Boxter 3.2S or Z4 3.0?

[Toker]

It's really annoying. The Aeriel on the 5's is built into the rear screen but of course this isnt possible on the Z4

yea well I was wondering, as I know you get internal aerials that are built in to the front windscreen surround, guess you could get one of them installed and get the rear aerial smoothed off. Dunno why they didn't do something like that in the first place though

 

[[TW]Fox]

Not to mention pretentious comments with wealth implications like "what do you drive then?" I might as well reply asking you the value of your house, equally as pathetic.

Whilst often the car you drive is utterly irrelevent - a Fiesta driver is still more than entitled to an opinion on the Bugatti Veyron, if you are making comments which are more than just about the car, what you drive can provide context to your opinion or undermine it. I am not the only one who finds the idea of a base model Golf driver prancing around accusing Boxster owners of being too poor for a 911 highly amusing. If there was ever a car bought by people obsessed with badge to the extent they'll tolerate a car which, on balance, is rather poor, it's those with a Golf with a naff engine in it.

Had you commented on the technical capability of a Boxster, however, your own car would have been completely irrelevent.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

To be fair, rightly or wrongly, some people will perceive the boxster that way.
I was watching Top Gear the other day (comparing Z4/Boxster/S2000) and they were doing all the ribbing about it being a poor man's 911, so it's obviously something which crosses people's minds.

the guys off top gear dont have a clue about cars or how to drive them

hammond does have a great deal of knowledge about specifications of cars, but only a true geek would know the stuff he knows

as for may - he cant drive and has crap taste in cars and gets lost on every episode

clarkson is there for one reason only - comedy - the man is really funny but when it comes to cars - he stereotypes them all, then says he hates everything about the car, but he'd still buy one, or he says everything is amazing about the car but he wont buy one because it costs too much or is made by an inferior company

if anyone takes their opinions on cars seriously or their thoughts has been smoking crack

 

[Toker]

the guys off top gear dont have a clue about cars or how to drive them

hammond does have a great deal of knowledge about specifications of cars, but only a true geek would know the stuff he knows

as for may - he cant drive and has crap taste in cars and gets lost on every episode

clarkson is there for one reason only - comedy - the man is really funny but when it comes to cars - he stereotypes them all, then says he hates everything about the car, but he'd still buy one, or he says everything is amazing about the car but he wont buy one because it costs too much or is made by an inferior company

if anyone takes their opinions on cars seriously or their thoughts has been smoking crack

what, you mean the people on top gear don't actually know about cars? That is utter blasphemy. I base all my opinions on cars on what I learn from top gears car gurus.

Next you'll be telling me they stage their car tests and read from scripts

 

[aproctor]

nothing could make mondeos any less of a car than they already are in my opinion, so that's not a very good comparison

not to go off topic, but for what it (mondeo) is, which is a solid commuter, runabout...solid car it does nothing wrong.


if the boxster ticked all the boxes the mondeo did in its chosen field (premium sports car) we would not be having this debate.

you sir are an idiot.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

tbh

does the rear wind blocker not come as standard on Z4's? or is it simply hidden?

a very nice example i love the red leather - an option only a few went for - even though it looks 10 times better than black in the Z4

all other company's should take note and try and fit similar style of leather and seats into their cars - those seats in that leather look amazing

 

[[TW]Fox]

Wind deflector isnt standard

 

[Toker]

not to go off topic, but for what it (mondeo) is, which is a solid commuter, runabout...solid car it does nothing wrong.


if the boxster ticked all the boxes the mondeo did in its chosen field (premium sports car) we would not be having this debate.

you sir are an idiot.

what it does wrong is looking so generic and being so boring. The epitemy of bland.

Even its designers thought it was a big pile of bland:

"The original Mk1 car was allegedly nicknamed the "Mundaneo" by Ford engineers during the latter stages of its development, in recognition of its bland styling. This was built upon by the motoring press who dubbed it the "Mundane Mundano": The very first Grand Theft Auto game featured a drivable car very similar to the Mondeo named Mundano. "

Would you want to be one of these:

"As the Ford Mondeo became popular for family owners, the car has lent the term to Mondeo man; describing a man in his mid-twenties who is on the verge of settling down with a partner, mortgage and a pet dog. Originally the term was Sierra man, a key demographic targeted by New Labour in 1996. A misquote (and the natural idea of Mondeo replacing Sierra) led to Mondeo man instead."

If the definition of an idiot has somehow changed to someone wanting a car that is even the slightest bit exciting and isn't so bland that it can drive past someone without them even realising a car has gone past, then I am a complete idiot.

 

[[TW]Fox]

It's a mass market, mass produced family car - it's built to do a job, and it does it damn well. What do you expect?

 

[aproctor]

if the boxster ticked all the boxes the mondeo did in its chosen field (premium sports car) we would not be having this debate.

i think you have missed my point, i shall elaborate...

the boxster is a nice car
the boxster is a drivers car
the boxster is not cheap
the boxster is nothing special for the money

imagine if the 911 turbo had an rrp the same price of the boxster, no one would complain, no one would say poor mans etc

just look at the original golf gti.....

