Thanks. I know; I've driven one. I'm 1-2 yr. away from my next trade, and I'm waiting on several cars (next-gen Z, the possibility of a Lexus F-coupe, new Supra) to make my decision, but I LOVE bang for the buck and "push down and hold on" . . . wheeeeeee!!

For that reason, I keep thinking about the 'vette, b/c it gets my permagrin going, but so far I haven't pulled the trigger b/c I drive 25k mi/yr., and I keep wishing for Japanese reliability in my next car, *sigh*.

 

I sold my 99 Boxster and bought my new 07 Z just a couple of months ago. Comparing the stock versions of both cars, the Boxster with its mid-engine design definitely handles better and is more of a status car. The Z has more horse power and maintenance is less expensive. Don't get me wrong the Boxster is very dependale, oil changes are recommended every 12k mi. and coolant is lifetime and during the time I had the car it did not need any major repair. However, work of any kind is expensive, regardless of whether you go to a dealer or an independent. Minor tune ups are $500+ and major tune ups are $800+.

All in all I am very happy with my 07 Z at least for now...

 

i have a 2003 boxster and bought a 2004 350z. i really like the z becasue the interior is a bit bigger and handles well. but, nothing compares to a mid engine rear wheel. but a z is definately worth it.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...08/porsche.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...8/IMG_0995.jpg

 

I would definitely go with the Z, because Porsche's cost is way too high and if your buying a used car, especially a Porsche the previous owner probably destroyed to car in one way or another. Your lucky your on the East Coast because in CA the Boxter is known as a "Gay Mans" car, not because its "fruity", but because millions of homosexuals have bought this car because it is a convertible and has that "status" factor. If you don't believe me, go on vacation to San Francisco or L.A. (nothing wrong with that if your in that scene). Long story short, buy a Z, save some cash on a depreciating investment.

 

About the Z's weight.

Im not sure if it's broken in or I am jsut used to the weight, bigger size and heavy blindspots, but after 6k miles on my 07, it feels very connected to me. Ii feels like a feather when I step on the gas and feels very predictable in turns.

When I first got it, it felt so heavy I thought it was a pig and I was babying it with every acceration and every turn. Now it jsut feels great.

Never drove a Porche tohugh, wish I could.

 

If you can afford it, go for the Boxster S! The nimble feel, great acceleration/brakes, and incredible sound all make for a visceral experience. I drove my uncle's 987s around a 13 mile mountain road and it was thrilling -- more so than the many times I did it in my Z. Even though performance-wise they may be pretty close, I feel like the boxster was just more confidence inspiring...something I'd attribute that to the stronger feeling brakes and more communicative steering.

On the flip side, the only thing I could see you disappointed with would be the acceleration. It felt a little weak on the bottom end to me on regular roads when you just want that adrenaline kick and I would assume that the 987s is less "moddable" than the Z. I mean to my knowledge, you can't just make it a TT when you suddenly decide that you want more power. You'd have to step it up to a more expensive model. For example, my uncle who bought his boxster a couple years ago (an '05 I believe) is now wanting to upgrade to a C4S so beware that if you end up going with the boxster, you may just end up wanting more power and spending even more money!

 

To be honest, I think the wind in your hair and sound of the intakes make for an experience in of themselves as you sprint across back roads.

Anyway, have fun with what you choose and don't forget to post pics!

 

Thanks for the comparison. That is exactly the difference I felt when I drove both. It is hard to beat the mid engine design. That is one reason Porsche will not up the hp in the Boxster and Cayman. They will out handle the 911 and with more power then the marketing advantage of the 911 will slip. Most want another 100 hp in the Boxster/Cayman but will not get it unless you do mods which are not easy. When the 911 gets more power then so will the 987's. You can drop a 911 engine(3.6 or 3.8) in one but the cost really goes up. I don't think there is any real way the Z can stay with the Box on a twisty road with equal drivers but then again for the price difference that is the least of what you would expect. You are right, the Porsche being not high on torque does not have a great kick in the pants and gets it in the winding of that sweet flat six. The Z may feel faster but in 0-60 the new Box S will still take it however, it will be so close that I do not think it matters on the street.
I think the Z is a very good car or I would not be looking at it. I don't care about image just great handling and don't ever want to say "I wish I had".
Again, is the P worth the money? Hard to say but it is refreshing to hear from folks who have driven or had both. It has caused me to give this a lot more thought.

