn't really listen much to the Bose in the first car but sound package plus is so utterly crap I wish I'd had Bose again.

    4) Full leather gives a lovely quality ambience to the interior. I love the stitching on the doors and side of the centre console. I don't like the plastic dash with those two nasty mould marks runnning down the centre of the facia top.

    An inexpensive option that's well worth having is the sports steering wheel.

    Hope this helps.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Thanks DreamCar,

    I appreciate the feedback.

    Do you think the 19" wheels would be really unbearable without PASM? (There would be no racing or tracking for this car, strictly highway and city roads - potholes etc.)

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Thanks for asking and Dreamcar's comments are right on.
    1) PASM? Adds a different dimension to the car, and comes standard on all high end Porsches for a reason. I never intend to track my Boxster and PASM is great for the streets as well. If you are concerned about the complexity & longevity of the suspension system, it is virtually bullet proof and the soft-top operation is more complex. As for 19" wheels requiring PASM, I am of the belief that the car still has an excellent ride with the standard suspension and 19" wheels, and if PASM is not in your budget, then you can still have a great car ownership experience with 18" or 19" wheels and no PASM.
    2) Bi-Xenon? Necessary and should be standard.
    3) BOSE or SoundPlus? If in your budget go for the BOSE, but you'll like the sound of the engine more.
    4) Full leather? Go with PASM, Bi-Xenon and Bose before you opt for the full leather. I personally don't mind the plastic dash and those two mould marks runnning down the centre of the facia top. The leather dash has an added cut-out for the passenger airbag, which some find unappealing. If you can afford it, get the leather, but if prioritizing, go for the performance options.
    In addition, I would suggest that you consider the Sport Chrono, which is one of my favorite options. Not only do I like the wart on the dashboard, but more importantly it puts the car in a hyper-gear, making the car respond quicker. If you are going for a manual shift, short-shift is an option that will not appear on the ordering website, as some believe the shift action is too hard, particularly when cold, but I must disagree, and would recommend it without hesitation. Lastly, for $250 go for the Sport Steering Wheel which just feels more substantial in your hands. My '06 had the standard wheel, which I thought was fine, but I now prefer the Sport Steering wheel on my '08, and could not go back to the larger/ thinner standard steering wheel. Ultimately, go for the performance options when prioritizing your options within a given budget.
    vincesf

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    The question of PASM or not to PASM for road use is entirely down to your presonal view on whats a hard ride, and your local road conditions. I'd advise to only take views from users local to you so that a direct comparison can be made.

    For the UK i'd say PASM on 19s is essential, but then some people like a hard ride, and i generally do not. To me using sport mode on the road is futile, the reduction in grip on mid corners bumps due to the hard set up is more of a negative than the increased stability on the odd smooth corner.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    For comparison, here's our car with ocean blue full leather. Guards red with sand beige was our second colour choice, and we would certainly have had that combination with a Cayman.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Dreamcar:
    You have excellent taste. What a beautiful interior! I like the nice touch by ordering the special center console, as I believe it provides some needed contrast to the interior. Also, you've got the Sport Steering wheel and am sure you would agree that the standard wheel feels a bit thin at the 10 and 2 o'clock position as compared to the sport wheel. For $250.00 it is a bargain.
    vincesf

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Guys,

    thanks a ton. Good feedback from all. Dreamcar & VinceSF, I could look at your photos all day. Just gorgeous pics.

    Good suggestion about the sport steering wheel - never considered that option. Can't wait for the official Porsche announcement this fall.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Quote:
    vincesf said:
    I like the nice touch by ordering the special center console, as I believe it provides some needed contrast to the interior.



    Couldn't agree more

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Nice pic Porsche-Jeck, and I believe the rear console option stands out even better with darker interiors, such as yours. Beautiful!
    Even with my light interior I believe the contrast is nice as well. I was not brave enough to do a matching body color red rear console, and opted for aluminum instead, which for me was the right balance of contrast and color, matching the interior door openers, and other trim bits.
    vincesf

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Quote:
    philpots said:
    Thanks DreamCar,

    I appreciate the feedback.

    Do you think the 19" wheels would be really unbearable without PASM? (There would be no racing or tracking for this car, strictly highway and city roads - potholes etc.)



    All I can suggest is you go down to your dealer and see if he's got cars with and without PASM that you can try back to back. There have beeen some comments here from guys who reckon PASM gives a slightly artificial feel. A bit like sports seats, it's a personal thing, some love 'em some don't.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    @ vincef and philpots thanks for your comments much appreciated.

