Gearchange

This was one of the bits I was nervous about. I find the pre 993 change poor, being heavy and slow, as well as having the stick mounted way down there on the floor. The 993 got a slicker box, but was still quite hard work with the position being less than ideal, and the throw being quite long and heavy. The 968 felt good with the stick nice and close, and with a strange fluid, inertia-y feeling. Knowing the Boxster had a cable change I had nightmares about stiction and friction - but wrong again. The action itself feels like your operating the same box as the 968, but it's a little lighter and shorter and I think there's a gate at the stick end. Yes, there's a tiny amount of stiction but you can't feel it as you're driving. Sometimes first is a bit tricky to engage and when you come on and off the power in fifth the stick clonks heavily in your hand.

Update (after 9500 miles). The action is now perfect. No stiction at all, and fabulous quick, light, smooth changes (along with the razor sharp clutch) are yours for the taking.

The ratios seem fine, gear ratios being one of those things that you only really notice if they're wrong. First is about the right gearing, making it a gear useable for tight bends as well as setting off. Second feels closer to first than third; I guess a close-ratio six speeder would be even better but we'll never see it because it'll put the car too close to the 996. The more I drive the car, the more I wish for the six speed box. All other recent Porsches would be OK with 5 speed boxes, ironically this is the only car that really would benefit.

The Boxster also has the double mass flywheel thing. [The brochure confusingly says the car has "zero excess weight" and a "double mass flywheel" :)] The overall flywheel effect is quite light, making heel-toe double de-clutch downchanges under heavy breaking very fast and huge fun. The engine decelerates very slowly when changing up, though, which is perfect for "normal" driving but any fast change gives the clutch a fair pounding. I would prefer a lesser effect and would compensate with faster up shifts, but sadly I suspect I would be in the minority.

The linkage on the 996 feels very very similar. The throw is about the same, but there is marginally less stiction on the 996. Overall, the action on both cars never impedes what you want to do with the 'box. (It has to be said though that second gear was very baulky on the 996, until the 'box was warm).