 

I still dont see how you think the boxster is faster? lol

Looks like you have your mind made up because the only positive things we've heard are that you like the responses from the forum.....not a reason to buy a car.

 

As to the Box being faster, I am going by published times. 0-60 ranges from 4.8 to 5.0 and top speed over 170. Figure the lbs per hp and see which is greater.
Z at over 3300 lbs and 306 hp and the box at 3050 lbs and 295 hp. If you figure roadster to roadster the difference is even greater with the Z at 3600 lbs and the Box still at 3050.
I am just stating the obvious. No publication I know of puts the Z up against the Porsche. They are in different classes. That does not mean that the Z is not a very good car but has trouble giving up what 20 grand buys in a head to head. I think the Z is cheaper to maintain, will have less problems down the line and give almost as much fun. That is the issue. I try to buy with my head as well as my heart.

 

5ZVP, you did what Chuck asked about and went from Porsche to Z, but WHY did you make the change? What was/were the deciding factor(s)?

 

One question. You said that your Z had mods. I was wondering what the cost would be to add say 30 rwhp to the Z. If I go with the roadster then would like to make up the power that the extra weight sucks up. Do not want to go to full mods like the TT but l might like to gain a small bit. I understand that the Z is easy to mod.
Also, 52VP was most likely smart to think about a trade. Although many Porsches do go to high mileage, the wise man will buy the newest Porsche he can afford for a reason. I think they are safe for around 75,000 then you may be facing some issues other then the usual RMS stuff. For 52VP, he got a big increase in power. The 99 Box had I believe 201 hp. compared to the new ones at 295. I am sure that going to the Z was a rush with the additional HP. Also, he got 7 or eight years of technology as well. He did say that the 99 Box handled better but did not elaborate. There was a big change in 03 and another major change in 05 when the 987's came out so I am sure the new Z seemed like a much nicer car. Given the two, I think he made a smart move going with the new Z. In my opinion, I do not think the Boxster engine will last like the 911 and going to the Z most likely gave him many more years of enjoyment. But then, those are my words not his.

 

The main reason was I just wanted a change and have always liked the Zs (starting with the 240). Also I wanted a car that I can mod. Porsches require a lot of special tools and have anyone ever tried to get to the boxster's engine? To work on it from the bottom you need to jack it up and to work on it from the top I had to remove my hardtop then adjust my rag top then remove the storage shelf etc. ( I do like having the option of both tops with the boxster)

Porsche mechanics are hard to find. Just try down any street and try to count the number of shops that advertise Porsche repair! Many BMW and Mercedes shops but few Porsche. The Porsche mechanic that I use actually interviewed me before accepting me as a client!

Don't misunderstand me there is nothing like driving a Porsche on Pacific Coast Hwy or Hwy 94 with the tunes blasting and good company in the passenger seat ... oh yeah I can do that with the Z. It was just time for a change.

 

Yes the added power of the Z is nice but I felt the 99 Boxster had sufficient power because the handling I am talking about is on curvy roads not racing stop light to stop light (those days are gone for me, I had a souped up camero in my younger days) I really enjoy the new electronic gadgets of the 07 cars especially the advances in the HU/GPS/Bluetooth, I have not checked out the newer model Porsches but they are not known for luxury interiors. I am not sure if I need many years on my Z. I sold my Boxster at 65k mi and will probably do the same with my Z, then I will get another roadster. The one big complaint I had with the 99 Boxster was the plastic rear window that Porsche has since changed to glass.

 

FWIW, I have an '04 Z roadster, and my wife just traded in her '04 for an '07. My '04 has about 70k mi. on it now, and hers had about 90k at trade. Both were/are going as good as new, and her recent trade was because she absolutely fell in love w/the new solar orange (see last syllable of my handle, ).

You can do intake, plenum, headers, high-flow cats, exhaust, ecu and hotter cams for under $5k, installed, which will get you to just at 300 rwhp. And wider rims & tires (245/275) will make a big difference in how well it sticks. Call and talk to Doug at Crawford in Nashville; he's done about as much with naturally aspirated Z mods as anyone. http://www.crawfordzcar.com/

 

Thanks for the info on Crawfords. Have booked it.
If you can get 300 for five grand then that is not bad. I would imagine that the dealer would not honor any warranty with these mods but then you have the extra power. I would imagine that with only 300 at the rear that it should not cut into the reliability much. Any thought on that?
If I had the extra punch then the difference between the P and the Z could be better balanced because what you lose on the turns, you make up on the straights and it would still be 5-7 less then a two year old Boxster.
The more I think the more options open up.
Thanks for the info,
Chuck

 

I thought only the cats, exhaust and intake were available for 07s...

 

First, Doug has been huge into making SAFE N/A power, i.e., longevity, engine-no-go-boom type power. Second, google the federal Magnusson-Moss Act; the gist is that if a dealer/mfg. wants to deny you warranty service, they have the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the mods were the cause of the malfunction for which warranty service was sought. My '04 has Doug's stuff on it, along w/a Borla exhaust, and I have had two trips in for warranty service, both long ago, and both unrelated to my mods: had the cloth top replaced with the new design (which has had no significant problems), and the rear axle hub bolts tightened. No recurrence of either problem.

 

You are correct about the '07s--for now, but give Crawford a little time, and I'll bet we may see more goodies.

Also FWIW, the better half has only put a Nismo exhaust on her '07, and it made a very noticable difference. Got it negotiated into the deal for the car at dealer cost.

 

I went from a 2004 Touring Z to a 2006 Cayman S. Not exactly what you are asking for, but I can compare the two. You didn't really say what your priorities were in looking at these cars, so I'm not sure what's really important to you.

Power - about the same for both. I felt the Z had more low end power but once the Variocam on the Cayman kicks in at 4200rpm, the car is a rocket and sounds like one too.

Handling - Cayman/Boxster wins hands down due to the mid-engine configuration. Over on CaymanClub.net the site admin regularly participates in autocross events with his modified Cayman S (no FI, though) and regularly beats Ferraris, 911s, Vettes, and Lamborghinis. Since the Boxster doesn't have a roof, it's less structurally rigid than the Cayman, which means handling is slightly different.

Straight line performance - I would give the edge here to the Z. The Boxster/Cayman is not well known for extremely fast 0-60 times or straight line drag races. However, put a stock 987 in the twisties and it will smoke almost any car out there. A modded 987 will do even better.

Value - 350Z wins this one hands down. Porsche left out a few things on the stock Boxster/Cayman, like a LSD and a more powerful engine in order to keep the car behind its flagship 911 in performance. The Z comes with a lot of standard goodies that I wish came on the 986/987. Once you option out a new Porsche you're looking at paying almost twice as much as a nicely optioned Z.

Mods - Z wins easily. There are tons of aftermarket mods you can buy for relatively cheap. Mods are available for P-cars as well, but they are pricier across the board and not as ubiquitous as Z mods.

Maintenance - Z wins in terms of cost, but that just makes sense - it's a cheaper car. I can't speak for the 986's, but the recommended maintenance schedule for 987s only include an oil/filter change every _20,000_ miles. If you have a dealer do it, it costs about $250. However, if you have the $ to buy a Porsche, you better anticipate the higher maintenance costs as well.

Interior - has improved on more current Z's, but the Porsche wins here. With the $ you pay, it better.

What would I pick if I had to choose between the two? The Z is the better value, but I'll still take the Cayman S. However, you are not giving up much if you choose the Z. I'd recommend you at least drive a 987 Boxster S (with the new 3.4L engine) as well as the 986, just to experience the difference between the two.

Hope this helps.