Going to order new 981
- Thread starter mnk303
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Porsche Boxster S vs rivals
The new Boxster has hit the UK just in time for summer, and unlike the British weather it promises to be hotter than ever.
Porsche claims it's the biggest leap forward in the roadster's illustrious history. It's longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces, and its flat-six engine is more powerful yet cleaner and more efficient than before. We test the 3.4-litre Boxster S, with the standard six-speed manual box, against two talented rivals.
First up is the mighty Mercedes SLK 55 AMG. With its thundering V8 engine, uprated chassis and neat folding hard-top, the range-topping roadster is one of the most desirable two-seaters on the road. Equally exciting is the Audi TT RS, which combines a muscular five-cylinder turbo engine with the brand's trademark four-wheel-drive transmission.
Each of these cars takes a different approach to delivering high-performance, open-air motoring pleasure, but on paper they're closely matched, so this is sure to be a fierce contest. We headed to the open roads of Lincolnshire to find our winner.
Verdict
Let's start with the least surprising news you're likely to read this week: the new Porsche Boxster S wins this test.
It looks fantastic and is quite simply one of the finest-handling cars money can buy. It's beautifully engineered, the cabin is first rate, while the roof is well insulated and folds fast.
More surprising is the fact that three roadsters, with completely different engine, drivetrain and chassis concepts, can have such closely matched performance "" and that makes it difficult to pick a runner-up.
The Audi and Mercedes have great engines, and combine punchy acceleration with great soundtracks. But the TT RS just comes up short. Without the optional magnetic dampers, the ride is too firm, while the inert handling holds it back in terms of fun. The SLK 55 isn't as engaging as the Porsche, either, but it's more comfortable than the TT, and its mighty AMG engine is impressively clean and fuel efficient.
Ultimately, though, neither rival comes close to troubling a car that continues to set standards in the roadster market. The Boxster is simply brilliant.
WinnerPorsche Boxster S ★★★★★
The Porsche Boxster is our Roadster of the Year "" and it's not hard to see why. The S model offers all the performance you could need and is a joy to drive, plus is practical, comfortable and refined. It's a talented all-rounder. The fact it's the cheapest car in this test is the icing on the cake.
2nd: Mercedes SLK 55 AMG ★★★★
Some people demand a metal roof and the SLK meets that need. The styling is a bit uninspiring, but the new 5.5-litre AMG engine is surprisingly efficient, while losing none of the thunderous character and performance buyers expect. The Mercedes is expensive in this company, though.
3rd: Audi TT RS Roadster ★★★★
We're big fans of lesser versions of the TT Roadster, but while the five-cylinder engine in the RS sounds great and the quattro all wheel drive delivers surefooted grip, this expensive car is no junior R8 and doesn't have the dynamic magic to rival the Boxster S.
The new Boxster has hit the UK just in time for summer, and unlike the British weather it promises to be hotter than ever.
Porsche claims it's the biggest leap forward in the roadster's illustrious history. It's longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces, and its flat-six engine is more powerful yet cleaner and more efficient than before. We test the 3.4-litre Boxster S, with the standard six-speed manual box, against two talented rivals.
First up is the mighty Mercedes SLK 55 AMG. With its thundering V8 engine, uprated chassis and neat folding hard-top, the range-topping roadster is one of the most desirable two-seaters on the road. Equally exciting is the Audi TT RS, which combines a muscular five-cylinder turbo engine with the brand's trademark four-wheel-drive transmission.
Each of these cars takes a different approach to delivering high-performance, open-air motoring pleasure, but on paper they're closely matched, so this is sure to be a fierce contest. We headed to the open roads of Lincolnshire to find our winner.
Verdict
Let's start with the least surprising news you're likely to read this week: the new Porsche Boxster S wins this test.
It looks fantastic and is quite simply one of the finest-handling cars money can buy. It's beautifully engineered, the cabin is first rate, while the roof is well insulated and folds fast.
More surprising is the fact that three roadsters, with completely different engine, drivetrain and chassis concepts, can have such closely matched performance "" and that makes it difficult to pick a runner-up.
The Audi and Mercedes have great engines, and combine punchy acceleration with great soundtracks. But the TT RS just comes up short. Without the optional magnetic dampers, the ride is too firm, while the inert handling holds it back in terms of fun. The SLK 55 isn't as engaging as the Porsche, either, but it's more comfortable than the TT, and its mighty AMG engine is impressively clean and fuel efficient.
