Cheaper & Better To Drive ...
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dereksharpuk
New member
Dyllan, Mr Frankel's words ring true, though I would take issue over PDK. It transforms the already quick motor into a veritable rocketship. Truely it is the 911 PDK Cab that one buys with one's heart. It has far more poser value, more grunt, more performance. Yes, buy the Cayman if you are sensible and want to watch the pennies. But when was I ever sensible?
Black80XSA
New member
ChrisH, having owned a 228bhp 2.7 Boxster and now a 3.2S if I was speccing now then i'd be opting for the 2.9. There's nothing wrong with the 3.4S at all, but for UK driving you son't really need the extra performance, or expense, of the S version. Given the way residuals are at present , the less you spend the less you lose. Choose the 2.9, and add a few extra options - you will still be £4k lower in price and have lower running costs. Then again, you might want to find a fully loaded 08 plate Cayman S - under £40k would find you the very best examples
dereksharpuk
New member
Yup, I did the same with 997. I chose 3.6 instead of 3.8. Read the 997 threads to find out spcifically why.
PDK fast becoming the Marmite of the Porsche world? I love my Marmite[
] And as for the 911 v Cayman v Boxster which is best handling/fastest/value for money debate - very interesting but I'm just pleased that our manufacturer of choice can still raise the bar time after time and produce excellent sports cars to suit a variety of tastes and depths of pocket. Though compared to the Cayman I suspect that the 997 pricing is milking the lineage and history somewhat?
] And as for the 911 v Cayman v Boxster which is best handling/fastest/value for money debate - very interesting but I'm just pleased that our manufacturer of choice can still raise the bar time after time and produce excellent sports cars to suit a variety of tastes and depths of pocket. Though compared to the Cayman I suspect that the 997 pricing is milking the lineage and history somewhat?
dereksharpuk
New member
Well I have always said that about Boxster v 911. There is no way a 911 is worth twice that of a Boxster. But is a Boxster worth 3 times an MX5? For the price an MX5 is a great car. It all depends on whether you chose your car with your heart or your head! And how much dosh you can throw away! [
]
So a 911 is worth 6 times an MX5!![ORIGINAL: dereksharpukWell I have always said that about Boxster v 911. There is no way a 911 is worth twice that of a Boxster. But is a Boxster worth 3 times an MX5? For the price an MX5 is a great car. It all depends on whether you chose your car with your heart or your head! And how much dosh you can throw away! [
] I think for this debate it's easier to stick to one flavour ie Porsche and as we are all passionate about our own personal choices I would just add £ for £ I think the Boxster wins every time [8D] Will now duck for cover []
John H
New member
Excuse me! [
] Am I living in a parallel universe to some of these journos? A large portion of my reasoning for buying my Cayman WAS its looks, I think it is one of the best looking cars I have seen in years. It may not be cutting edge, but it a classically handsome car, with elements of Dino and E Type mixed with traditional Porsche. That's good enough for me. Mr Frankel can go back to admiring Ford Kugas or Renault Meganes, or whatever stuff he thinks is attractive. [:'(]
I agree, let's stick to one manufacturer! However, in an earlier post the price of the new Boxster was given as £41k or so. Don't think you'll get much on it for that. Just did a quick spec on the current S up to (as near equivalent as possible) the equipment level of my 911 and it came out at £50K. Like I said before, you pays your money and takes your choice. They're all excellent[]
]
Speaker upgrade as standard kit in previous 987's was dire Full leather & sports seats really do lift the interior look feel and comfort Unless you do track days PASM is a waste of money IMO and even if you do the odd track days would seriously consider not having this option PSE if it is available and you want the sound track lifted to even greater heights than standard set up offers Good luck with the test drives and let us know which way you finally jumped [ORIGINAL: chrisHDaro, Subject to test drive then its an S in Arctic, PASM, Sports Wheel and Wind deflector. Cant see any other options being worth it for me, don't do the miles. Does the S come with any other standard kit other than 18ins, part leather and white dials? Will think about red interior, liked Metropole I had before. ChrisORIGINAL: daro911 3.4 every time [8D] One test drive in each would confirm what suits you best though Arctic far less maintenance than Guards and easier to sell on and it looks fantastic with the special order red leather interior [
]I had the 245 bhp 2,7 and found it quite brisk but I was always left wondering how much quicker the 3.4 would have been so here I am changing again. To put it into context 4k difference taking account of part leather and 18ins, is 10% more, but I at least I'd never wish I'd gone for the S now it has DFi and similar running costs.