 

[Morba]

the boxster is nothing special for the money

its not?

 

[Peter450]

The terms poor mans porsche is kinda contradictory anyway as it implies porsche have only made expensive (which is relative to your defination of whats expensive) cars which is far from the truth

Porsche are not new to this market you have the 914, and speedster
Cheap or cheaper porsches are nothing new either, 924, 944, 968?

Also is because the 911 now "cheap" relative to the past, does that mean it's now a poor mans entry to supercars/High performance cars?
Back to the future mode, but in 86 a ferrari 328 cost £32k and a 911 carrera £27k
Bit more of a differance in price now.....

The boxsters place in the porsche line is nothing new, in fact you could even argue it's more porsche than the 911, since at least to me it's more of a spiritual successor to the 356 . Porsche have been in the entry level sportscar market quite a bit over the course of there earlier history, trouble is after the 80s bust becasue they only built 911's for quite a while it's like all there earlier cars were forgotten and everything they build now must be 911 expensive or it's not a real porsche....

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Wind deflector isnt standard

i take it thats the one your mum has bought?

does not having a rear wind deflector create a lot of problem for your mum? (i mean people with long hair im assuming you have short hair and your mum has long hair) or is it tolerable?

 

[Toker]

It's a mass market, mass produced family car - it's built to do a job, and it does it damn well. What do you expect?

I was exercising my right to have an opinion on a car, whether it be fit for its purpose or not I still hate it.

Fiat Multipla's are fit for driving 5 kids to skegness for a week of torture, but I'll also hate them as much as I feel necessary.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Yea thats the one - personally I find the lack of a wind deflector really annoying at higher speeds, so much so that I'm trying to source one at the moment. There is noticeable buffeting around your head at speed

 

[Psycho Sonny]

its not?

yeah i would likt to think its better than average - it is a porsche for a start, its a convertible and it looks good too

it ticks a lot of boxes it may be more expemsive than rivals but your paying for the badge also wich you have to take into account

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Yea thats the one - personally I find the lack of a wind deflector really annoying at higher speeds, so much so that I'm trying to source one at the moment. There is noticeable buffeting around your head at speed

how much will that set you back?

we are currently looking for a third car and may get a Z4, my mate on the other hand who was looking at one for his GF, decided she wanted a brand new beetle, she declined on any second hand car, a brand new mini or a brand new a3 for a brand new beetle

thats women for you

 

[Lopéz]

epitemy

Epitome.

This was built upon by the motoring press who dubbed it the "Mundane Mundano":

That's the same Mundane Mundano that was best car in it's class overall, and best car to drive in it's class as well?

"As the Ford Mondeo became popular for family owners, the car has lent the term to Mondeo man; describing a man in his mid-twenties who is on the verge of settling down with a partner, mortgage and a pet dog. Originally the term was Sierra man, a key demographic targeted by New Labour in 1996. A misquote (and the natural idea of Mondeo replacing Sierra) led to Mondeo man instead."

What's wrong with settling down with a pet, mortgage and partner? Isn't that what most humans do or have I missed something

The Mondeo was never styled to wet the gusset of a 15 year old girl, it's supposed to be a superb family size hatchback and saloon, which it was and still is.

 

[Housey]

The Boxster is a great sports car because:

1) It has sublime steering feel and feedback
2) It has lovely balance and handling
3) It has great brakes and braking feel
4) It has a good engine with great responses and noise
5) It has a great driving position and control ergonomics
6) It comes from a company who excels at making sports cars and that comes through

It would be even better if it had more power and an LSD but its pretty much bang on and for the money and based on the above mix of ingredients is good value. At this level the small improvements it offers over the Z4 on the points above to me makes it the better sports car. The Z4 is great fun, but its not as good as a Boxster and even though it will be cheaper to buy it will loose you more when you sell it. We are all different, but having actually driven all of the main Boxster (986/987 S and non S) models and most of the Z4's (3L, 2.5L and M) to me the Boxster is the better of the two cars, but the differences are small.

As with ANY car you should drive them both and make up your own mind as asking for advice on which one is best on a forum frequented in the main by people who are unlikely to have driven both is likely to end up in a discussion around Golfs and Mondeo's

 

[aproctor]

yeah i would likt to think its better than average - it is a porsche for a start, its a convertible and it looks good too

it ticks a lot of boxes it may be more expemsive than rivals but your paying for the badge also wich you have to take into account

thats my point, i never said it was an average car (far from it) i was saying that you are paying a lot of cash for a badge, and however good the car is unless you love the styling and have to have a super premium badge then there are many other cars that look better, drive better(up for discussion), and are faster, as well as havign lower servicing costs...without the small minority going "poor mans...whatever"

edit: fair point as i am not 100%