Why are Porsches expensive?

Well I'm glad the Boxster hit a price point, because it meant I could get one. And boy is it fun to drive.

Serious question - do Carreras turn harder than the Boxster? C4 vs. C2? I know they have bigger tires but I wondered if the rear vs. mid engine made some difference.

I had a Boxster loaner once when the 996 (C2) was in for service. Nice car - felt lighter than the 996 and seemed to turn in a little easier, a little more agile, but not much.

Didn't like the huge blind spot (for me) at the C pillar and the car was not as comfortable due to limited seatback reclining (I'm 6'2"). It also could have used more power.

Devs:

I've always liked the 911, but if disposable income had caught up with MSRP, I'd have gladly jumped into a 944 or 928 in their heyday. Drove a friend's 944 once - marvelously balanced car. Had to make due with a

240Z then a 280ZX Turbo until 2001, when we ordered the 996 with a load of options.

I've driven 964s and 993s, and the 996 does feel different. It's not as "edgy" as the earlier cars and to me at least, the 996 is more comfortable, so "tamer" is duly noted. I think the 996 moved more toward the GT side of the ledger as opposed to "sports car" than earlier 911s, and the 997 has apparently moved back.

The 996 isn't a slouch, though, particularly the 2002 and later cars with the 3.6 engine. 4.6/4.8 seconds to 60, quarter mile in low-to-mid

13 seconds, .90+ G on the skidpad with standard suspension and right at 1.0 with sport suspension, and top speed of 177. It's enough car for me, at least until I drive the 997 Carrera S that I can't afford.

However, if a really clean, late model year 928GTS with low miles popped up at a good price, we'd be tempted to become a two-Porsche family.....

I think definitely the 996 is similar to the last of the 928s - a GT. I'm not so sure the 997 has moved back, though. I'm curious about how the Cayman drives - I think it might be a *serious* sports car. Emanuel

What is a C pillar?

Yeah, at the time I bought it, it seemed like a dangerous amount of power considering I was coming from a Toyota Corrolla. But now I wish I could have that 'hand of God pushing on your back' kind of feeling.

Thanks for the feedback, know that my Boxster is pretty much the tops of most anything when it comes to hard turning gives me a perspective I did not have before.

What do you mean by "GT side" as opposed to "sports car"?

In a couple of years, I'd be mighty tempted if that engine found its way into a Boxster... a 300 hp Boxster... wow.

Well, depending on how 'handy' you are, and if you're a fiddler, you can get almost there now.

Personally, I like my Boxster as is. The Cayman looks like it will be a sweet car, so I can't wait for my invite to test drive it.

You're forgetting the Cayenne, which is front engined.

Tatra? Skoda?

Well, yes, I did. But then a 5000lb SUV can't be a real Porsche, can it? ;->

BTW, one of my wife's most hated TV commercials (over here in the US) is of a Cayenne S sitting in a driveway, with a phone underneath near the exhaust pipes, with the motor revving (for about 10 seconds). Then the driver gets out, picks up the phone and says: "unbelievable, isn't it" or some such tripe (and continues to talk while a voiceover comes on.)

Floyd

Philip K: (Hertfordshire, England)

I haven't driven a 997 yet, but the various magazine test drive articles seem to share a common thread - that the 997 has returned to more sporting roots. The Carrera S has the Porsche Active Suspension Management as standard and the car reportedly is good for 1+ G on the skidpad.

I think it was Car and Driver that speculated the Cayman will come in with about 290 HP and could be be faster than the base (320 HP) 997 Carrera. That does seem pretty serious to me, too.

The C pillar is where the rear roof line runs down to the rear deck. In the Boxster the soft top is so wide it created a huge blind spot for me, even when I turned my head before changing lanes.

By contrast, the A pillar is where the frame of the windshield runs down to the cowl.....

A comfortable, fast conveyance for 2 passengers and luggage that may sacrifice some outright performance to provide the comfort.

The sports car tends to maximize performance and driving characteristics generally at the expense of higher comfort levels.

My definitions - your mileage may vary........

There is a big button above the windscreen in the centre of the car. Press that. Then pull back the handle and press one more button. You will find that visibility increases immensely :-)

All two-seaters I have driven have pretty bad blind spots when trying to look over your shoulder with the roof up. OTOH, the Boxster has excellent mirrors. At least, the UK ones have. I don't know if they are the same elsewhere.

According to the latest Panorama magazine, it should have 295hp and be faster than the 1997 993. There was no mention of the 997.

Did you sell the 928 and the 911?

your sig line got shorter.

Bernard '84 928 (pulled out the rear suspention today!)

Are you sure they're comparing the Cayman with a 1997 993? Why would they?

May Car and Driver, page 38 on the Cayman S: "The newest Porsche....will enter the lineup as a 2006 model above the base 911 Carrera and below the 911 Carrera S. Power comes from a 3.4 liter.....that will put out

291 horsepower and may make the lighter-than-a-droptop-Boxster Cayman faster than a base 321-hp 911 Carrera".

April Panorama, page 94: "The Cayman S....has a 3.4 305 hp mill....There will apparently be two additional versions, a mid-level with a 295 hp

3.4 liter engine, and an entry-level Cayman with the Boxster 3.2 liter engine. Reportedly the new Cayman S can lap Nurburgring faster than the Carrera".

The 911 is gone, the 928 is pending (I hope), and someone's already called dibs on the 944. I'm having the opposite of a mid-life crisis - as I get older, I want something a bit more practical! :) Seriously, I lost my garage space and parking 3 classic Porsches on the streets of Chicago wasn't working. I'm hoping to get down to just the Bimmer by the end of May, and return to the Porsche fold when I've got the space to shelter one properly and work on it. Emanuel