Ultimately, though, neither rival comes close to troubling a car that continues to set standards in the roadster market. The Boxster is simply brilliant.
WinnerPorsche Boxster S ★★★★★
The Porsche Boxster is our Roadster of the Year "" and it's not hard to see why. The S model offers all the performance you could need and is a joy to drive, plus is practical, comfortable and refined. It's a talented all-rounder. The fact it's the cheapest car in this test is the icing on the cake.
2nd: Mercedes SLK 55 AMG ★★★★
Some people demand a metal roof and the SLK meets that need. The styling is a bit uninspiring, but the new 5.5-litre AMG engine is surprisingly efficient, while losing none of the thunderous character and performance buyers expect. The Mercedes is expensive in this company, though.
3rd: Audi TT RS Roadster ★★★★
We're big fans of lesser versions of the TT Roadster, but while the five-cylinder engine in the RS sounds great and the quattro all wheel drive delivers surefooted grip, this expensive car is no junior R8 and doesn't have the dynamic magic to rival the Boxster S.
ORIGINAL: flat6
Should be a good father and son bonding occasion []
Do these new cars need to be run in, or can you 'lead foot' it all the way home.
O I dont know but eitherway I will just ponder at about 80-90 its a long drive and will no doubt take 12 hours over 2 days
Yes should be run in - careful with the revs to start with. I think there's lots of opinions as to whether you should keep below 4k , but also don't do a constant speed/rev, so try to vary the revs but keep below 4k. We had a great drive from Stuttgart to outside Calais in one day - a few more days could see in having a stop in champagne country for example
enjoy
Jon
enjoy
Jon
I followed this run in procedure (from PH):
Re running in, this is the approach I adopt with new Porsches.
First hundred miles, fairly gentle driving, not much above 3,000 rpm, just to bed in brakes, suspension etc.
Up to 500 miles, no more than 4,000 rpm, using decent amounts of throttle, just not full throttle. Varied driving, changing revs and gears frequently. Long journeys.
Then for the next 300 miles increasing the rev limit by 1,000 rpm per 100 miles, until by 800 miles I will use all the revs and full throttle.
I had the chance last year to talk to Andreas Preuninger (GT development manager) about running in the GT3 series of cars. What I've suggested above is similar to what he recommended - go fairly gently initially, then after around 500 miles start to progressively use the car harder. He asserted that you don't need to run the car in for the whole 1,800 miles. Far more important was the oft-overlooked need to let the oil get properly up to temperature before using too many beans. He also said that the GT engines all developed more power after a decent mileage - he has a development 4.0 litre RS that is developed over 510bhp after 10,000 miles!
On the subject of oil temp., it's great that the car for the first time has an oil temp gauge. I was surprised yesterday how hot the oil gets. I am used to the analogue gauges on my GT3 and GT2 and the oil temp rarely goes above 90 deg C. In the new Boxster I saw 115 deg C cruising on the motorway at legal speeds. Perhaps Boxsters have always run hotter than 911s (less cooling?); in any event it's nothing to worry about but If I ever track the car I'll be keeping an eye on oil temp.
Re running in, this is the approach I adopt with new Porsches.
First hundred miles, fairly gentle driving, not much above 3,000 rpm, just to bed in brakes, suspension etc.
Up to 500 miles, no more than 4,000 rpm, using decent amounts of throttle, just not full throttle. Varied driving, changing revs and gears frequently. Long journeys.
Then for the next 300 miles increasing the rev limit by 1,000 rpm per 100 miles, until by 800 miles I will use all the revs and full throttle.
I had the chance last year to talk to Andreas Preuninger (GT development manager) about running in the GT3 series of cars. What I've suggested above is similar to what he recommended - go fairly gently initially, then after around 500 miles start to progressively use the car harder. He asserted that you don't need to run the car in for the whole 1,800 miles. Far more important was the oft-overlooked need to let the oil get properly up to temperature before using too many beans. He also said that the GT engines all developed more power after a decent mileage - he has a development 4.0 litre RS that is developed over 510bhp after 10,000 miles!
On the subject of oil temp., it's great that the car for the first time has an oil temp gauge. I was surprised yesterday how hot the oil gets. I am used to the analogue gauges on my GT3 and GT2 and the oil temp rarely goes above 90 deg C. In the new Boxster I saw 115 deg C cruising on the motorway at legal speeds. Perhaps Boxsters have always run hotter than 911s (less cooling?); in any event it's nothing to worry about but If I ever track the car I'll be keeping an eye on oil temp.
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