Compared to a BMW Z3...

This is a bit unfair really, because the Z3 is a lot cheaper and aimed at a slightly different market. However, I get rooks of email asking, "but is it as good as a Z3?", so I thought I'd put my thoughts down on paper:

The car I drove was a UK specification, right hand drive, 4 cylinder, 1.9 litre Z3, with alloy wheels, leather interior and air conditioning. I'll try to be objective as possible, though I know BMW owners will be thinking, "well he would say that, because he owns a Boxster"...

Looking at the outside of the car, I love the styling. The front of the car is chunky and purposeful, the rear neatly finished. The side vents work well, adding a bit of aggression. The interior, though, just looks like a cheap car. The dash, instruments and central area all look like well made components, but there's little style nor thought bringing them all together.

Climbing in, there's a shock. The pedals are miles off-centre to the right (this is a RHD car) and the wheel is off to the left. The base of the seat is good, but the back offers no support at all. Start the engine and it sounds and feels like an old Ford Cortina, or indeed any other small four cylinder. The gearstick is in a great position, higher than the Boxster, and has a short throw. I snick it into first and release the sponge pedal. For anyone who hasn't driven a Z3, the sponge pedal is to the left of the brake pedal. There isn't a biting point, just a large squidge area.

Going through the gears hard, the 'box works well. It has a nice feel of notchiness that reminded me of the in-car footage of the touring car racers with their sequential 'boxes. But the pleasure was destroyed by the terrible clutch (making fast or smooth changes impossible) and the rough, weak engine. Compared to the Boxster's pure-noted and smooth unit, this was a disaster. Very slow, too. I felt people were deliberately not looking at the idiot they could hear thrashing his mothers shopping car...

Once at a constant speed, however, the ride was very good. Very similar in firmness and control to the Boxster. The steering was dead, though, and although the grip level was high, all I could achieve in my drive was plough-on understeer. Apart from the back ache I was getting (I'm not joking, the seating position had me really twisted), the comfort level was pretty good. I would pass on the leather (the young lady with me in the Z3 at the time was wondering what the plastic bobbles were on the door), as it made the seat support even worse. There was not much wind noise from the open roof, though I didn't try it with it closed. The boot [trunk] is tiny - not often that a Porsche has a clear edge in luggage capacity!

Overall, a very ordinary shopping car in a very cool looking disguise. Please can no-one ask me to compare the two any more! No, not even a 6 cylinder Z3 would start to tempt me away from the Boxster. SLK, Elise, Griffith, they all are tempting. Very tempting....

PS Here's what one owner emailed me:

"I have a 1997 Z3 with the 2.8L motor - 5 speed. All our cars come with traction control, but you can switch it off. Twice I've gotten the tail loose with the traction on and when it takes over the car jerks around and swings to full lock on the other side, very hairy.

After 6000 miles, body flex is very evident. I'm quite nervous at times, as the back end lets go with little warning at times. I was about to install a RollBar, tower brace and stiffer anti-sway bars, but have decided to trade in for a Boxster. I was concerned about the midengine and speeding up the rotation process when traction is lost. Your descriptions have eased my worry, thank you.

Also, You don't have any more build problems than I do. Good Luck"