997 Carrera S - a 911 Turbo minus the turbo...
 

I saw one on the way into work this morning - first one I have seen rolling on the street.

It's a great looking car, and has a muscular presence - and seeing that it is the "slow Porsche" this is good.
This presence was further maginified by the bright GT3 yellow - which always showcases the Porsche curves nicely.

I had a semi-epiphany... I finally realised what the attraction to "regular models" of certain sports cars is.

The look of the "mean machine" but not the nasty edge that comes with the performance. Sort of an English Bulldog vs Pitbull logic - it looks the part but isn't quite so difficult to manage.

The aging oil executive behind the wheel acknowledged my presence and we did a little 1-2-3 for a light on hiway 6 - that was when I had the second epiphanic epidsode....

People actually buy the Carrera S because it is a 911 Turbo - just without the Turbo... which is all well and good -- but it sure as hell doesn't explain to me why people would buy a Boxster, Cayman, Corvette Convertible or Corvette Coupe for that matter? (not speaking for people who buy a base model then modify it to kingdom come ;))

This makes for a good discussion I think - Exactly what do you think drives people to buy into an image by getting the poofta edition of something - just so they can join the club?

So you are saying that people that drive 911 4S:s don't care about performance? Are you "insane"? :D


Try to look at it the other way around. People that are in the market for a "regular" 911 get some good upgrades in the 4S version even if they can't afford the turbo.

Remember, there is no substitute :wink:

And about RC seeming to like some eurotrash car. Has hell frozen over. I kid I kid :wink:

Re: 997 Carrera S - a 911 Turbo minus the turbo...
 

What you have in pretty much all of these cases are individuals who could care less about the performance (or the performance they get is more than enough for their use) and bought the car for the way it looks.

the C2 S is quite a sight, and is definately not 'slow' by any account... and the 4S makes up the difference in handling, being a wider body... not to mention... ideal for northern markets... as my experience with owners tells me that they love driving the P car all year round ;)

a vette simply cant do that... nor will it ever do that... but that is a good thing IMO.

the boxter S on the other hand... :? cayman S... :-| it almost looks good... but was set to a market segment. i think i'd still like to drive one, however :mrgreen:

really, porsche has been, and still will continue to be the 911... a car that fits so many descriptions :)

Re: 997 Carrera S - a 911 Turbo minus the turbo...
 

Umm, maybe they can't afford the Turbo/GT2 that costs a hell of alot more than the entry level car but still want a Porsche.

I think most people would be more than happy with a Carrera S or 4S.....

This actually applies more to the Carrera 4S since it has the Turbo body and 4WD - unlike the 2WD Carrera S. ;)

Re: 997 Carrera S - a 911 Turbo minus the turbo...
 

Same diff.. ;)

Why bother with a Cayman, Boxster or non-S Carrera at all?

They guzzle gas, cost an arm and a leg to insure, do not keep their value well and are a dime a dozen... not to mention slower than some SUV's.... ;)

If you are going to get a "sports" car (not a car with sporty pretensions) then why not go the extra mile and get a hipower used edition ;)

I dont know if you read evo magazine, RC, but they pitted a Boxster S against a 997 convertible (non S) and the Boxster proved quicker around the test circuit (Bedford Autodrome West Circuit - ive driven on it myself, nice track). Don't you think there are some merits to these 'poofta cars'? A Boxster can be as quick as a 911 on a twisty road, and is a whole lot cheaper to buy. It doesnt have the character or history of a 911 but it's still handles well, has a flat 6, and is a great car in its own right, no? And therefore a worthy purchase, imo...

guess what, when you compare 2 different poofta cars, a poofta car will be better :wink:



but in the end, its still a poofta car :P

;) ain't that the truth... :P

As I say, there are SUV's that can outrun an Boxster ;) hehe

Gotta remember that the Boxster can out slalom an Enzo and the Cayman - when released had a rumour going around that it beat an Enzo around the tight twisty track just near the Nardo bowl. They arent bad cars, just not as good as the 911

I've know of several porsche owners who do not care for the turbo's models. I suppose they just don't enjoy it as much as the na ones. For them the best car is the Carrera followed by the dream of owning a gt3.

^^^ amazing how you poofta-car lovers can turn everything into a Vette vs others thread. :)

The point is, if you want a Porsche, why buy the slow piece of shit Boxtser, when for the same money you could get a hardly used 911??

Have any of you "Boxtser" fans actually driven one?

It is a rather anemic and slow open top - gutless in any gear - and can just about get out of it's own way - I don't know where you guys get the idea it is "the ultimate handling" Porsche - it is not.

it is the "poor mans Porsche" - a 924 of the modern era ;)

The other excuse, "not every one wants performance"... what a cop-out - why else would you be into sports cars if you didn't want performance?

So they are posers then.

It is poofta - and hair dresser - and girly...

Just like a BMW Z3 ;) The Z3 is for pooftas who are afraid of the M Roadster. :)

Again, the girly, hairdresser, poofta, gay, poser Boxster is just that - a posers Porsche. :)

The Cayman is just a misguided attempt to bump the 911 from it's position - as the "designer latte sipping crowd" think the rear engine behind the axle layout is "old fashioned".

Just like the failed 928 mission, the Cayman will be scrapped as there is no point in a 911 and a 911 equaly at a lower cost ;)

Porsche is 911 - no matter what the accountants and gay-posers have to say - always was and always will be - Thankfully :)

Now - back to the topic - why would someone buy a Corvette Coupe ? It cant's stop, turn or go... why would someone buy a Boxters? It can't stop turn or go?

Posing- thas' why. Posing of the degree that is on a par with ricer vinyl stickers on a stock Civic ;)

Performance is more than power or straight line speed. I wouldn't take a Boxster over a used 911 either, but I've never heard anyone come out of a Boxster on a track and complain about its lack of handling performance. Any way you slice it the Boxster is an incredibly balanced ride- regardless of what most owners do or don't do with the car.

Why does everyone talk like its 1967 and the fastest car in a straight line is a Ford Galaxie but it can't turn?

There are many, many, many, mnay 400hp+ superb handling cars on the market today - MANY - and the Boxtsre does not come close to any of them ;)

The same can be said for a Mazda Miata - around an autocross circuit - but take the car to a road course 1 mile or longer - and you will see the Miata's and Boxsters getting lapped like crazy ;) Hell, I have been to texas World and watched Boxsters and Miats on the 2.9 mile road course look like they are all super-handling on the infield - with faster cars nipping at their bumbeps being held up by the Boxster and Miata rlling roadblocks - and then as they get onto the straight everyone blasts passed them and lap them again in 4 minutes time ;)

This is why the Porsche owners I have spoken to all call the Boxster out for what it is ;) - a cheap entry car that takes sales away from used 911's :P

In fact, I know more ex-Boxster owners, than any other kind of ex-Porsche owner ;)

Again, you just described a shifter cart - and outside of the autocross circuit the car is outclassed by everything.

besides - we just got through talking about how many owners just buy the car for the looks, not the performance, so the handling means diddly-squat - and at the stop light and on the freeway, SUV's will be outrunning the latte-sipping posing Boxster driver ;)

Nope - just another never-wrong-RC45-rules-the-world thread.

Nothing to see here folks- move along...

:wink: