Darthvol

Agree with most of your post, except the above. I'm 38, and have owned Civic Si, S2000, G35 6MT, now own 5AT ZR (modded) and have driven 6MT ZR, and Boxster S many times (law partner owns a Boxster S). After my partner came in to the office with his baby, he wanted me to drive it and let him know what I thought. I took it out to a long stretch of extreme twisties for my first drive, and I was horribly disappointed, thinking, as you posted, that "there is no substitute" for a Porsche.

Yes, the car rode well for a perf. car, and had more balanced handling than any of the other cars above. I'll bet that the older, rougher riding S2000s could equal or come darned close to the Boxster S's skidpad #s, however, and while the Box. didn't oversteer or understeer at the limits of adhesion, it did (& still does) break loose without much warning, and when it does, because of the mid-engined design, backs and fronts tend to lose it at the same time, causing the car to slide sideways (yikes! ). Of all the cars I've listed above, the Z is the easiest to bring back on line after it breaks loose.

Also, until the current gen. Boxster, the interior was horribly second-rate, being no nicer whatsoever than the Z or S2000, and worse than the G. The current gen. Box. simply is a copy of the 911 interior, but it is an improvement. I also don't like the fact that the Box. with top down buffets you more than the ZR (although less than the veritable typhoon inside the S2000).

The shifter is not only less slick than the S2000, I prefer the Z's and G's 6spd to it as well. Moreover, the Box. has reverse just ever so slightly to the LEFT of first gear, with only a weak spring to keep you from throwing it in R accidentally. Watch downshifting into first while moving, no matter how slowly!

Also, the Box. is more of a rattle trap than either the S2000 or the ZR. The doors also sound incredibly "tinny" and cheap, although on the Boxster forums they'll praise the weight savings of the car. And you can't even open a panel on the top of the car to show off the engine to your friends.

Yes, you can find a few people on a Boxster forum who'll try to give you an objective opinion about the car, and certainly you can find out about the problems with reliability, but just like many on this forum or S2KI, they're biased.

Bottom line for me: Boxster S is a car with absolutely incredible handling and not much more: fair-to-middlin' torque and poor build quality for which you overpay dearly. I have a friend who bought a new 911 Cab., and it IS in a different league from the ZR in every way, outclassing it in every respect except reliability and repair expense. I evny him, but not my partner. As for the Boxster, its slogan should be: "There is no substitute for that expensive badge that at once manages to say Porsche and 'I'd like to announce to the world how important I am by driving this car.' "

I know a lot of folks will disagree (flame suit on), but I have always had a distaste for folks who select a car for the same reasons they would collect Hummel figurines: exclusivity. I have no problem with those who buy an elite car for the car's sake (as opposed to show off), but IMHO, it's just snobbish and elitist. Those who drive not for pleasure but to be seen have some personality issues that need fixing worse than their cars ever have. The Boxster guys on the I-net forums are probably sincere for the most part, and a great many track their cars. One of my wife's best friends from work, however, along with my partner, have more questionable motives.

But, hey, to each his own; I know my partner thinks I'm an idiot for spending more money on my ZR plus mods than he spent on his Boxster S.