By Georg Kacher 10 December 2008 09:00 ![[FONT=verdana,geneva"]](/forum/styles/default/pcgb/space.gif ". [FONT=verdana,geneva\"]")
[link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Porsche-Boxster-S-2009-CAR-review/?content-block=0#Video1]
[/link]The Porsche Boxster was the car that saved Stuttgart. Near bankruptcy in the early 1990s, Porsche hit upon the idea of creating a cheap sports car, one that would use the front end of the then-new 911 (the 996) to cut costs. Okay, purists might have bemoaned the original Boxster’s dull looks (toned down from the 1993 concept) and the tiny 2.5-litre flat-six, but those in-the-know realised the mid-engined baby had a better balance than the arse-out 911. The Boxster got critical acclaim, hairdressers also loved it and sales rocketed. Now 12 years later – having spawned a [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]hard-top Cayman sibling[/link] in the process – we’ve arrived at the facelifted version of the Mk2 Boxster. The new car offers gently smarter looks, improved interior quality, the latest PDK double-clutch gearbox, direct-injection engines and the promise to be cleaner and greener – plus it retains that added thrill of wind-in-your-hair motoring that the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] cannot provide. Months ahead of everybody else, CAR has been behind the wheel of the new Boxster. Read on for our full first drive… Straight to the point please – how does the new Porsche Boxster drive? Brilliantly. Unless you’re anally nit-picking over the details you’d never notice the difference between this Boxster and its sublime [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman sibling[/link]. The steering is wonderfully weighted, sharp and incisive. The brakes are mega, tirelessly hauling this drop-top down from big speeds, and they are also full of feel. And then you remember that there’s an added dimension to the Boxster driving experience: drop the top and cruise along listening to that flat-six’s hollow thrum. Welcome to a car that’s less claustrophobic than a [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] and so much more fun in the summertime. Plus the latest engines make sure the Boxster S is still a car to worry dawdling, posing [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=6577]Porsche cabrio[/link] drivers. Does the new Boxster have the same engines as the Cayman? Actually no. Porsche being Porsche, it couldn’t possibly let the supposedly less-focussed (and cheaper) convertible Boxster match the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] for power. So while the coupe comes with either a 261bhp/221lb ft 2.9-litre or direct injection-equipped 3.4-litre 315bhp/273lb ft flat-six, the Boxster makes do with 252bhp/214lb ft or 310bhp/266lb ft in the S guise tested. Hardly tardy figures and we’re sure that if you knew the right people, they could sort you out with the chip to give you the Cayman’s power outputs. Despite the bhp and lb ft increases, the new car is more economical and puffs out less CO2. At its very worst (as a manual Boxster S), the combined figure is 29.7mpg, whereas the old S (in manual or Tiptronic guise) couldn’t get higher than 26.7mpg. Spec the optional seven-speed PDK gearbox and the new car’s figure climbs to 30.1mpg, while CO2 drops from 223 to 221g/km. Better yet, get a PDK-equipped basic Boxster and (along with the similarly-specced Cayman) you’ll have the cleanest Porsche on sale at 214g/km. The boggo Boxster is £6.5k cheaper than the S and also a few grand less than a basic Cayman. The perfect couples’ car? We think so… Back to the driving please! The new Boxster is a car that’s the sum of its parts. The few extra ccs, bhp and lb ft, plus revised intake and exhaust manifolds, bigger diameter exhausts, plus revisions to the suspension and roll bars might only be minor tweaks in themselves, but they all add up. So you get a Boxster with more mid-range oomph, a more instant throttle response, a louder and more pleasing exhaust note and a more compliant ride. Reduced tyre pressures also help here, and especially when PASM (the adjustable damping system) is locked in Sport model to keep PDK on red alert, otherwise it defaults into a (smooth-shifting) auto that selects seventh gear as fast as physically possible. PASM in Sport mode might still be too stiff for British roads though. I suppose I can go mad on the options list? You can indeed. PDK is an expensive (£1961) option, but do without it and you deprive yourself of the Sport Chrono Pack. That means no launch control, which cuts the 0-62mph time of the Boxster S down to five seconds dead. PASM is also an option, as are ceramic brakes, a diff lock, adaptive sports seats, leather, sat-nav, bi-xenons, metallic paints, a sports exhaust and a decent Bose stereo. Spec half of that lot and you no longer have an entry-level Porsche. >> Click 'Next' below to read more of our first drive of the new Porsche Boxster S Any other