Hi there
Well dropped my car 911 of yesterday for its service, had it booked in for a minor service, brake fluid, drive belt change, MOT and some warranty work. They handed me the keys to a more or less new (61 plate) Boxster PDK, which gave me a Cheshire cat grin.
As such I thought I'd comment on this truly exceptional sports car, but this is just a mini-review, nothing hugely in depth, so any questions well just ask.
First of all, is it a nice place to be, well its rather spartan, but the finish is good quality, good speakers but not hard with such a small cabin with exceptional heats and easy access to all controls.
The most important aspect of this car is it was fitted with PDK, just base PDK, no Sports+ or launch control. In full AUTO mode it works extremely well, is about as close to an AUTO you will get with quick yet smooth changes. There is hardly any transmission noise and it seems quite intelligent, but definetely geared more towards economy, I am sure the Sports+ versions with sport mode will hold onto gears better. As the car basically aims to get in the highest gear as quick as possible if your light on the pedal, give it a bit of gas it will drop a gear, a bit more gas then it may drop a further gear and if you nail the throttle depressing the switch under the accelerating it will drop the lowest gear possible to attain maximum acceleration and changes up at approx 7300rpm.
So for town driving and cruising the AUTO works well, however for spirited driving it is useless. So lets try manual mode, now first of all this car had the thumb buttons which to be frank for someone who enjoys spanking their car are bloody awful. The only advantage I see to these is the ability to change both up and down on one side of the wheel. The optional extra of the Sport steering wheel with big paddles either side with the left side only changing down and the right only changing up would be far better. Still making do with what I had I discovered with PDK you can hold the car in the gear you select and even bounce of the limiter as long as you don't activate the switch under the accelerator, so lead footed people need to learn not to hit the loud pedal so hard. Once I got used to this it was not bad. But as daft as it sounds I found the PDK distracted me more, sometimes I would forget/wonder what gear I was in and have to take my eyes of the road to see wheras with a manual well I just know what gear I am in because selecting gear with a manual is different for each gear wheras with PDK you just press a button. Then on the involvement side of things having a clutch and stick is a lot more involving and adds to the fun and reward of banging all the gears home spot on, yes PDK gives a performance advantage, but it does remove an element of fun. Porsche tell me PDK is programmed a bit harsher on say cars like the 997 Turbo but it will never give you the thud you get from like a Ferrari F1 box or the SMG from an M3 CSL, which for a keen driver is a shame, because the CSL box is one I'd only take over a manual, otherwise manual all the way.
Anyway thats enough about PDK!
The drive itself, first of all the directness and speed of change of direction from the steering inputs is superior to the 911, its a lot more darty is a word you could use and like the 911 the feel is absolutely great, your always know how much grip you've got left simply from the steering feel in your hands, infact I've not driven a car that matches this apart from other Porsches, they really do win here hands down.
The major difference with a Boxster to a 911 is engine placement, the engine has moved from the boot, to the rear seats, essentially gone from rear engined, too mid-engine. You really notice this, the car feels very pivoty and very easy to provoke into understeer and oversteer with absolute easy and true control. Supposedly whenever a 911 driver takes out a Boxster/Cayman they get in them and are instantly driving like hooligans and giving them a good spanking. I think the reasoning for this is because the mid-engine design is easier to drive on the limits of grip and beyond them without getting bitten in the arse if you've got some idea of car control, and its a well known fact a 911 is harder to drive fast than a Boxster and has a longer learning curve. As such I found the Boxster an absolute hoot to drive, I was sideways more time then I care to mention, yet never once had a brown pants moment and this was in winter conditions on Summer tyres (RE050A). I'd sum the handling up and say the Boxster/Cayman gives you more fun/grins at lower speeds than say compared to a 911 and with the Boxster/Cayman you can take a lot more liberties.
Where the 911 excels though is first of all it has way more grip than the Boxster, as its tyre contact patch is larger and its got that whopping engine out back. What this means is your on the power sooner out of corners and sooner into full power and the 911 will just give the impression of steering from the rear. The other major advantages of the 911 is it feels far more planted in long sweeping corners, in the Boxster it can feel twitchy as you don't have all that weight over the rear of the car. A-B the 911 is simply far quicker, better corner speed, far quicker out of the corners and has a good 100+ HP more for the straights and weighs more or less the same. The Boxster is like a trained race horse its fast and easy to access its performance, the 911 is more like a wild horse, takes a lot of taming but when you get it right the performance and feel are untouchable.
The 2.9 DFI engine in the Boxster has no low-down power, it really needs to be revv'd but beyond 4000rpm it's got plenty of go and is really addictive keeping it on the boil too and this little 250BHP will quite easily see of most 300+ BHP cars. 0-60mph is around 5.6s and 0-100mph in 13s, infact its not far of E46 M3 peroformance and they were never slow cars. So a good engine which has surprisingly great economy, even spanking it you'll get 15mpg, you'll average more like 25mpg and get close too 40mpg on a run.
Too summarise, don't take the mick out of a Boxster as some owners mayb indeed be buying them for the drive and not the posing image or mid-life crysis, I rate the drive and involvement over an S2000 and I think a manual version would make it spot on which of course you can buy. They really are loads of fun and you don't need to be travelling at warp speed to get the grins and smiles, plus your not going to die in one.
Anyway here is some pictures:-
On the looks front, OK with roof down, but roof up I don't like its rock oh and sorry for how dirty it is but I was driving it, not cleaning it.
As to regards the service from the OPC, well superb level of service and the cost very fair £539 all in.
