# TT v Boxster!



## Samantha (Jan 20, 2004)

What does anyone on here think of The Boxster, ever considered owning one?


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## Rambaud (Aug 1, 2002)

No.

But I have been offered a 2.7 convertible on a 2 year Contract Hire deal for Â£399 + Vat per month, which is tempting.


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## RobbieTT (Sep 6, 2003)

Samantha said:


> What does anyone on here think of The Boxster, ever considered owning one?


Boxster S is a very fine car, fun and good to drive. Interior is a little disapointing and they are quite expensive when you add all the options that should be standard. Would be a stretch for me but I have been tempted.

Regular Boxster is a joke and should be avoided.


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## moss (Jan 21, 2004)

Nice cars the 2.7 lacks the punch of the S version still a very very good package, unfortuantly the very wrong side of 30k, for either version, & both need a higher standard spec IMHO.

If I was getting a new one it would be the S version however its +12k over my budget. :shock:


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Sat in one last week for the 1st time and to be honest does nothing . Steering wheel feels too big and the instruments seem in the wrong place.But externally the silver one I had a good look at was looking really nice.Loads more room than the TTR as well with a boot at each end.
No access whatsoever to the engine .......

Moss , love this on your sig......... " Yes I know what a TT looks like hence no picture......Enjoy the bandwidth I've just saved you." excellent !

Hants eh ? come to the solenTT meet in events ! :wink:


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## Mayur (Jan 29, 2004)

Off topic but... John your car's turned into a 180 (sig pic) !


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## SaulTTR (Apr 30, 2003)

http://forum.boxa.net/ Reckon they can help ya.


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Mayur said:


> Off topic but... John your car's turned into a 180 (sig pic) !


Yeh since they modded this forum I lost the pic of my car ...


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Mayur said:


> Off topic but... John your car's turned into a 180 (sig pic) !


Praise the Lord it been fixed ! Halleluyah !


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## tommyt (Nov 14, 2003)

I am currently in the market for a Boxster S as I have just sold my TTR. The only reason I am chosing a Boxster S above a DSG TT is that it is quicker. I still think the TT is a nicer car, especially the interior, but it just isnt quick enough. Word of warning though, they re a bit touchy on www.boxa.net , some idiot tried to tell me his 2.7 was quicker than a 225TT. Like hell it is, I havent been beaten by one yet.


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

If you want a porsche, buy a real one (911). For me the things that put me of a boxter are....

1. it's not a 911
2. interior could be out of a mondeo
3. for boxter money, i'd get a TVR, which has a far, far, far nicer interior.
4. it's still not a 911

H


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

5. And you can't tell which is the front and which is the rear.

That said I quite like them and wouldn't rule out owning one. It may be better than a TT or it may not. But to the man in the street it's still a Porsche.

That said I'm not into two seaters so a 911 for me. If only I could afford one. Work in progress.


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## marttin (May 31, 2002)

I had a new Boxster s for a short while - it didn't really do anything for me so I am on to a amd c class - funny thing is I am starting to pine for a 3.2 ttr now - I am even posting replies on here again so I may be back in the club again (so to speak!)


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## bajers (Nov 22, 2003)

Rambaud said:


> No.
> 
> But I have been offered a 2.7 convertible on a 2 year Contract Hire deal for Â£399 + Vat per month, which is tempting.


Ram, saw that myself with Lexlease and I thought so too!

Decided on the hairdressers car though at the end of the day


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## harco (Jun 16, 2002)

I nearly bought a superb looking black S. It drove really well but because I hadn't specced it it didn't have heated seats! The salesman couldn't believe I thought this was important. It didn't have an electric wind deflector, the stereo was crap and the interior was nowhere as good as the TTs.

It's also not 4WD so I wondered about what it would be like in the snow and it wouldn't fit in my garage (the TT only just goes in). The dealer - in Boldon - advertises nationally (in the Times and the like) and brings in loads of imports but sell them with full warrantys and claims they're no different to main dealer cars. They're no cheaper but there's no waiting list - you can drive them straight out of the showroom. But for me on balance the TTR is a much better package.

I pick up my V6 tomorrow. I can't wait.


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## bajers (Nov 22, 2003)

Harco, way to go...tomorrow!!!!.... [smiley=sunny.gif] [smiley=sunny.gif]

Keep us posted and let us know.....

Just come in from a blast in mine. It's stunning, you will love it .

Enjoy...enjoy....

[smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## gazandjan (Sep 8, 2003)

Samantha said:


> What does anyone on here think of The Boxster, ever considered owning one?


Very different cars - best thing to do would be to have a test drive.

Me, I love it and they are many ex TT owners with boxster`s

Rear wheel drive you will find is one of the big diffence.


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## harco (Jun 16, 2002)

Cheers Bajers. It's great to hear you're enjoying it. I'd been planning an all day blast tomorrow but that's been scuppered by having to go into work after I pick it up. Bugger. 

But I suppose at least I'll be able to look at it in the car park.

Roll on Sunday :!:


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## bajers (Nov 22, 2003)

harco said:


> Cheers Bajers. It's great to hear you're enjoying it. I'd been planning an all day blast tomorrow but that's been scuppered by having to go into work after I pick it up. Bugger.
> 
> But I suppose at least I'll be able to look at it in the car park.
> 
> Roll on Sunday :!:


Bummer....take your credit card on Sunday though (you will need it) :shock:

Be sure to post!!!!!


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

I owned a 225 TT coupe for a year, now I have a Boxster 3.2S

I loved my TT during my ownership, and I still think that it is a great car. But for sheer driving fun, the Boxster is leagues ahead. The handling, steering and braking are all a big improvement over the TT. There is so much more feedback through the steering wheel, brake pedal, and base of the drivers seat. Performance wise, they are probably similar up to about 70mph. After that, and at 4000 rpm and above, the Boxster feels *a lot *quicker. There is no turbo lag, the engine has bags of torque, and the response is immediate. Nothing else sounds like that flat six on full song at 7000rpm 8)

I have found that going from 4wd (or fwd with added in part time rwd :wink: ) to rwd to be no real hardship. The Boxster, when pushed, actually understeers initially. The transition from understeer to oversteer is very easy to predict, once you learn to feel the feedback that the car gives you. A Boxster definately goes around corners a lot better than a TT does. I think the main benefit of the TT 4wd system is the secure or safe 'feel' to the drive that it gives. It allows inexperienced drivers to drive the car fast, and push it to it's limits, without ending up in trouble. Not much fun though 

Some people critisize the interior of the Boxster, but I think it's fine. It is, after all, an older design, compared to the 'design classic' TT interior. Driving position in the Boxster is spot on - the bonnet slopes down out of view and you use the tops of the wings to 'aim' the car whilst on the move. You sit lower than in a TT. Mine has the full leather interior, and grippy sports seats, which you need for the corners, believe me. The instruments, if anything, look better quality than the TT's, and I love the central rev counter with the other two dials overlapping at each side.

