Thrust

This was the other major worry. 204 bhp, 1250 Kg, it all looks a bit dull. But the question is this; do you want to beat the other guy, or do you want to drive a racing car on the roads (with a stupid grin on your face)? If it's the former, then buy something with 400+ bhp and go and pester people at traffic lights. The Boxster, on the other hand is fast, but in a different way to anything you've previously tried. My guess is that it's comparable to a 944S2, but in the style of a 911. It has a Jekyl and Hyde to it; it's beautifully smooth and quite torquey when driving gently, making relaxed but fast progress very easy indeed. And when you cane it, it comes alive with a fabulous roar and you get a fair old push in the back. But you really feel like you're in a racer, and you feel like you're going well, and that's what counts. It really is exciting. I have this theory that you get used to the acceleration of any car in about 3 weeks. After that, you are left with the style of the acceleration. This is why the 911 is so popular, it does generate very good acceleration, with a great noise and reasonable smoothness. I have just done a few days in a 993 and at first it felt fast. After about 10 thrashings from stationary to over 130 (mph) I was bored and started to notice that everything else was nastier than the Boxster!

The Boxster is just as good, if not better, at getting that satisfied smile etched onto your face. It is more of a sports car. You will not be disappointed.

Updates:

After 5,000 miles, the engine has noticeably improved in power delivery. Soon I shall dyno it (before I chip it...).

After 10,000 miles, the engine is even better! This is the longest running in period I have ever known. The biggest gain has been in the midrange torque, with the car now pulling very strongly at 3000 rpm. The overall apex-to-apex speed I can now achieve is frightening, and it makes you wonder if there's any need for any more.

I know this is getting tedious, but at 15,500 miles it feels faster still! Really noticeable is the now useful torque between 2 and 4. Maybe this was helped by the caning around the Nurburgring.

At 20,000 miles there is no noticeable improvement. So I guess it's run in at last. I recently drove a friend's 968 Sport. I was really looking forward to it - I could almost see the rose tint appear in my specs! The car felt a little torquier at low revs at first, but then I realised I was revving it higher than I thought (this I guess is the result of driving a car that whines). But when I really got going, the car felt the same as, or possibly even slower, than the Boxster. It certainly had less grip and sounded rougher (noticeable engine vibes); in fact the whole car felt old and unrefined. Oh well...

This is what the Boxster needs. No doubt at all. 300 bhp is about right for a car of this weight to turn it from very fast to scary at times. In the 996 you get everything that you get in the Boxster, admittedly with an odd cornering feel, but now you can have some real fun down the straights as well. The midrange feels about 30% better - you can now floor it at 2500 - 3500 and get somewhere fast. Furthermore at high revs, instead of accelerating hard, you're now being thrusted down the road. It feels like 30 or 40% more (my subjective dyno is almost as important as the real thing). The engine revs high, but, like the Boxster, the last bit seems to be unnecessary and you feel best changing up 500 rpm short of the red zone. All in all: great fun.