drawbacks? That horsepower deficit to the Cayman still irks us, as does the need to manually unlatch or hook up the folding roof to the header rail. The steering wheel is (unbelievably) still only reach adjustable and the tiny digital read-out in amongst the dials is too small – and that’s my excuse for the speeding ticket I picked up. PDK continues to frustrate with its counter-intuitive button controls (push to upshift, pull to change down) and the seats lack decent back support. You haven’t mentioned the facelifted Boxster's looks or interior yet... Because you’ve probably made your own mind up about the exterior and seen the Boxster’s interior a few too many times... But for those of you who haven’t, the new-for-’09 design includes tweaked front and rear lights with LEDs, a new rear apron, revised bumpers and different mirrors. Blink and you'll most certainly miss it. Inside there’s the latest-gen multimedia system, also found in the new Cayman and 911, but its fiddly and low-mounted buttons continue to be a source of annoyance. Verdict Better to look at, better to drive, cleaner and greener and yet more powerful. The new Boxster is a brilliant car, and with the latest VAT reductions it’s also cheaper than its predecessor. We could also say the same about the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link], but what you can’t say about the coupe is how good its roof is. Let the Boxster's hood fold away and suddenly you’ve added a new dimension to the whole car. We love it. Mercedes’ SLK and Audi’s TT are beaten and BMW best be worried about its [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/shared/PageTemplates/Article/Article.aspx?id=7299]new, smarter Z4[/link].
[link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Porsche-Boxster-S-2009-CAR-review/?content-block=0#Video1]
The Porsche Boxster was the car that saved Stuttgart. Near bankruptcy in the early 1990s, Porsche hit upon the idea of creating a cheap sports car, one that would use the front end of the then-new 911 (the 996) to cut costs. Okay, purists might have bemoaned the original Boxster’s dull looks (toned down from the 1993 concept) and the tiny 2.5-litre flat-six, but those in-the-know realised the mid-engined baby had a better balance than the arse-out 911. The Boxster got critical acclaim, hairdressers also loved it and sales rocketed. Now 12 years later – having spawned a [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]hard-top Cayman sibling[/link] in the process – we’ve arrived at the facelifted version of the Mk2 Boxster. The new car offers gently smarter looks, improved interior quality, the latest PDK double-clutch gearbox, direct-injection engines and the promise to be cleaner and greener – plus it retains that added thrill of wind-in-your-hair motoring that the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] cannot provide. Months ahead of everybody else, CAR has been behind the wheel of the new Boxster. Read on for our full first drive… Straight to the point please – how does the new Porsche Boxster drive? Brilliantly. Unless you’re anally nit-picking over the details you’d never notice the difference between this Boxster and its sublime [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman sibling[/link]. The steering is wonderfully weighted, sharp and incisive. The brakes are mega, tirelessly hauling this drop-top down from big speeds, and they are also full of feel. And then you remember that there’s an added dimension to the Boxster driving experience: drop the top and cruise along listening to that flat-six’s hollow thrum. Welcome to a car that’s less claustrophobic than a [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] and so much more fun in the summertime. Plus the latest engines make sure the Boxster S is still a car to worry dawdling, posing [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=6577]Porsche cabrio[/link] drivers. Does the new Boxster have the same engines as the Cayman? Actually no. Porsche being Porsche, it couldn’t possibly let the supposedly less-focussed (and cheaper) convertible Boxster match the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link] for power. So while the coupe comes with either a 261bhp/221lb ft 2.9-litre or direct injection-equipped 3.4-litre 315bhp/273lb ft flat-six, the Boxster makes do with 252bhp/214lb ft or 310bhp/266lb ft in the S guise tested. Hardly tardy figures and we’re sure that if you knew the right people, they could sort you out with the chip to give you the Cayman’s power outputs. Despite the bhp and lb ft increases, the new car is more economical and puffs out less CO2. At its very worst (as a manual Boxster S), the combined figure is 29.7mpg, whereas the old S (in manual or Tiptronic guise) couldn’t get higher than 26.7mpg. Spec the optional seven-speed PDK gearbox and the new car’s figure climbs to 30.1mpg, while CO2 drops from 223 to 221g/km. Better yet, get a PDK-equipped basic Boxster and (along with the