The PSE was not available when I ordered the car, so I had no choice.

I have considered replacing the exhaust next year as an extra treat to make the car even more enjoyable. Let's see what people think about the PSE when it's out on the streets...
Looking forward to hearing your opinions on it!

 

I'll be sure to post a video so everyone can see what it sounds like.


Mark

 

My intention is certainly not to imply that the Boxster and SLK are similar in performance or feedback, sarcasm aside. My point is to say that there are sports cars and there are GTs. Sports cars are supposed to sacrifice convenience, comfort, and refinement in the name of intimate driver experience. The GT provides daily useability with performance ability. In my view, Mercedes' products represent the epitome of the GT. The SLK and SL are both extremely capable and liveable vehicles.

My point is to express regret in the direction that Porsches have been taking in making cars that straddle the line between a GT and a sports car. If I were to want a GT, I'd go for a car that is truely a GT, if I want a sports car, I'd buy a car that matches what I look for in a sports car.

My favorite water cooled Porsche is the 944. The interactive experience far exceeds the modern cars. Of the modern cars, my preference is for the 986 for it's more communicative chassis and steering. And yes, I've driven both Boxsters and 911s from the different modern generations. Of all the Porsches that I've had the pleasure to drive, however, the most entertaining is the early 80s SC. This car, in my opinion, was Porsche's most entertaining sports car.

 

^I'd be hard-pressed to find a mid-engined car that's a GT. That's almost an oxymoron, "mid-engined GT".

 

I think that’s old school thinking... Why do you have to sacrifice convenience, comfort and refinement for a car to have an intimate driver experience?

Just because the new 981 removes the feedback feeling in the steering wheel, I’d hardly say that such a comfort makes it any less of a “sports car”.

I used an example earlier of the C4 Corvette getting more and more refined as the new generations arrived.

I don’t think the C6 is any less of a sports car than a C4 because it’s smoother, has vented seats or less feedback in the steering.

Anyway, I know a lot of people think newer models are less of a sports car because they become more refined but I think the new 981 kicks ***.

No flame, just an opinion....


Mark

 

Well said... I agree 100%

 

It's all opinion on my end too, obviously, but there are very dramatic differences in the feedback one gets from the new Porsches and the old ones. Differences that I feel make the newer cars uninteresting.

I'll soon be able to evaluate the 997 GT3RS to see if it meets up to the feedback levels that I hope it provides.

I suppose it is old school, luckily a few manufacturers are still catering to me and the used market is full of great, rudimentary sports cars. I just wish Porsche was still making some of these more elemental cars.

 

Then you'll get exactly what you desired. Not to worry.

 

It depends what you find more "fun"... I blame all this on the Gtr, a car I owned before... Fast as heck but maybe not as involved... I drove my Gtr on track plenty and in the 4 months I've owned my Boxster spyder I've done 3 track events and another coming up on Sunday (looks like it'll be in the rain too ... The Gtr was fast and smooth and easy to drive... The spyder is a manual, much much much busier steering and easier to thrown around and the smaller wheelbase makes it twitchier... It's a blast and more gratifying

It depends on what you like, I still love the Gtr , but if you want a more raw experience you can get a lotus or a viper or a gt3... Porsche wants to advertise faster laptimes and numbers and a bigger wheelbase and more stability is the way to do that... The steering feel falls into that

 

Here's the 987.2, 981 and 991 all in a nice neat row at Downtown Porsche in Toronto. For better or worse you can DEFINITELY see how the 981 has had its curves squared off. Compared the 987.2 and the new 991 you can see the top of the front and rear fenders have been flattened. I guess the the 918 Spyder will have a similar look, but it's very different than the new 991 and the current Cayman/Boxster. Not sure if I like it or not. Still undecided.

 

I suspect that it is the angle of the photo or the way the cars are parked but in that photo, the 991 looks massive compared to the 981.

 

It's the angle...
The difference in width between a 981 and a 991 is 7 mm. Not even possible to detect in a picture.

 

Do you have some strange buyer's remorse or something? The new B/C looks WAAAY better than the old one, has more pwr, etc etc etc; that weird-looking 'bulb' profile is finally gone. I couldn't care less for the 911. Don't worry about it, you made the right choice lol.

 

To comment on the "engine" sound, I personally hate the sound of my 02 Boxsters engine. When Im idling the sound from the engine is not appealing to me, and it makes the car sound broken because you can hear so much mechanical noise. ( no my car doesnt have mechanical problems lol)

Id rather have no engine noise, and only exhaust note

 

I have owned 986, 987, and 987.2 S's. My current Boxster is the 2011 S with full Fabspeed upgrades and factory short shift kit. I drove the PDK 981. It's all glitzy with upgraded dashboard dials and is certainly roomier. It was slow compared to my current Boxster S. I felt exactly the same as the poster on this thread. There was no "all-of-a-feel" "Boxsterness" to it. It was bland. Same as GT2 v GT3. No soul in GT2. GT3 RS has a monster soul and feel. GT2 RS was bland dull. Bought the GT3 RS. Although some aftermarket upgrades from Fabspeed may give the 981 some personality.