After 2 weeks of ownership of a 997S (equipped with -20mm LSD, PSE, sport shifter), here are my comments on this car.
First of all, let me say I love the boxster. I had one, it is a fantastic car and if I wanted a roadster again, there would be no question which one that would be.
But then again, there is the carrera and all the arguing about "why would you spend more on a carrera vs. a boxster S or a Cayman S?"
I think I now understand why. After some very spirited driving on some mountain roads this week-end (which I know very well and where my boxster had many runs too), it was easy to come to this conclusion. The admired handling of the boxster is undeniable. But what does that mean? It means you go fast, turn the steering wheel, car turns, turns end, next turn, repeat. It is so easy, so perfect that you almost feel like you are not part of that process. The engineers did it and so does the car.
But where is the limit? Well, this is the point, it is a "digital car", 1 or 0. 1 you go through the turn. 0 it snaps without telling you...
Well, you see where I am going, In comparison, the carrera feels "analogue"...the same turn goes: you go fast, maybe too fast, hummh, need to brake, need to control, feel the input from your rear, turn, smash the throttle...well, YOU are turning. This is the experience. The car communicates to you, warns you even and it's a real team effort.
I absolutely loved it...less clinical...and still we are talking a 997 here...I can only imagine what the older 911s must have been like. An absolutely fantastic involving driving experience...
Voila...