Gabster Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Well as most of you know I had my R32 stolen in November and desided to replace it with a Boxster in Basalt Black, 2001 model with 35,000 miles on the clock. I got the car it from an independent specialist in Coventry called Autobahn. They happen to be less than ten miles from my house and also my local OPC's at Sutton Coldfield and Solihull did not have a car with a spec I was interested in within my price range. Belive it or not I decided on the Boxster 2.7 to save money over the R32. The insurance is less and also because of the high residuals I reckon with the same deposit as the R32 including petrol I am saving about £120 a month. I decided on the Boxster mainly as I wanted to experiance a car that has been designed from scratch as a sports car. My last three cars have been two S3s and one R32. Although they are great cars they are essentially supped up family hatchbacks. I also wanted to go back to a rear wheel drive car after three four wheel drive cars. The Porker really is a whole different experiance from the R 32. It is lower and as its a two seater the cabin feels smaller, it also feels more responsive to the road and the sterring is spot on. The rear wheel drive can be a bit of a shocker and I thank the first owner of the car who specified Porsche Stability Managment (PSM). I have got used to this in the last ten days though and in the last day or so have learnt to feel how to feather the power to maximise traction and speed. The general build quality is about the same as the R32 but not as good as my S3s. The indicator and windscreen wippers feel a bit loose and shakey but generally there are less creaks and rattles than my 18 month old R32. I had a blast last Sunday around the B and A roads near Warwick and Lemington with the top down and wind defelector up. All I can say is it was one of the best drives I have had. The car feels as fast as the R32 and the feedback and controls are tighter and make the car more enjoyable. The five gears in the Porker do take a getting used to I keep trying to go from fifth into reverse, I havent really noticed the difference in performance in fact with the less gear changes in the Porker I fancy I would just beat the R32 to 60MPH. Things I miss about the R32 the obvious engine sound of the R32 IMHO best in hot hatchback class, the seats in the R32 are also better and hold you better than my standard leather Porsche seats and the R32 seats were also heated. I also wanted 18" wheels on the Porsche but had to compromise on the spec so I have 17" think I am going to get some 18" Turbo II alloys later in the year though when my tires need renewing. The convertable top is the best I have used and is very quiet at speed as well as blcoking out a lot of external noise. Using the car in the winter is very easy. Boot space although not great is well above most other convertables I have experianced. You can get a set of Golf clubs in the back and a suitcase in the front. Overall I loved the R32 and the Boxster attracts a lot less attention than the Golf, which after my experiances is good. Car is probaly quicker in a straight line than the R32 but around bends the R would be quicker with the four wheel drive althought the R steering could be a bit loose and vague. Really happy that I can say I own a Porsche finally and loving the car as my every day car, role on the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 an interesting comparison of two different cars! glad it worked out for you in the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 I enjoyed reading that. A good honest, open and concise review that I'm sure many will find informative and interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
18ME Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Good review there but you say that the R32 is better around the bends than the Boxster. Wait until the dry weather comes, you'll be able to push the Boxster to unbelievable cornering speeds that the R32 could only hope to offer. Both great cars and I have missed both the R32 and the Boxster S in equal measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max_b Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 congrats and pics please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabster Posted January 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Thanks guys I will post some pics when I manage to keep it clean for any length of time. Just can't stop wringing the shite out of it at every oppotunity so its constantly filthy with the dirt on the roads at the moment. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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