    With our colour choices of cobalt with ocean blue and metropole blue soft top we wanted to have some contrasts with the all blue theme. We also had the roll bars in aluminium look

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    With my first 987s (3.2) I went with a lot of fancy options (19ers+PASM, PCM+GSM+Bose,...). With my second 987S (now 3.4) I skipped most comfort or show oriented extras and went with 18ers (caymanS wheels), PASM, Sport steering wheel, sport seats, no PCM and no Bose just SP+ and of course Xenon. Never looked back. Colour (artic silver). and number plate "IQ987" stayed the same.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Can anyone clarify something about PASM. This is my current understanding ...
    1) the normal mode is more comfortable than the std suspension set-up
    2) the sport mode is more stiffer than the std suspension set-up

    so IF I never intend to use the sport mode, then how will PASM improve any performance aspect of the box? Is it just a comfort thing?

    I'm assuming PASM is not really like the active suspensions of F1 technology where you are negating the G forces to increase lateral grip. I'm getting the impression that PASM normal mode is more to smooth out the ride.

    Please correct if I'm wrong as I have no experience in this area but everyone keeps advising to spend option money on the performance bits like PASM but I'm seeing it as a 'comfort' bit rather than a performance 'bit' IF I never intend to use the sport mode.

    thanks

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Quote:
    philpots said:

    so IF I never intend to use the sport mode, then how will PASM improve any performance aspect of the box? Is it just a comfort thing?




    It's an adaptive system and there is even an overlay between Normal and Sport, meaning that if you drive very sporty in Normal mode damper speed and damping force can be higher compared to a slow cruise in Sport mode. The pic demonstrates it (though the red sports suspension line is meaningless for the 987).

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Keep in mind that dampers only really effect the suspension in transition. In steady state cornering dampers make little difference in cornering attitude or to overall grip. But PASM also includes higher spring rates so we can expect more level cornering and higher overall grip because of it. We can also expect the ride to be a little firmer and more skittish behavior over washboard roads. But PASM also include "magic" dampers which vary their force under computer control to decrease the harshness of the stiffer spring rates but maintain their higher performance.

    What's really important to look at about the graph above is the increase in low damper speed damping (the left edge of the graph). Low speed damping is what we think of as "responsiveness" It allows for much better turn in and snappier transitions (like in a slalom). High damper speeds (to the right of the graph) determine smoothness over little bumps. So as you can see, the PASM in soft mode driven quickly transitions better than stock and driven more reasonably is more comfortable than stock. When PASM is in sport mode and driven aggressively it transtions more quickly than stock and rides rougher. But driven less agressively approximates stock.

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    PASM in normal for comfort - under normal driving - YES

    PASM in normal mode on sporty driving - more comfortable ? - probably not, but its always reacting to a number of factors, not least the bumpiness of the road, so in normal mode you will probably keep better traction in Normal PASM than a stock suspended car (IMO) - certainly when you get inot sport mode on the back roads its pretty easy to loose traction due to bumps and camber changes (and without driving hard either !)

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    I must be a masochist but I often drive my PASM equipped Boxster S in the Sport mode (with 19" wheels and Bridgestone Potenza Tires), and don't find it as harsh as many suggested. Of course, I also owned a Lotus Elise, and Honda S2000, which in my opinion were much harsher cars than the PASM equipped Boxster in Sport mode. In regular mode the Boxster feels like a veritable Roll Royce in comparison to the Lotus and Honda.
    vincesf

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Thanks 00r101 & Porsche-Jeck for that detailed explaination.

    You know what they say ... a picture is worth a 1000 words.

    I think if I spring for 19s I'll go for PASM otherwise std suspension for the 18s

    Any speculation as to whether the 987 facelift will make 18s std now? with 20s as an option? And also do you think bi-xenon and 6spd will be std too? (I think they would risk losing customers if they still decide to charge for these 3 items in this day & age)

    Re: With the benefit of hindsight

    Quote:
    vincesf said:
    I must be a masochist but I often drive my PASM equipped Boxster S in the Sport mode (with 19" wheels and Bridgestone Potenza Tires), and don't find it as harsh as many suggested. Of course, I also owned a Lotus Elise, and Honda S2000, which in my opinion were much harsher cars than the PASM equipped Boxster in Sport mode. In regular mode the Boxster feels like a veritable Roll Royce in comparison to the Lotus and Honda.
    vincesf




    this is exactly the problem every time the subject of PASM and size of wheels comes up - everyone has their own interpretation of what is hard, or what they want from the car, and we all have local road conditions that can differ widely from area to area, never mind continent to continent. If you come from something like a 964Rs then PASM in sport and 19s will seem a little soft, PASM in normal will seem like its walllowing.

    My persoanl preference is PASM in normal; UK roads are bad, and for long distance cruising its ideal and comfortable. The fact it adapts to your speed and car attitude at least means its working with you !

     
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