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    Apr 22, 2004 1:40:49 PM

    dreamcar
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    dreamcar
    Loc: Hampshire , United Kingdom
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    Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Here's hoping Porsche improve on the threadbare spec of the current Boxster - I would have thought the following items, extra at present, should be included in the new car without an excessive price hike. The days when car makers offered a bodyshell, engine and four wheels with everything else extra are long gone :-

    1. Porsche Stability Management
    Mercedes & BMW fit stability control as standard invaluable safety aid
    2. Xenon Lights
    Also on Z43.0 and presumably on new SLK. Again, invaluable on high performance car
    3. Wind deflector
    Not unreasonable on an open top sports car?
    4. 18" wheels - hopefully those lovely Carrera items.

    AND my big whinge - a decent colour choice - why two dark blues???

    Apr 22, 2004 10:51:38 PM

    Mellow Yellow
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    Mellow Yellow
    Loc: Atlanta, GA , United States
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    Registered on: Jun 29, 2003
    Reply to: dreamcar

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Quote:
    dreamcar said:
    Here's hoping Porsche improve on the threadbare spec of the current Boxster - I would have thought the following items, extra at present, should be included in the new car without an excessive price hike. The days when car makers offered a bodyshell, engine and four wheels with everything else extra are long gone :-

    1. Porsche Stability Management
    Mercedes & BMW fit stability control as standard invaluable safety aid
    2. Xenon Lights
    Also on Z43.0 and presumably on new SLK. Again, invaluable on high performance car
    3. Wind deflector
    Not unreasonable on an open top sports car?
    4. 18" wheels - hopefully those lovely Carrera items.

    AND my big whinge - a decent colour choice - why two dark blues???



    My comments:

    PSM - should be standard, but the method for turning it off may not please those who don't want it. Personally, I ordered it because I really wanted it, but there are some people who are "experts" who think they will never make a driving mistake.

    Xenons - While I don't agree that they are "invaluable", they should definitely be standard eqpt.

    Wind Deflector - agreed, especially since it can be removed.

    18" wheels - I think should be std on the Boxster S, but not the regular Boxster.

    One that was not on your list was Full Leather. Should be standard on a $50K-$60K car.

    Another one that was not on your list was Cruise Control. Should be standard on a $50K-$60K car, adds almost no weight I imagine, and very useful on long highway cruising.

    PS - Porsche has color to sample, so you can get any color on the planet. That's not good enough? Personally I think that even without color to sample option, there are plenty of good Porsche colors to choose from, plus some unique ones.

    Apr 23, 2004 6:53:52 AM

    dreamcar
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    dreamcar
    Loc: Hampshire , United Kingdom
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    Reply to: Mellow Yellow

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Hi Swilsonator

    Thanks for your comments. Here in the UK cruise control not as useful as in the U S of A as we don't have your magnificent open roads, unfortunately. Well not as many, anyway, and certainly not with the low volume of traffic.

    Yes standard 17" on Boxster and 18" on "S" would be fine.

    With regards to colours yes I know you can have any colour you want as a "special" at GPB 1500++, what I meant was a better choice of standard metallic colours.

    Apr 23, 2004 12:37:56 PM

    Gaz
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    Gaz
    Loc: London, England
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    Reply to: dreamcar

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    They should make the trip computer standard as well, especially since the electronics are present in all models. As I understand it, the extra cost is just for the stalk on the steering column - vehicles without the stalk have the trip computer functionality disabled as part of the factory software configuration, but as the electronics are integrated with the other instruments, they just get left unused.

    Apr 23, 2004 1:27:40 PM

    dreamcar
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    dreamcar
    Loc: Hampshire , United Kingdom
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    Reply to: Gaz

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Hi Gary

    Yes, good thinking I forgot about that. My Ford Focus has one as standard at 1/3rd the price of a Boxster.

    Another thing - I know it is an extra, and rightly so because not everybody wants it, but the Porsche Communications Management System - Sat Nav to anybody else - will hopefully be upgraded to a DVD based system. CD Rom is stone aged and steam powered these days.

    Apr 23, 2004 6:01:47 PM

    RickJK
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    RickJK
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    Reply to: dreamcar

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Count me among those who might cancel my 987S order if PSM is standard. I don't want it and don't want to pay for it. It really doesn't seem necessary with an open differential and only 280HP. I might reconsider if it could be turned completely off.