similarly-specced Cayman) you’ll have the cleanest Porsche on sale at 214g/km. The boggo Boxster is £6.5k cheaper than the S and also a few grand less than a basic Cayman. The perfect couples’ car? We think so… Back to the driving please! The new Boxster is a car that’s the sum of its parts. The few extra ccs, bhp and lb ft, plus revised intake and exhaust manifolds, bigger diameter exhausts, plus revisions to the suspension and roll bars might only be minor tweaks in themselves, but they all add up. So you get a Boxster with more mid-range oomph, a more instant throttle response, a louder and more pleasing exhaust note and a more compliant ride. Reduced tyre pressures also help here, and especially when PASM (the adjustable damping system) is locked in Sport model to keep PDK on red alert, otherwise it defaults into a (smooth-shifting) auto that selects seventh gear as fast as physically possible. PASM in Sport mode might still be too stiff for British roads though. I suppose I can go mad on the options list? You can indeed. PDK is an expensive (£1961) option, but do without it and you deprive yourself of the Sport Chrono Pack. That means no launch control, which cuts the 0-62mph time of the Boxster S down to five seconds dead. PASM is also an option, as are ceramic brakes, a diff lock, adaptive sports seats, leather, sat-nav, bi-xenons, metallic paints, a sports exhaust and a decent Bose stereo. Spec half of that lot and you no longer have an entry-level Porsche. >> Click 'Next' below to read more of our first drive of the new Porsche Boxster S Any other drawbacks? That horsepower deficit to the Cayman still irks us, as does the need to manually unlatch or hook up the folding roof to the header rail. The steering wheel is (unbelievably) still only reach adjustable and the tiny digital read-out in amongst the dials is too small – and that’s my excuse for the speeding ticket I picked up. PDK continues to frustrate with its counter-intuitive button controls (push to upshift, pull to change down) and the seats lack decent back support. You haven’t mentioned the facelifted Boxster's looks or interior yet... Because you’ve probably made your own mind up about the exterior and seen the Boxster’s interior a few too many times... But for those of you who haven’t, the new-for-’09 design includes tweaked front and rear lights with LEDs, a new rear apron, revised bumpers and different mirrors. Blink and you'll most certainly miss it. Inside there’s the latest-gen multimedia system, also found in the new Cayman and 911, but its fiddly and low-mounted buttons continue to be a source of annoyance. Verdict Better to look at, better to drive, cleaner and greener and yet more powerful. The new Boxster is a brilliant car, and with the latest VAT reductions it’s also cheaper than its predecessor. We could also say the same about the [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Cars/PageTemplates/FirstDrives/Detail.aspx?id=7294]Cayman[/link], but what you can’t say about the coupe is how good its roof is. Let the Boxster's hood fold away and suddenly you’ve added a new dimension to the whole car. We love it. Mercedes’ SLK and Audi’s TT are beaten and BMW best be worried about its [link=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/shared/PageTemplates/Article/Article.aspx?id=7299]new, smarter Z4[/link].
By Paul Hudson Last Updated: 10:40PM GMT 21 Jan 2009
Price: £36,101-£44,107 Engines: 2.9, 3.4 petrol Dealer contact: 08457 911911/[link=http://www.porsche.com/uk]www.porsche.com/uk[/link] The Cayman coupe has received similar engine revisions to the Boxster, although each version develops 10bhp more than in the equivalent roadster. The entry-level Cayman's 2.9-litre flat-six develops 265bhp, an increase of 20bhp over the previous 2.7-litre unit, while the Cayman S has a 3.4-litre engine with direct fuel injection and delivers 320bhp, an increase of 25bhp. Porsche says the superior output of the Cayman highlights its harder-edged appeal. For example, the Cayman S with PDK seven-speed, double clutch automatic transmission and Launch Control (featured in the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus) accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. The PDK transmission is a £1,920 option. Like the convertible Boxster, the new Cayman is available in standard or more powerful S versions. The 2.7-litre Cayman has a top speed of 165mph, with 0-62mph in 5.8sec, an EU Combined fuel consumption of 30.1mpg and EU Urban 20.