Boxster:Z4 or Honda S2000 which is the best?

[daro911]

Top Gear tonight tested a Z4..Honda S2000 and a 2.7 Boxster ... Each presentator was routing for his chosen sports car although little Dick! Hammond lost all credability for me by saying every Boxster owner he has ever met always explains why they drive a Boxster and not a 911 etc [8D]but he reckoned the reason was simply they couldn't afford a 911! What a merchant banker []

Bottom line for those of you who missed the road tests, was to be decided by which car went quickest around the TG track ... ..Surprise Surprise not! it was James May's chosen favourite "The 2.7 Boxster"

 

[evoke]

Damn! I missed that part of Top Gear. I started watching it and got distracted.

Anyway, the presenters' comments are probably true. If I could afford a 911 I would have bought one.

However, it doesn't negate the fact that the Porsche Boxster is an awesome car for looks, handling and performance. It's by far the best car I have ever driven and owned with my hard-earned cash.

Oh, and it's a Porsche

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: rumba

Damn! I missed that part of Top Gear. I started watching it and got distracted.

Anyway, the presenters' comments are probably true. If I could afford a 911 I would have bought one.
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[]Ha Rumba my friend you are completely wrong. I have owned 911's proper 911's ie air cooled and torsion bar jobbies between 1978-1997 then I got my first Boxster and I am now on number 4!

I sold my last 911 earlier this year because since 98 I hardly ever used it .. I was a total Boxster convert and no 996 driven so far has turned my head or heart yet .... Rob

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Hammond lost all credability for me by saying every Boxster owner he has ever met always explains why they drive a Boxster and not a 911 etc but he reckoned the reason was simply they couldn't afford a 911!

Funny, I don't remember saying that when I talked to him a couple of months back...[8|]

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

Funny, I don't remember saying that when I talked to him a couple of months back...[8|]

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[]Mark ... he probably wasn't listening too hard [8D] You know what these TV stars can be like .... sometimes they can only hear the voices inside there own heads [8D] But as a 4 x 911 owner he made me feel like I must be some sort of anal retentive chosing a Boxster as my number ONE Porsche choice.

I personally know 3 Porsche employed senior staff members who have told me that they would take the Boxster "S" every time in preference to the 996. They had no axe to grind but like me prefered the purer, sportier feel of the Boxster over the Grand Touring character that is now known as a 996. Shame Dick HeadHammond hasn't met these real sports car type buffs on his many journeys

 

[robert997]

I can't imagine anyone choosing a Z4 or S2000 over a Boxster...it's a PORSCHE for goodness sake ! Only company-car user-choosers would make the choice (BMW and Honda both on my company list but no Porsches obviously!), or people who can't afford a decent spec Boxster maybe ? It may not be the fastest car anymore, but we all know how fantastic it drives and that great feeling everytime you look at it or drive it ! Can you imagine that with any of the others ?? CAR magazine Nov 2003 have the same Boxster/Z4/Audi TT thing going on and report that when they parked them in Manchester city centre people agreed that only the Porsche was the 'real' sports car !

I wouldn't change my Boxster for one of those, would you ??!![]

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: princer2


I wouldn't change my Boxster for one of those, would you ??!![]

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[8D]No Way ... I changed my 20 year love affair with 911's for the Boxster so no way would I want to switch out of the Best Sports Car In The World ...[8D]

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[Guest]

I wonder if our Boxster friend Mr Heeley will read this thread!...[]

A good program generally although I got the feeling that behind the scenes, each presenter was told to 'back' one of the 3 cars and make a show out of it.
That little guy off men an motors is just trying to have a bit of banter I suspect, It is true he has an old 70's air cooled, left hooker 911 but I like many left a 911 to get into a Boxster, not necessarily a question of affordability.

Do you really think Clarkson liked the S2000, after he derides the jap cars so much?..To be taken with a pinch of salt me thinks...

Good to see the ole 2.7 beating the others on the track though.. Wonder where Perry McaCarthy is off to now he leaves being the STIG behind!...
Now I gotta try and find out who the new stig is!..

 

[Mark_Bennett]

I wonder if our Boxster friend Mr Heeley will read this thread!...

I did point him in the direction of the forums when the "drool over Jodi Kidd" thread was going on. []

Never seen him log in though[&:]

 

[graham m]

The trouble for me - and anyone who is over 6 foot, is it's too b.....y small!
It was easy to re-drill the seat runners in the 911, but a bit of judicious panel craft would be required to get comfortable in the Boxster.
A problem that Tricky Dicky Hammond would not encounter![]

 

[Andrew Killington]

keep it coming Rob; it has to be said that Mr Hammond does have a Z4 look about him[]
whole thing seemed a tad too contrived for me[]
Andy

 

[Guest]

I met Mr Hammond in September when he was MC at a Porsche hospitality jolly at Donnington Park (and yes he really is very short!). He was being very nice about Boxster's then!.

Seriously he's missing the point though - for the price of a new S or a well specc'd 2.7, you can buy a 3 - 4 year old 996 C2. I've been through this exercise recently, and IMHO, the C2 apart from the obvious speed advantage, just didn't feel as good to drive as the Boxster - i.e. it felt tail happy.