    If PSM becomes standard I will probably fall back on my secondary plan to find a 914-6 to garage with the Elise I have on order. That wouldn't be all bad as it would allow me to keep my old BMW Convertible for running around instead of having to trade it on the Lotus.

    Apr 24, 2004 7:27:30 PM

    dreamcar
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    dreamcar
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    Reply to: RickJK

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    Sorry RicJK - can't agree. My understanding is that PSM can be totally switched off should you so require. It is an invaluable safety aid, every bit as useful as ABS - are you suggesting this should be not standard also? I have recently been on a Porsche driving event and been demonstrated - by a professional Porsche driving instructor - on a skid pan with PSM on and off - a real eye opener. If I was not convinced before I certainly am now!

    Apr 26, 2004 6:09:06 PM

    RickJK
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    Reply to: dreamcar

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    My understanding is that while the PSM can be switched totally off, if the sensors detect that you are in dire trouble it will switch back on temporarily. I have been autocrossing and time trialing since 1970, and while I would agree that PSM can be an invaluable safety aid in slippery conditions, my car will most likely not ever encounter such conditions as I do not plan to run the car in rain, let alone ice or snow. It would therefore only interfere with my enjoyment of the car rather than provide me with a safety net. I understand that few people use their car like I do, but I do not want to pay for an aid I do not want. If they were to add it to the standard equipment list, they would certainly increase the price to cover their cost and profit, so I don't see what the advantage to you would be in making it standard. Porsche does have about the highest profitability in the auto industry, so they are not going to just throw it in for free. The trip computer being there in all cars, but only activated as an extra cost option should show you that.

    As far as it goes, I once avoided an accident in the snow in Colorado with a manouver that would not have been possible if I had had PSM, as it required power sliding the rear of the car three times in succession. With PSM on that car, I would have creamed the side of a car that fishtailed to a sudden stop just ahead of me. Granted, this was an amazing circumstance, and I was really lucky to have pulled the move off, but all the same, it would have been an accident with PSM.

    That being said, although I am fairly fast, particularly in time trial type events, I have a very good feel for the limits of my car and do not push things beyone the point where I am comfortable. If fact, I have only been off track one time in approximately 75 timed track events, and that was a time that the SCCA was running an autocross event on a racetrack and installed some artificial chicanes. When walking the track, I thought it could be run straight through without lifting, but I changed my mind at the last instant and tried to shift slightly on the track, and my too small tires were having none of it. FWIW, PSM would have saved me that off track excursion, but so would the correct size tires, and there was no damage done, so on balance, I am ahead without it.

    Regarding ABS, IF done properly with a high limit of engagement, it can be very helpful, and I would probably order it as an option as installed by Porsche, but it can increase your stopping distances on loose or slippery surfaces which most people are unaware of. On a dry surface, a proper ABS can stop you as quickly as the best trained driver, so it seems worthwhile as long as one is aware of it's limitations.

    Now if you wanted a locking differential included as standard, I would be all with you, but I would be just as happy if one were an option.

    I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to have PSM, I'm only saying I should not be forced to buy it!

    Apr 26, 2004 6:47:40 PM

    Gaz
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    Gaz
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    Reply to: RickJK

    Re: Boxster 987 - Basic Specification

    When I ordered my 986S a few years back I had fully intended going for PSM, but my dealer talked me out of it and I'm glad. The truth is that given the distribution of mass and the quality of the chasis, PSM really isn't necessary IMHO unless you really enjoy hammering it in conditions when you ought to be at home in front of the TV!!! OK, if there were more power or if you lived in a climate where weather is an issue on a daily basis then maybe there is an argument, but under normal driving conditions in a temperate climate I believe the balance and poise of the unadulterated car is simply there to be enjoyed. (996 is probably a different matter, although I've yet to exprience a tail-out moment in that model)

    ABS is a different matter however - it has saved me a number of times. Sometime you need a little help avoiding the other numptys on the road! Sure, a well trained driver can probably stop just as quickly using pure skill, but I like to have a little concentration in reserve for the colourful language and gesturing!!
     
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