Well dropped my car 911 of yesterday for its service, had it booked in for a minor service, brake fluid, drive belt change, MOT and some warranty work. They handed me the keys to a more or less new (61 plate) Boxster PDK, which gave me a Cheshire cat grin.
As such I thought I'd comment on this truly exceptional sports car, but this is just a mini-review, nothing hugely in depth, so any questions well just ask.
First of all, is it a nice place to be, well its rather spartan, but the finish is good quality, good speakers but not hard with such a small cabin with exceptional heats and easy access to all controls.
The most important aspect of this car is it was fitted with PDK, just base PDK, no Sports+ or launch control. In full AUTO mode it works extremely well, is about as close to an AUTO you will get with quick yet smooth changes. There is hardly any transmission noise and it seems quite intelligent, but definetely geared more towards economy, I am sure the Sports+ versions with sport mode will hold onto gears better. As the car basically aims to get in the highest gear as quick as possible if your light on the pedal, give it a bit of gas it will drop a gear, a bit more gas then it may drop a further gear and if you nail the throttle depressing the switch under the accelerating it will drop the lowest gear possible to attain maximum acceleration and changes up at approx 7300rpm.
So for town driving and cruising the AUTO works well, however for spirited driving it is useless. So lets try manual mode, now first of all this car had the thumb buttons which to be frank for someone who enjoys spanking their car are bloody awful. The only advantage I see to these is the ability to change both up and down on one side of the wheel. The optional extra of the Sport steering wheel with big paddles either side with the left side only changing down and the right only changing up would be far better. Still making do with what I had I discovered with PDK you can hold the car in the gear you select and even bounce of the limiter as long as you don't activate the switch under the accelerator, so lead footed people need to learn not to hit the loud pedal so hard. Once I got used to this it was not bad. But as daft as it sounds I found the PDK distracted me more, sometimes I would forget/wonder what gear I was in and have to take my eyes of the road to see wheras with a manual well I just know what gear I am in because selecting gear with a manual is different for each gear wheras with PDK you just press a button. Then on the involvement side of things having a clutch and stick is a lot more involving and adds to the fun and reward of banging all the gears home spot on, yes PDK gives a performance advantage, but it does remove an element of fun. Porsche tell me PDK is programmed a bit harsher on say cars like the 997 Turbo but it will never give you the thud you get from like a Ferrari F1 box or the SMG from an M3 CSL, which for a keen driver is a shame, because the CSL box is one I'd only take over a manual, otherwise manual all the way.
Anyway thats enough about PDK!
The drive itself, first of all the directness and speed of change of direction from the steering inputs is superior to the 911, its a lot more darty is a word you could use and like the 911 the feel is absolutely great, your always know how much grip you've got left simply from the steering feel in your hands, infact I've not driven a car that matches this apart from other Porsches, they really do win here hands down.
The major difference with a Boxster to a 911 is engine placement, the engine has moved from the boot, to the rear seats, essentially gone from rear engined, too mid-engine. You really notice this, the car feels very pivoty and very easy to provoke into understeer and oversteer with absolute easy and true control. Supposedly whenever a 911 driver takes out a Boxster/Cayman they get in them and are instantly driving like hooligans and giving them a good spanking. I think the reasoning for this is because the mid-engine design is easier to drive on the limits of grip and beyond them without getting bitten in the arse if you've got some idea of car control, and its a well known fact a 911 is harder to drive fast than a Boxster and has a longer learning curve. As such I found the Boxster an absolute hoot to drive, I was sideways more time then I care to mention, yet never once had a brown pants moment and this was in winter conditions on Summer tyres (RE050A). I'd sum the handling up and say the Boxster/Cayman gives you more fun/grins at lower speeds than say compared to a 911 and with the Boxster/Cayman you can take a lot more liberties.
Where the 911 excels though is first of all it has way more grip than the Boxster, as its tyre contact patch is larger and its got that whopping engine out back. What this means is your on the power sooner out of corners and sooner into full power and the 911 will just give the impression of steering from the rear. The other major advantages of the 911 is it feels far more planted in long sweeping corners, in the Boxster it can feel twitchy as you don't have all that weight over the rear of the car. A-B the 911 is simply far quicker, better corner speed, far quicker out of the corners and has a good 100+ HP more for the straights and weighs more or less the same. The Boxster is like a trained race horse its fast and easy to access its performance, the 911 is more like a wild horse, takes a lot of taming but when you get it right the performance and feel are untouchable.
The 2.9 DFI engine in the Boxster has no low-down power, it really needs to be revv'd but beyond 4000rpm it's got plenty of go and is really addictive keeping it on the boil too and this little 250BHP will quite easily see of most 300+ BHP cars. 0-60mph is around 5.6s and 0-100mph in 13s, infact its not far of E46 M3 peroformance and they were never slow cars. So a good engine which has surprisingly great economy, even spanking it you'll get 15mpg, you'll average more like 25mpg and get close too 40mpg on a run.
Too summarise, don't take the mick out of a Boxster as some owners mayb indeed be buying them for the drive and not the posing image or mid-life crysis, I rate the drive and involvement over an S2000 and I think a manual version would make it spot on which of course you can buy. They really are loads of fun and you don't need to be travelling at warp speed to get the grins and smiles, plus your not going to die in one.
Anyway here is some pictures:-
On the looks front, OK with roof down, but roof up I don't like its rock oh and sorry for how dirty it is but I was driving it, not cleaning it.
As to regards the service from the OPC, well superb level of service and the cost very fair £539 all in.