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of 221g/km (PDK 163mph, 5.7sec, 31mpg, 20.8mpg and 214g/km). Manual versions of the Cayman S have a top speed of 172mph, with 0-62mph in 5.2sec. Their official EU Combined fuel consumption is 29.7mpg (Urban 20.8mpg), with CO2 emissions of 223g/km. Equivalent figures for the PDK-equipped Cayman S are 171mph, 5.1sec, 30.1mpg, 20.0mpg and 221g/km. Also like the Boxster, every Cayman now sits in Band F for Vehicle Excise Duty and company car taxation purposes. In true Porsche tradition, the styling of the two-seater coupe has evolved subtly, featuring as it does a reworked nose and tail incorporating halogen headlights with integral indicators at the front and LED lights at the rear. Where the Boxster has square foglamps, the Cayman gets round ones. The rear hatch provides up to 260 litres of luggage space (an additional 150 litres is available under the bonnet). Driving dynamics are further improved by modifications to the steering and an optional limited-slip differential. The 18in and 19in wheels are larger than before, partly to accommodate a new braking system on S models. The Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission provides faster gearchanges, improved economy and lower emissions than versions with the standard manual six-speed gearbox. See [link=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/intheshowrooms/4296717/Porsche-Boxster-on-sale-now.html]Porsche Boxster: on sale now[/link] for a detailed description of how the system works. The seven-speed PDK shifts gears up to 60 per cent faster than a conventional automatic transmission and gives the new Cayman even better performance. Those in search of optimum driving dynamics have the option to combine PDK with Sport Chrono Package Plus, now featuring Launch Control. We like: Terrific improvement to Porsche's baby supercar. Great engine with more performance and economy, brilliant twin-clutch PDK transmission. We don't like: Fiddly gear-change buttons on the steering wheel, uncomfortable race-style seats.
Price: £36,101-£44,107 Engines: 2.9, 3.4 petrol Dealer contact: 08457 911911/[link=http://www.porsche.com/uk]www.porsche.com/uk[/link] The Cayman coupe has received similar engine revisions to the Boxster, although each version develops 10bhp more than in the equivalent roadster. The entry-level Cayman's 2.9-litre flat-six develops 265bhp, an increase of 20bhp over the previous 2.7-litre unit, while the Cayman S has a 3.4-litre engine with direct fuel injection and delivers 320bhp, an increase of 25bhp. Porsche says the superior output of the Cayman highlights its harder-edged appeal. For example, the Cayman S with PDK seven-speed, double clutch automatic transmission and Launch Control (featured in the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus) accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. The PDK transmission is a £1,920 option. Like the convertible Boxster, the new Cayman is available in standard or more powerful S versions. The 2.7-litre Cayman has a top speed of 165mph, with 0-62mph in 5.8sec, an EU Combined fuel consumption of 30.1mpg and EU Urban 20.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of 221g/km (PDK 163mph, 5.7sec, 31mpg, 20.8mpg and 214g/km). Manual versions of the Cayman S have a top speed of 172mph, with 0-62mph in 5.2sec. Their official EU Combined fuel consumption is 29.7mpg (Urban 20.8mpg), with CO2 emissions of 223g/km. Equivalent figures for the PDK-equipped Cayman S are 171mph, 5.1sec, 30.1mpg, 20.0mpg and 221g/km. Also like the Boxster, every Cayman now sits in Band F for Vehicle Excise Duty and company car taxation purposes. In true Porsche tradition, the styling of the two-seater coupe has evolved subtly, featuring as it does a reworked nose and tail incorporating halogen headlights with integral indicators at the front and LED lights at the rear. Where the Boxster has square foglamps, the Cayman gets round ones. The rear hatch provides up to 260 litres of luggage space (an additional 150 litres is available under the bonnet). Driving dynamics are further improved by modifications to the steering and an optional limited-slip differential. The 18in and 19in wheels are larger than before, partly to accommodate a new braking system on S models. The Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission provides faster gearchanges, improved economy and lower emissions than versions with the standard manual six-speed gearbox. See [link=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/intheshowrooms/4296717/Porsche-Boxster-on-sale-now.html]Porsche Boxster: on sale now[/link] for a detailed description of how the system works. The seven-speed PDK shifts gears up to 60 per cent faster than a conventional automatic transmission and gives the new Cayman even better performance. Those in search of optimum driving dynamics have the option to combine PDK with Sport Chrono Package Plus, now featuring Launch Control. We like: Terrific improvement to Porsche's baby supercar. Great engine with more performance and economy, brilliant twin-clutch PDK transmission. We don't like: Fiddly gear-change buttons on the steering wheel, uncomfortable race-style seats. 
richardheeley
New member
I agree John. Each to his own, but I honestly think the Cayman looks great. Have done since I very first saw it, and I say that as an ex-Boxster and 911 owner.ORIGINAL: John HExcuse me! [
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