I think the S2000's got some cred' but the Z4 (and I have driven a 3.0) is not even in the same league - the TT is better!.

Chris

NB: Someone at work told me that the new Stig is one Darren Manning.

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: Chris Turner

IMHO, the C2 apart from the obvious speed advantage, just didn't feel as good to drive as the Boxster - i.e. it felt tail happy.

Chris
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Chris a while back I was lent a 996C2 for 5 days / 500 miles. Apart from the power advantage, and extra torque neither which could be used in my daily drive, on our crowded speed hump camera infested roads []rant over, the Boxster left the 996 for dead in the crucial areas ie steering feel, clutch and gearbox both feel and effort required, brakes were similar but tyre noise and ride comfort again were way below the Boxsters. During my 5 days price was never a factor my decision was made purely on driver pleasure and fun factor.


If you don't need the rear seats then I would rather the Boxster any day of the week and the money saved is just an added bonus. Some of which I would and did use to try and make my Boxster at least sound as good as the 996 does.

 

[Dapster]

Someone I know who's "in the know" thinks or knows that the new Stig is David Leslie - the bearded Proton driver from the BTCC. I thought whoever was driving the 3 cars on the wet track didn't look nearly as smooth or comitted as Perry. The bends seemed to be taken as a series of snatchy oversteer - back off - catch the slide - power on - oversteer - back off manoevers (unless the traction control was spoiling the fun?).

My colleague has a Z4 3.0 on 18" wheels and it rides like a wheelbarrow. I think the S2000 is a lovely bit of kit - nice touches such as the starter button, 6 speed, lots of goodies etc, but all I read about is what an edgy oversteery liability they are on all but a smooth dry track.

 

[Dapster]

.....also.....

What's wrong with buying a Boxster because you can't afford a 911? I'd imagine 1% of drivers on the road are driving their money-no-object dream car. When I could afford a Boxster, I got one. When I can afford a 911, I'll get one of those and when I can afford a Carrera GT, I'll get one of those. Nothing wrong with that?

I agree with John Hale - each presenter was asked to back a car and the only criticism they could come up with of the Boxster is the fame of its big brother. Besides, if everyone agreed on everything life would be very boring.....

 

[thboxster]

I'm in no doubt about which I think is best. I bought a Boxster. (Honda wasn't even on my short list). The Boxster was pitted against some serious competition as well, in the same sort of class.

My req's for my car included: soft top, 2 seats, fun, quality build and reliability. And after testing the others in the same league, the Boxster won. So a 911 wasn't even a consideration, whether I could affort one or not.

During the arguing on top gear, whether it was just pointless arguing or whether 2 of them thought they had a point, they were putting the Boxster down for not having a 6 speed gearbox. Considering the potential top speed and the UK limit, I can't think of a good reason why it would need one, it performs admirably with a mere 5 selections, as the new Stig proved[]

 

[Guest]

Considering the potential top speed and the UK limit, I can't think of a good reason why it would need one, it performs admirably with a mere 5 selections, as the new Stig proved

You're right, the 'sports' style of driving does not require it but get on the motorways or even decent long stretches of relatively flat straight road and to drop it into sixth means significant fuel savings even if sticking rigidly to the speed limit which of course we all do. I know it is not what Porsche cars are about but every little saving helps, especially when you have an expensive oil leak to sort out..............grumble grumble.

 

[mikecolquhoun]

The Honda looks like a Honda whatever its handling capabilities.

The Z4, the more I see it the less I like it.

They failed to mention that it is now the gayest car, maybe that is why JC went for the Honda??

I wouldn't mind a convertible 911 and I guess I would have one if money was no object. Having said that I actually prefer the Boxster in many ways ....

 

[ClubSport 911]

The Stig is Perry Mcarthy - everyone knows that (well, I thought they did)...also having owned a Honda Accord type R, I can assure you that car was a fantastic piece of kit. - 228bhp from 2157cc. Care to work it out ?

Yes..it's very high bhp/litre.

Also, for a front driver, it handled like a dream - and was very economical. OK OK, I concede it looked totally bland (I removed the silly cosmetic spoiler) but custom Recaros, Momo trim, lightened chassis, Xenon's reduced sound deadening, Air-con, Blue-printed engine, NSX brakes...it worked - and a sound that frankly rivals anything I've heard (especially @ 9000 rpm)

Of course, I sit in another camp now being a Porsche driver, (Torque, Heritage, Pedigree ) but tip your hats to the S2000 - it is a fine car and one that grows and grows on you....

Rgds

Steve

 

[Guest]

In the last month I have puchased a Cobalt Blue Boxster S, which I think is one of the nicest cars around at the moment to drive, before purchasing this car I test drove numerous Ferraris and a couple of Lamborghinis.The beauty of the Boxster is this car can be driven day to day and is slighty practical.Personally the Bmw and Honda are both to Americanised, long bonnets and a bit tacky,but everyone to there own.If they really wanted six gears, then why didn't they test the S.