Looks wise, well I admit it's not as 'clean' a design as the TT. The back end is a bit unusual, but then again, most people don't see it for long :wink: I love the front end with the sloping bonnet and headlamps.

Downsides of the Boxster - tyre and wind noise at speed. The TT was quieter, and was a good motorway cruiser.

Hannibal


> If you want a porsche, buy a real one (911). For me the things that put me of a boxter are....
> 
> 1. it's not a 911
> 2. interior could be out of a mondeo
> ...


lol! Classic quotes (often repeated) usually from people who own neither a 911 or a Boxster. Boxster is spelt B o x s t e r by the way :wink:

So it's not a real Porsche? Err, yes it is. It has a Porsche engine, Porsche body, Porsche wheels, it's made by Porsche, and it drives like a Porsche.

It's not a 911? Yes, absolutely true, it's a Boxster. It has the same front end and interior as the 911, it's a convertible rather than a coupe, and has a mid engine configuration, rather than a rear engine, and arguably handles better than the 911.

Should you want a bigger engine, an even sharper driving experience, a couple of extra seats and a roof, and have an extra Â£15k to spend, then yes, buy a 911. The fact remains that a Boxster is a far better drive than a TT.


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

PaulS said:


> lol! Classic quotes (often repeated) usually from people who own neither a 911 or a Boxster. Boxster is spelt B o x s t e r by the way :wink:
> 
> The fact remains that a Boxster is a far better drive than a TT.


Fair point Paul, I don't own a boxster (it was a typo btw) but that is because I didn't like it enough to spend that much on one - I'm sure that there are many people out there who don't own certain cars, 'cos they don't like them :roll: . Like I said, for boxster money, I'd buy a TVR - a slightly more 'practical' car in my situation and a stunning performer with a superb interior. Yes, it is a better drive, but if it was all in the handling we'd have elises, vx220's caterhams, etc. For me the interior lets the Porsche down. Personally if I was buying a new boxster, 'cos i wanted a porsche, I'd be looking at a 2nd hand 911. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the boxster is a bad car, it's just not for me.

H :wink:


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## RobbieTT (Sep 6, 2003)

PaulS said:


> .
> 
> Downsides of the Boxster - tyre and wind noise at speed. The TT was quieter, and was a good motorway cruiser.


Nice review Paul. Funny, I thought there was more wind noise on a Roadster than the Box. Agree about the tyre noise!!

In the end, the practicality of the TT Coupe won the day for me. The Boxster S is a better car than the TT - it should be, given the money. The change I have left from the V6 will be going towards a new kitchen. The 'man' is comming to give an estimate in just over a hour!

If I can live with the 2 seats again I will be giving the Boxster a good hard look in the future, esp if it has a version of the DSG! Yum.


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

> The dealer - in Boldon


I think this dealer moving next to Testo's is a surefire accident risk ,I mean whos going to be looking at the car if front when all those nice cars are parked ont the roadside


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## huey (Oct 9, 2003)

tommyt said:


> Word of warning though, they re a bit touchy on www.boxa.net , some idiot tried to tell me his 2.7 was quicker than a 225TT. Like hell it is, I havent been beaten by one yet.


Not Half...........Boxster S vs DSG TT thread [smiley=gossip.gif] 


gazandjan said:


> Fox, old boy you are talking Sh*t.


Well you should know.



taffy said:


> On paper both the 2.7 and the tt have similar performance figures and that difference is probably negated by driver skill and reaction time. A well driven tt would probably beat a boxa s but that does not mean that it is faster , it means that the boxa driver is not as good or he may not be trying in case he becomes part of the scenery.
> 
> Anyway it is all bollox , porsche is porsche and audi is VW.( i know porsche used to be vw 40 yrs ago , don't go there it's not valid anymore)
> 
> skooby--- boxas are not over priced , they are correctly priced. basically a boxster is a cheaper better handling 911 , whereas all tt's are over priced golfs in party frocks.


Ha Ha, touchy lot.. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## skooby (Feb 15, 2004)

Somebody didnt like what I wrote.lol

Toutchy,mayby cause they know they should of got a TT and saved some money. It is definately over price once you spec it, it just doesnt come with the stuff it should, and it is in no way as noce looking as a TT. I find it hard to think of a better looking car on the raods.

It is a great car, and its goos we dont all like the same things or we would be all driving the same car which would be very boaring.

It mayby a better track car but 90% of the time I'm drivibg in traffic or on raods with loads of speed cameras or the roads wet, so the Boxs is of no actual value car you cant use the performance or handeling so I'd rather bve in the TT any day.

Skooby


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## huey (Oct 9, 2003)

skooby said:


> Somebody didnt like wote I wrote.lol
> 
> Toutchy,mayby cause they know they should of got a TT and saved some money. It is definately over price once you spec it, it just doesnt come with the stuff it should.


Just play with Porsche Car Configurator Ouch.

When you compare that a TT is very well spec'ed for <30K and Boxster 2.7 is getting over the mid 30K for a nice spec and S is into 40K plus and some.

To compare them both on Â£Â£ is pointless. But I suppose it may make you feel better looking down and justifing the wonga

Still a nice car if that floats your boat.


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## skooby (Feb 15, 2004)

To campare the cars by cost mayby piontless but price does come into in the real world we are not lotto winners and have budgets to stick to, we are lucky to be able to spend so much on car in the first place.

If money wasnt an issue I would not by iether a TT or a Boxster

But to want value for are hard earnt wedge is fair enough.

Skooby


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## imster (Apr 26, 2003)

HannibalLike I said said:


> I would have to disagree, I was very close to buying a TVR tuscan speed six. went for a test drive and I was extremely impressed with the power and handling. The thing that put me off the TVR is the build quality especially the interior. I remember opening the door when the car was on and the windows shaking a good 10mm either side! The steering wheel had leather glued on it, and i could literally peel the leather off. Finally the car that I was looking at didn't have working electric windows, the dealer said it was not a big issue :shock:
> 
> The interior is lovely to look at (especially the speed 6 interiors) but I don't think they would last over a year.


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## ANT (Oct 2, 2002)

marttin said:


> I had a new Boxster s for a short while - it didn't really do anything for me so I am on to a amd c class - funny thing is I am starting to pine for a 3.2 ttr now - I am even posting replies on here again so I may be back in the club again (so to speak!)


marttin just read your post!

Go get the 3.2 you won't regret it!!! Boxter's are a great car but I can't help lurving [smiley=sweetheart.gif] my T T

ANT


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

imster said:


> The interior is lovely to look at (especially the speed 6 interiors) but I don't think they would last over a year.


Not my experience, however I have heard stories of 'variable quality' interiors. It wouldn't put me off though, but i know some people who have been.

H


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

PaulS your review was so compelling I wanted to go and buy one! Trouble is 2 seats and 3.2 & 911 are too expensive. :?

I've done 11k miles in 4 months in mine. Don't think an unreliable TVR a viable alternative. At least the Porker won't leave you stranded.


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

Me again.

One thing I've noticed about the TT is that has a lot ok knockers in other forums. And those knockers tend to focus on the one thing that their car is better at than a TT.

However the thing about the TT is this. It's a great package.

Fast enough - most of the time.
Good looking - understatement.
Practical-ish.
Well built.
Safe-ish - unless your a complate idiot.
Reliable.
And so on.

Other marques can better the TT in any one or two areas but can't come close as an overall everyday package. Therefore it's easy pickings for those with faster cars or a better handling car etc. etc.

It's the total package that counts for most TT owners and a major part of the motivation to buy.


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## SteveS (Oct 20, 2003)

huey said:


> Just play with Porsche Car Configurator Ouch.


For a sneak preview of the forthcoming boxster coupe, just add the full leather interior to the Lapis Blue metallic paint on the boxster S. Have to say I'm not sure I'm _completely_ sold on it :wink:.


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## gazandjan (Sep 8, 2003)

TT are a very good looking cars  (thats why we bought one)

But are very common.

Boxsters are Boxsters. say no more a part from

"Porsche they is no Substituite"


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

One thing I am definately not is a TT knocker :roll: :wink:

I agree on all the comments re the TT - price, build quality, equipment, relative performance - it's a great package indeed 

The other downside of the Boxster that I didn't mention - is the price, when you spec it up to TT level. Mine is a 3.2S tiptronic, pretty much fully loaded and has everything that the TT had (plus sat nav) - the only thing it lacks is ESP - Extra Security for Provisional drivers  :wink:

I'm just lucky that I was in a position to buy one and even though I was still happy with the TT I thought lets see if a Porsche lives up to the legend 8)










Mondeo interior? :wink: :wink:

Will the next TT be able to match the forthcoming Boxster coupe?


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

ttstu said:


> Me again.
> 
> However the thing about the TT is this. It's a great package.


A good point, well made. I don't have a TVR or a Boxster, partly because they are not as practical as the TT for me.

As for TVR being unreliable....how many have you owned that let you down? or for that matter how many people do you know who's TVR has let them down? I know of one TVR owner who had reliability issues and several who have been entirely happy with them. you just need to look on here for TT 'reliability' issues. Any high performance car needs more attention than an a-to-b-mobile and I don't think that modern TVR's which are looked after are particularly unreliable, turn the clock back and I will agree with you!

H


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## xianb (May 13, 2002)

I don't know if this is helpful or not - and I do hope no-one thinks of it as a troll, but if it helps anyone ...

In June 2001 I paid Â£31,995 for a second-hand (7k miles) TTr and added BBS 18" wheels. The car was absolutely and totally fantastic for the whole 2 years I owned it - in July 2003 I sold it back to the dealer for Â£19.5k. I had put Â£5k down, and paid Â£500/month finance, so running a TT for 24 months cost me Â£17k.

I picked up my new Boxster S 2 weeks ago. I never test-drove a Boxster 2.7 or a DSG TT, so can't comment on those. Althought the Box S starts at Â£38k, I paid over Â£45k for mine with extras, and almost Â£2.5k of this was spent on internal spec.

The internal spec of the Box, after spending all of that extra cash, is close to the TT, but the TT probably still has the edge. The Bose in the Box is pretty much the same thing as in the TT. The TT got 27mpg and the Box gets 20mpg.

I don't care about whose car is faster - I'll never run the Box at max-speed because I need my license - but regardless of the on-paper stats, the engine performance and driving experience can't even be compared side-by-side - there is no point - 2 minutes test-driving the S would tell you that. If speed/0-60 was all that mattered, we could all save loads of cash and by Caterhams/chipped Scoobys, or better still, ride bikes.

So whats left to argue about? Is a Porsche Box S worth Â£15k more than a TT? I dunno - depends how you measure it. So is a 911 Cab worth Â£30k more than a Box? I don't think it would be to me, but if Â£75k was easy-money then it probably would. Surely nobody in this bracket is buying a car because it is the cheapest - we're buying it because its the best we can afford - so, saying you bought a Â£30k TT because you didn't *need* a Â£45k Box is like buying a Â£45k Box because you didn't *need* a Â£150k Astin Martin ...

The MD of my last company has a Â£125k Vantage - he doesn't use it because his wife is scared of it, and his kids are too embarrassed to be seen in it. The CEO has, among various Ferraris, a Â£250k F40, which he "isn't sure where it is" ....

The one thing that is pretty certain is that most of us will be dead in around 50 years time - get the car you want, that fulfills your ambitions, and stop worrying about how it compares to everyone elses!


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## Senna (Feb 27, 2004)

xianb said:


> The one thing that is pretty certain is that most of us will be dead in around 50 years time - get the car you want, that fulfills your ambitions, and stop worrying about how it compares to everyone elses!


Has to be one of the best posts I've read on the forum thus far.
Very well said sir.


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

I second that, well said xianb


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

xianb said:


> I had put Â£5k down, and paid Â£500/month finance, so running a TT for 24 months cost me Â£17k.


 [smiley=dizzy2.gif]

How does this work? Surely you had some ownership and therefore some equity in the car? :?


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

PaulS said:


> I second that, well said xianb


Can I third it?

H

Oh, and I do NEED a 150K AML, I just can't afford it yet......


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## xianb (May 13, 2002)

... Dunno mate...
I went from a company car to buying one...
-Car was Â£31,995
-I put down Â£5k cash so owed Â£26,995
-I left Â£13k as a 'bubble' payment after 3 years so still owed Â£13.9k
-The Â£13.9k repayment plus the interest on the Â£13k bubble was Â£18k over three years. (remember this was 3 years back)
-After 2 years (and 35k on the clock), I had payed Â£5k+24*Â£500=Â£17k (but remember that the interest on the loan and the bubble are charged BEFORE any repayments)
- By an INCREDIBLE COINCIDENCE after 24 months my car was worth exactly what I still owed on it... Â£19.5k. Since the garage probably stuck it on the forcourt at around Â£23k, but had to do a major service, a replacement windscreen, it's first ever MOT, and some sort of warranty, it all pretty much evened out!. Probably.

PS: If any of you out there have a silver TTR with black leather, BOSE, cup holder, and a Clifford alarm with AutoStart, from Hampshire, then that was mine ...


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## RoganJosh (May 31, 2003)

Senna said:


> xianb said:
> 
> 
> > The one thing that is pretty certain is that most of us will be dead in around 50 years time - get the car you want, that fulfills your ambitions, and stop worrying about how it compares to everyone elses!
> ...


Couldn't agree more. Sold my TT in Jan, now driving a BMW 320i Sport and next I fancy a BMW M3 - after that who knows?


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## tommyt (Nov 14, 2003)

xianb, cracking post.


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

All good points and well made as you would expect. At the end of the day I aspire to a Porsche but not an option at any level in my organisation. Won't allow car allowances at the moment so can't go down that route.

If I could then it would have to be a Boxster as it would be affordable just! Not the S though probably.

If the best Porker I could afford was a 2.7 Box then a 2.7 Box it would be. As someone rightly said most of us get the best car we can afford at that time.

Must work harder, must work harder.....


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## gazandjan (Sep 8, 2003)

xianb

Very well said


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## harco (Jun 16, 2002)

Great well made points Xianb. I guess we all need to make the car we're in the best car there is. Until we get a better one! :wink:


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## L8_0RGY (Sep 12, 2003)

A couple of people have suggested i should get a Boxster instead of a 3.2 DSG but imo;

The TT is far better, looks wise and performance wise and price wise!

You'll always have endure the apparent comments that go with a Voxster of "Poor Mans Porsche" - or in this case - Poor Womans Porsche.

Why people say this i don't know as they're evidently not for poor people!


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## HighTT (Feb 14, 2004)

When I bought my TT coupe I was neither buying the cheapest car,
nor the best I could afford. It was the combination of style, performance, practicality and VALUE that makes the TT unbeatable IMO.

I have been lucky enough to be able to borrow for extended periods of time some very exotic machinery, Aston, Maserati, TVR etc. (the Cerbera suffered total hydraulic failure!) and irrespective of whether I could afford to buy them or not I never felt short-changed when I got back into my TT.

Should we merge this thread of â€˜Opinionsâ€™ with the Celica v. TT thread?


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## bilen (Mar 3, 2004)

had an S3 before my Boxster S and both are good in very differnet ways.

That said I'm selling my boxster S (metallic black 8k miles 45 k new, I want 38... any takers :wink: )

I've opted for a 3.2 DSG coupe.

Porsche much more of an out and out sports car, and a better ahndler than a TT, but far more expensive and I'm not sure if it's worth the difference.

I have enjoyed my Boxster S but I've missed the 4wd. Sure the TT won't handle as well or sound quite as good, or go quite as quick, but quite a big saving and v similar straight line performance, I'm looking forward to my 3.2 DSG TT.

I think a comparison btwn 3.2 dsg and tiptronic S would be very interesting. TT would win in the boom for bucks dept. But both are great cars in their own right.


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## Samantha (Jan 20, 2004)

Thanks all, some v.interesting comments!


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## mussy2577 (Feb 3, 2003)

xianb said:


> I don't know if this is helpful or not - and I do hope no-one thinks of it as a troll, but if it helps anyone ...
> 
> In June 2001 I paid Â£31,995 for a second-hand (7k miles) TTr and added BBS 18" wheels. The car was absolutely and totally fantastic for the whole 2 years I owned it - in July 2003 I sold it back to the dealer for Â£19.5k. I had put Â£5k down, and paid Â£500/month finance, so running a TT for 24 months cost me Â£17k.
> 
> ...


Spot on ! I echo this !


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

good reading this thread, alot of great points made


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

this is probably the most civil, informed and informative thread I've even seen with a 'xxxxx Vs TT' topic!

Nice one!


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

I've never driven the S or even the now standard 2.7, but was lucky enough to borrow an S reg 2.5 Boxster for a weekend.

At the time I didn't have the TT and had merely a 1.8T Golf. Obviously the Boxster, went better, handled better looked better than the Golf.

At first I was afraid to give it any juice as the roads were damp, but not sodden, and I was worried about going backwards through a hedge in someone else's car, however, the more I got used to it, the more I did put my foot down to find that far from being twitchy, it felt planted.

Obviously there would be limits, and if I were to exceed them, I donâ€™t know how the car would behave, but the same is true of any car.

At that time we crossed the Porsche off our list for a couple of reasons â€" expense was one, but the other was that we didnâ€™t really want a soft-top as our only car and with no garage.

Living in London (at that time) meant we saw lots of cars with slashed roofs and didnâ€™t want ours to be one of them. For that reason we looked at the SLK as it gave the best of both worlds, but werenâ€™t inspired by it.

Porsche + 
Excellent driverâ€™s car.
Itâ€™s a Porsche.

Porsche â€"
Cost.
Driving position â€" I simply could not get comfy.
Soft-top.
Not as good looking as the TT.
Interior â€" but thatâ€™s only in retrospect, at the time I thought nothing of it.

Never did I subscribe to the poor manâ€™s 911 theory. Yes it obviously opens up Porsche ownership (or at least new Porsche ownership) to a different breed of people, but that doesnâ€™t mean itâ€™s a poor manâ€™s 911. If anything, the Boxster S is a canny manâ€™s 911, but thatâ€™s a different story.


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## galwaytt (May 15, 2003)

PaulS said:


> ... it's made by Porsche, ......


 er, actually, no it isn't. It's made under contract by Valmet....in FINLAND!

Of course, the TT isn't made in Germany, either. More like Gyor, Hungary.

However, I digress. I have a TTC180 instead of a Boxster. I really, really like the look, and driving of a 3.2s TipTronic. Absolutely fab. However, some things :
1. Interior definately not as classy as TT, and it is something you'll spend a lot of time in front of...
2. Hood retraction - i.e., the folding of the rear screen itself, a major no-no. I should know, I have an MX-5 that has a better hood mechanism than that. Salesman also told me not to fold hood too much in cold weather as 'they're inclined to split' Hello ?
3. Two seats only. For me, this is a total bummer. Have 3.5 and 11mth old, and I already have one nearly-unused-now converitble, thanks.

So, got me a TTC180, and eventually, recently, bought an 87 911 on Classic Insurance. I am really looking forward to being able to get a 993 TipTronic based on this so far (3 weekw ownership). And I'm keeping a TT.

At the end of the day, the TT is fab looking, as iconic as any Porsche, is practical (hatch, takes 2 x baby seats), looks the biz ( I know, I said this already), and just wish it had what I spied in Pauls pic....TipTronic. 180 or 224, doesn't bother me, I'll take which ever is practical, overall. They both do more than is good for the licence anyway.

ttstu....like the bike(I've too many of them as well...) and xianb, you're right, just do everything. I'm a 'both/and' rather than an 'either/or' kinda person....hence the driveway.

I'm a happy bunny....at least for a while... :lol:


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## Matthew (Oct 6, 2003)

Read on, for this week's riveting installment of "My willy is bigger than your willy"......


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## galwaytt (May 15, 2003)

Tut tut Matthew, my total car park cost less than some of the bling-bling spent on the modded cars of this site.

John M
Multi-vehicled - and proud of it


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## Matthew (Oct 6, 2003)

galwaytt said:


> Tut tut Matthew, my total car park cost less than some of the bling-bling spent on the modded cars of this site.
> 
> John M
> Multi-vehicled - and proud of it


Not sure if I get your drift there.........Could you explain? :?

These threads just amuse me - Most people are pretty balanced (as much as you can be on one side of the discussion) but it's great when you see the odd one getting all puffy chested about it.

My view? Boxsters are OK - Interiors are dreadful looking. If I am going to own a Porsche it couldn't be anything less than a 911 since it's my dream car, but I don't drive a car often enough to warrant the Â£800+ a month it would set me back. TT is a great balance of all the stuff I want in a car. It's my money and I'll spend it how I want - Anyone who reckons different can argue till their tits drop off - I'm not going to change my mind.


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## galwaytt (May 15, 2003)

matthew......pm sent.

on another note, I think Hightt quote it even closer to my thoughts when he said _When I bought my TT coupe I was neither buying the cheapest car, nor the best I could afford. It was the combination of style, performance, practicality and VALUE that makes the TT unbeatable IMO. _ Dead right.

I agree with you matthew on the Boxster interior - it's akin to Lego, to me. However, the Boxster does drive very, very well, and yes, better than the TT. But you have to sacrifice an awful lot of (better) qualities which the TT has by the bucket-load, to get it - and that's the dilemma. To those that can - get both/try both, either at the same time (if you're able), or eventually (most likely option), and you'll love both.........for different reasons. Then you'll have a bigger dilemma - which one to keep !!

Now, as for the 911 - well, probably like you, it's been my dream car since schoolyard days. BUT, a car that cost the price of a house in 1987, bought now, will not feel anything like an equivalent new buy now. To do that equivalent jump today, you need very big numbers. I'll come up a bit over the next, say 5 years from my 87 to some model of 993. Then I'd end up with a car that'd have enough character of the quirkiness that is 911, with a smidgeon of modern car manners/comfort. The traditional 911 I just bought, and which I'm learning about, believe me, is hilarious. I keep getting out of at saying - Jeez, they used to Rally THESE ???

Still cool to have, though, and like the TT, infectious.


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## PopeyDog (Oct 21, 2002)

Some good points made on this thread, but one arguement people are using here for not getting a Boxster confuses me.

Forgive my ignorance but is there much difference between the interior of the Boxster and the (996) 911?

I have never sat in a 996 or a Boxster, but the pictures of the interior that I have seen make them look fairly similar. My mate had a 993 before introducing it to a bridge at speed and the interior was dreadful. The spare wheel cover was a bit of a joke too. All this on a T reg car, which in my opinion really showed its age.

I just cant understand how people say they dont like the Boxster because of the interior and would not pay the additional Â£15k or whatever, but overlook this when talking about wanting a 911 at an additional Â£35k. Is it just because a 911 is faster or perceived to be more socially accepted by someones peers that a 911 gets away with having prectically the same interior? Or is it completely different inside and I am wrong?

I realise the 911 and Boxster are in different leagues, but if the interior is such a problem then surely Porsche is off the menu no matter what model it is.

Personally I am not a great fan of the interior of any Porsche. If I had new 911 money I would probably go for an AMV8. If I had second hand 911 money and wanted the new Porsche experience I would buy a Boxster.

As it happens I have neither and am loving TT ownership.

Just my opinion anyway, sorry... :?

<Flame suit on>


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## Faithless (Mar 10, 2004)

I have loved every minute of the TT it excells at everything and I have always said I would not know what to replace it with for the money. I will never slagg it off I am proud to have owned one, and its pictures will live on in my car album. I have decided on a boxster s and have had to spend a lot extra to get it. I looked at TVR 350c which I loved but cost of ownership is an issue, servicing every 6k miles at Â£400 then Â£800 :shock: massive petrol consumption and finally the depreciation is such I would not get a new one! 
It is the law of diminishing returns, the box s is a better car than the 225TT but at a price!
At the end of the day a TT is still a dream to MOST, it still turns heads, kids wave (I was aquitted) and girls want a ride in it.


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## bilen (Mar 3, 2004)

Porsche is one of the few companies to survive the take gobbling up of small car companies. Hence they have to watch costs, which is why they share many components within and on the outside of a Boxster and 911.
Interior wise there is very little difference between the two. Some more dials in a 911 and slightly nicer stitching in the leather.

The boxster shares lights with the pre face lift 911 again to save costs.
However there is very little performance difference between a bog 911 coupe and a boxster S. 5.2 v 5.7 seconds to 60 and 0-100 are 2-3 seconds (if my memory serves me correctly). Yet the price is almost 20k.. one with an engine at the rear one with a mid mounted. I think the real interest will come when the Boxster Coupe comes out.... mind you if you wanted a 911 convertible you'd have to pay 30K more!!!!!

Me boxster S anyday unless I had the dosh to get a Turbo or C4S..


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

bilen said:


> Porsche is one of the few companies to survive the take gobbling up of small car companies. Hence they have to watch costs, which is why they share many components within and on the outside of a Boxster and 911.
> Interior wise there is very little difference between the two. Some more dials in a 911 and slightly nicer stitching in the leather.
> 
> The boxster shares lights with the pre face lift 911 again to save costs.
> ...


996 carrera 2 and carrera 4 manual are 5.0 secs not 5.2 secs and also have 40 bhp more than a boxster S (6.4 vs 5.5 secs for tiptronic)

sorry but the carrera is streets ahead of the boxster s in terms of looks and also power delivery/top speed

the 996 is the better car which is why it is more expensive

they are different cars completely that different people in different circumstances buy

cheers

James


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

This is indeed a great Porsche thread ..... on the TT forum :roll: :wink:

This is the first car forum that I've participated in, although I've read a lot of the other makes forums, - the same sort of debate always goes on between different models over there ... "my willys bigger than yours etc" :wink:

So Samantha - what's it going to be for you - Boxster 2.7 or TT ?


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## ANT (Oct 2, 2002)

Wish I could afford both! :? The TT and the Boxster.

The other would have to be the Boxster S of course! 

ANT


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## bilen (Mar 3, 2004)

Streets ahead....

Hmm wouldn't go that far. Yeah to the uninitiated a 911 is quicker, but how much would 1/2 a second be noticed in the real world. Sure the 911 may be nicer looking and have 60bhp more in the current version (3.6 320 bhp.) But my Dad's got a 345 bhp C4 Cab and in a race there is little in it up to about 80 mph beyond that and the C4 pulls away, but is it worth a premium of 30k, no.

Sure if you adhere to the poor mans porsche ethic which is uneducated car banter :roll: and the 3 numbers 9 1 1 mean more to you then thats fine. Drive both back to back adn then consider if there's a TT price tag difference. :? :?:

Servicing cost should be considered too, a 911 is and eye watering 500 quid more to service...
:shock: 
I will agree to disagree :wink:


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

i've driven the boxster s and 996 c4 pretty extensively, so i'm not unitiated and thought the 996 was better. never subscribed to the poor mans porsche ethic. i don't think anyone who can afford to be driving round in a porsche can be classed as a poor man (unless possibly it's a 924 hehe)

we will though, as you said, agree to disagree!

god this thread is most unusual in that it hasn't turned into a slagging match between anyone!

keep it up guys, nice to have some decent debate 

cheers

James

ps - bilen, how did your dad get the extra 25bhp out of the c4 cab?


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## bilen (Mar 3, 2004)

James,

In answer to your question, he got the Porsche power hike, before purchase. Makes it sound mental too with sports exhaust!

cheers


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

bilen said:


> James,
> 
> In answer to your question, he got the Porsche power hike, before purchase. Makes it sound mental too with sports exhaust!
> 
> cheers


sounds like it's a bit of a beast. heard the switchable sports exhaust once in jct600 in leeds and it sounds crackers!

cheers

James


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

'tis nice to have a proper debate. But it has all been said earlier. Generally you buy the best car you can afford. Generally if you can afford a 911, you don't buy a Boxster. If I could afford a Boxster I wouldn't be driving a TT. I drive it because (at the moment) it is the best sub Â£30k available.

As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!

Don't think that was too controversial, was it?


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## baker (May 13, 2002)

This is my first post on the TT forum since selling my beloved TT and replacing it with a second hand Boxster S.

For what it's worth I like both cars equally. What the TT had the Boxster hasn't and what the Boxster has the TT hasn't.

In my mind the only car you can buy after the TT (other than another TT) is a Boxster. You will naturally want something quicker so you have to go for the S.


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## HighTT (Feb 14, 2004)

ttstu; the wealthiest person I know (and I do mean wealthy!) drives a Suzuki Cappucino, on the grounds that it is quickest car around London
because of it's minute size and (I think he said) supercharged engine.
Oh .... he's also got great taste, he says the best looking car on the road is the TT.


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

ttstu said:


> 'tis nice to have a proper debate. But it has all been said earlier. Generally you buy the best car you can afford. Generally if you can afford a 911, you don't buy a Boxster. If I could afford a Boxster I wouldn't be driving a TT. I drive it because (at the moment) it is the best sub Â£30k available.
> 
> As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!
> 
> Don't think that was too controversial, was it?


i think the phrase 'poorer man's porsche' is more fitting


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## NaughTTy (Jul 9, 2003)

Or "Less rich man's Porsche" :wink:


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

ttstu said:


> As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!
> 
> Don't think that was too controversial, was it?


Agree.

So is the 150 a poor mans TT ? :roll: :wink:


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## HighTT (Feb 14, 2004)

*ttstu wrote: *

_As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!

Don't think that was too controversial, was it? _

I can't agree. The only friend I have with a 911 (996) has relatively little wealth, whilst another friend has a 355 Marenello Challenge, 355 Spider,
Range Rover and you've guessed ... a TT for his choice of every day road car. 
Whoops... I think we are getting further off topic and I suggest we change the name of this thread to 'Status Anxiety'.


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## jam (May 8, 2002)

PaulS said:


> ttstu said:
> 
> 
> > As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!
> ...


poorer/less rich man's TT :wink:

suppose it all depends what your priorities are in life are too

i know a guy with a 360 spider, 996 turbo, range rover, e-type, vanquish, merc sl350 but that's because cars are his passion

other people i know who are in exactly the same financial boat as him don't choose to drive ferraris etc and stick to 996's and the like and prefer to spend their cash on holiday homes/travelling

all depends what you want to spend your hard earned on at the end of the day

what you see isn't always what you get with some people

cheers

James


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## Faithless (Mar 10, 2004)

To go on a TT forum and ask if the boxter is better whenn it costs conciderably more is unfair. It is like going on a Honda civic R site and asking it a TT is better or like asking on boxa.net if a 911 is better than a boxster


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## MonsTTer (Dec 2, 2003)

Got a Customer in Central Italy who's a car collectioner (and a real tycoon).
He owns a number of Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
For everyday commuting uses a brand new A8 4.2.
Met him recently and took him for a ride in my TT aroud his own mountain whereabouts.
He said: "Can't explain myself how could I have missed this piece!"
'Nuff said.


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## natt (May 15, 2002)

I had a Revoâ€™d 225TTC until last September and now have a second hand Boxster S.
Like the other folk who have changed in this way (I wonâ€™t say â€œupgradedâ€ as itâ€™s not my belief thatâ€™s what it was) I still have a liking for all things TT, but am very happy with my Boxster.

As always the 80:20 rule applies. For 20% of the money you get 80% of the features/quality/performance (add to the list). The last 20% of the features/quality/performance can be had, but for another 80% (of the possible money you could ever spend on one car). And it ainâ€™t linear so you gotta either really want it or have so much money that it doesnâ€™t matter.

Being TT and Boxster drivers weâ€™re all paying over the odds to get above the 80.

You own a Boxster if 
a)	the improved characteristics, you believe it displays, are important to you
b)	youâ€™re happy to spend X% of your income to get that
c)	(optional) you want to impress others

You own a TT if â€¦.ditto

So which car is better? Test drive each. Look at a few bank statements. Lie to your other half. Decide for yourself.

Enough analytical guff, hereâ€™s some perhaps flame worthy comments that can help in Samanthaâ€™s decisions:

My boxster drinks fuel. 250 miles per tank if Iâ€™m lucky.  
I love every gear change, the throw and lurvely clunk into place. Perfect.
3rd gear on Boxster. Full stop.  
Stationary, roof down, in traffic, under a bridge, Revving the engine. Grinning like a child  
I now love the interior of my Boxster. I put this down to association. The thrill of driving the car is brought back when I look at the interior. True, TT looks and feels better, but Iâ€™m conditioned to grin when I sit in my porker. :roll: 
I donâ€™t have heated seats and so far this winter thatâ€™s been a problem for 23 minutes. Still, I wish Iâ€™d had the TT for those 23 minutes.
:!: 
â€œYou only got a Boxster because you couldnâ€™t afford a 911â€. Urm, kind of. If Â£60K was my budget then Iâ€™d have a 911. Itâ€™s not, my budget was Â£35K where I had many other choices. Odd though that Iâ€™d stay with the same Marque through such a price range.
Re choosing an older 911. Check the insurance, Â£1K MORE. My boxsterâ€™s about the same as the TT.
I hate the snobbery of Porsche ownership. I felt much more comfortable â€œsociallyâ€ in my TT.
My wife felt more comfortable (physically) in the TT (head rests are adjustable)
Driving in the snow! The scariest thing Iâ€™ve ever done and I have the stability thingy! Itâ€™s possible but you gotta be very light footed, whilst the rest of the world speeds past laughing at the look on your face.
Plastic rear screens. Bag a sh*te. I gotta get out and push it in (half way through putting the roof down) to make it fold neatly and not get damaged over time.
Boxster Sâ€™s hold their value better than most other cars so you can kid yourself that youâ€™re loosing less money year on year. Just donâ€™t expect to be able to prove it on paper, especially if you opted for a full leather interior, bose and 18inch wheels!
I now have no idea what the outside temperature is.
You become tarnished by other Boxster driverâ€™s reps. The kind that are never gonna read this and bought them for show. The kind that donâ€™t regret for one minute that you canâ€™t see the engine.
Smooth velvety flat 6, makes for comfortable cruising.
Easily provoked flat 6, makes for fun â€œhooningâ€
Having a manual gear box (at the same time as a 3.2 engine)
IMHO the Boxster gives you everyday comfort mixed with sports car characteristics but at a premium that gives most everyone pause for thought.

Oh well. So much for a pithy clever response.


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

Great post natt 



> You become tarnished by other Boxster driverâ€™s reps. The kind that are never gonna read this and bought them for show. The kind that donâ€™t regret for one minute that you canâ€™t see the engine.


Not being able to see the engine is most frustrating - although you can replace the panel behind the seats with a perspex one, if you're into that kind of thing :roll: :wink:



> I hate the snobbery of Porsche ownership. I felt much more comfortable â€œsociallyâ€ in my TT.


There could be some truth in that. But at my first Porsche (independant) track day a few weeks back at Bruntingthorpe - I met a great bunch of people there, some other ex-tt owners :wink: At the end of the day I bought my car for the driving experience, and at the moment, I think it's worth it. I always keep a close eye on the costs though - nothing lasts for ever :wink:


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## nobby (Mar 17, 2004)

...tres bon tt forum...a balanced intelligent debate nice to see. It has prompted my first post. I frequent boxanet regularly however don't have a Boxster....well not anymore anyway. Managed to kill my brand new "s" with a triple roll on a fast b road  Must say that i don't think many soft tops would have protected me quite so well, they are SO well made, i literally owe my life to this fact. You can see how she held up in these pics

pre http://forum.boxa.net/index.php?showtopic=790

post http://forum.boxa.net/index.php?showtopic=1619

I now have a 996 and love her to bits (esp the sports exhaust 8) )I still miss the "s" though. A great car that has its own individual character. I certainly don't buy into this poormans porsche rubbish which tends to be subscribed to by those who have driven neither and know little about what goes into defining a truely great drivers car. It is not always a case of if it costs more it must be better.

I have driven friends tt's and must say that it has the edge on the porsches achillies heal...the interior. The BOSE is great too very similar (if not identical) to the unit in the porsche. I personally prefer the coupe as it has the tt's best feature....the sweeping roof line, the rag top kills this profile. I enjoyed the drive but was a little disappointed with the brakes.

At the end of the day it's horses for courses, we all have different criteria that needs to be met by our vehicle of choice...you pays your money etc...

Nobby


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

C'mon guys I was very specific in my use of the word "generally". We can all talk about "the one legged blind man". In this case he drives a Suzuki!

As I said wealth is relative. If I earned Â£300k+ then I might think that someone earning Â£100k was "poor". I don't by the way. I have no control over what other people do or earn. I can only control what I do or earn.

S'pose I could give up the biking and buy a Box. Then again there isn't a road car built than compares to a bike!

0-60 3.5 secs.
Top speed 175 mph.

For now I love my TT & more each day. One day it won't be enough. Until then life's just great!


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

I was trying to park my TT in a tight spot in Clifton, Bristol today when a new 911 excelerated past me. There are few cars that sound better! Who cares about 0.5 sec etc? That sound is awesome!

I must work harder...


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## nobby (Mar 17, 2004)

...very true i just love the sound track of the sports exhaust singing at 7000rpm in 2nd and 3rd

Here is a link to some in car footage of her around bruntingthorpe at a recent boxanet meet.

http://forum.boxa.net/index.php?showtopic=5730

Enjoy

Nobby


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## natt (May 15, 2002)

Here's a list of posts I saved when considering the same question. Sorry there's a quite a bit here....

Boxster s is great, but more expensive, especially for extras. Both cars are great, the major difference has to be price... 
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I'd go for the Boxster S. Drove one for a week last September and it was really nice to drive. After driving an S2000 it didn't offer much more top end power, but the flexibility of the 3.2L engine was great and the handling and steering feedback really confidence inspiring.

I'm in a similar position to Ogie - baby on the way. So a Boxster is not an option. If the TT V6 is delayed, I'm going to start looking at old 996's.

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I'm not interested in the high-concept debate about the pros and cons of V6s or 150s, so haven't joined in those debates. But I can say that the TT is a fantastic car. Did 600 miles this weekend, motorway, A roads, country lanes. It was comfortable, fast, took all the luggage and two of us plus the 4 year old boy and we all enjoyed every mile. It was also admired hugely by everyone in the village and turned heads on the road. A 225 TTC is a complete package - no doubt the TTR is too.

I wanted a toy too, and I've test driven the Boxster, which seemed more willing and would be a fantastic second car (for my family)....but I decided to keep the Merc SL for that, which did everything the Boxster did, and felt more special.

I woudln't have kept the SL in preference to the TT, not in a million years, so I guess the Boxster is very much thrid place for me 
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veesix... I currently have a Porsche Boxster, and after two weeks of 'ownership', here's what I can say about it:

Driving: This car is absolutely awesome on the roads... Perfectly balanced, rear-wheel drive fun... Steering is precise, feedback is excellent, and power is plenty. Taking the car round bends, altho it doesnt have the same confidence as a 4WD TT, it is so controlled and progressive that you can control the car to do exactly what you want. The gear changes are so slick, they are heavenly... Simply awesome. I'd give it a 95% in this category.

Style/Image: Unfortunately, this is where it falls over. The car is... bland, to say the least. The only image is the Porsche badge on the front. The TT wins out hands down here. I'd give it 55% here, but it is down to personal taste.

Interior/Exterior (quality): Again, the TT destroys the Boxster. The interior is bland, the build quality is seriously lacking, the hood mechanism judders, sometimes the hood warning light stays on even after the hood is up/down, and even the brakes are poor, as well as lots of other little things. Only scores 45% here...

Customer Services: Forget it. Porsche customer service is worse than Audi. I went to a Boxster meet to compare notes with other owners, and, well, they think Official Porsche Centres (OPC) SUCK. One guy bought an 'S for Â£46K (fully loaded), and a few thousand miles later brought it back cuz the brakes were juddering. They couldnt figure out the problem, and after a lot of hassle, they changed the discs and pads ALL round. This solved the problem, but he was then accused of using a chemical cleaning agent that destroys the discs (anyone ever heard of this?), and that they would do it on warranty "this time", but if it happened again they would charge him full price (several thousand pounds). Their prices are seriously inflated for even the most basic things, especially considering a lot of components are shared with VAG. BOSE as an option will cost you a sweet Â£800, and it's not even as good as the TTRs. Got lots more stories, but suffice to say, it's not all rosy as people tend to think... Score? 40%, at best.

Day-to-day: This car DRINKS petrol! You can physically see the needle move on even short journeys... This car is costing me a fortune on running costs. OPC services are a fortune too... Another low score of 45%...

Owners meets: Another let-down, I'm afraid. It's very difficult to get two Boxster owners together for any sort of meet. AFAIK (and as far as the other owners knew), the aforementioned owners meet was the FIRST of its kind - EVER! They are very very rare... We came to the conclusion that Boxster owners like the exclusivity of Porsche, and dont like being seen with others, not to mention not wanting to hurt their cars in any way (heaven forbid someone drives one *quickly*!)... Everyone I met on the day tho were excellent people, and we had an extreme amount of fun! See the post I posted in the Events forum (Boxster meet report)... I'll give them 60% for being fun, but unfortunately they are so rare...

Verdict: So, after all that, would I recommend a Porsche Boxster? Well, if all you want is DRIVING fun, then YES! It's an awesome drivers car with a perfect chassis! And that RWD is so much fun, it hurtz However, if you want an all-rounder, which has style, makes you feel special, wont bankrupt you, and can be modified simply to make it quicker than an 'S, then I'd say stick with the TT (I will be hopefully getting my TTR back today!)!

Lemme know if you wanna know anything more about the car...

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Thanks for all your very prompt responses.

Emmy ~ thanks for your comparisons ~ I think your comments will prove very helpful indeed. 
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Veesix, if there is any way you can hold out, HOLD OUT! As the tt 3.2 will be an extremely complete package that no other manufacturer can/will beat (and I've looked!). Great looks and design both inside and out, build quality, sports car sounds and thrills and new leading technology will be a hard act to follow once Audi pull their fingers out and release it.

Spare a thought for me as I will have to drive my wifes Pug 106 until it arrives

Godd luck! 
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Well I have just gone from a TTr with some mods (brakes, chip, exhaust, cats, suspension) to a Boxster S and I would sum up as follows:

Driving: I will agree with Shash here, although I would say that in the dry the 4wd issue isnt really relevent, as if you are driving fast enough for the Boxster to be losing grip you are not being sensible.

Style/Image: This is all personnal taste, the TT is lovely looking, but I love the boxter also, for me this is either 100% or 0% depends what you like. Interior the TT is out of the box stunning, but the Porsche has far more options for individual styling inside, carpets, leather, alcantara, painted, chromed, carbon, walnut, there is so much to give you the car you want. Seat are also miles better than the standard TT ones. And a major plus point of the Boxster is the sound which with 2 less cylinders the TT would struggle to emulate

Interior/Exterior (quality): So far I would give both cars equal footing on this, the Boxster has only covered 4k miles now and has no rattles or anything, my TT had a persistent rattle from behind the driver than despite repeated attempts cannot be fixed, but will reserve judgement here until Boxster has done a few more miles.

Customer Services: Well have to disagree with Shash here as Audi Customer service suck big time (IMO), reason I got rid of my car was because Audi couldnt provide me with one that worked as intended, Audi CS basically told me to stick it, I estimate that I lost about 9 hours work in total due to having to deal with repeated attempts to repair a car with duff parts - all Audis fault as they supplied broken replacement parts, the lost 9 hours would have paid the deposit on my next car. Also I believe Audi group could have acted many months ago on the coil pack issue but chose to wait until it got to watch dog at best - I doubt Porsche will be worse.

Day-to-day: I spent a day giving the Boxster some stick in Oxfordshire countryside and was getting about 19mpg, also spent another tank of fuel gently cruising and was getting about 28mpg which is not a lot worse than the TT is (maybe 3 mpg?). The Boxster has 2 boots and far more luggage space than the TTr, I prefer the driving position and seating. Servcing can be expensive on the porsche, but unlike Audi when they quote for a 24k service then that includes everything that wants doing, I know Audi dont include for items like brake fluid changes in their set prices.

Owners meets: Well the Boxster faraternity is only really getting started it seems, the forum on boxa.net now has a couple of hundred members, Porsche Club GB does though arrange hundreds of events eevry year and a great number of track days also, as with everything the fun is there if you want to find it, this forum is excellent and does spoil you a little as pretty much everything you need is here, with the porsche you do have to look a bit more.

Verdict: I am glad I made the swap, when my TT was running I did love the car, but dont forget that a 225 TT will struggle to compete with the Boxster without being modified in performance terms, the Boxster has more space to be practical everyday car, you could take it to tesco with you, the boxster is also 'modifiable' options from induction kits and low end mods to engine conversions to 3.7litre or turbo and superchager conversions which give you awesome power and torque figures.

I would actually suggest that this will be a very personal descision, I wouldnt have even bothered test driving the porsche if Audi had been a better supplier, but I did and for me the TT was second place from then on, but the opposite in Shashs opinion. 
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Heya all...

I agree with shao - the Boxster decision is a very personal one. I have spoken to many Boxster owners (who have covered 10's of thousands of miles), and I summarised their opinions in my earlier comments. Granted, the Boxster will have very few problems from new - my TTR has had no real problems (except for one coil pack) in over 23,000 miles, and I push the car very hard (tracks, fast road, lots of modifications, etc). The Boxster I have now has about 18,000 miles, and it already has a few problems...

Granted again, a TTR would need to be modified to come anywhere close to a Boxster on speed, but it would still be MUCH cheaper than the Boxster price. To modify a Boxster will cost a lot of money (in the several thousands) to make it very powerful - I am in fact working on some Boxster modifications right now

At the end of the day, both cars are pretty close to eachother, the Boxster winning out on driver enjoyment, and the TT winning out on overall style/'quality look'... The Boxster option list is very very expensive (I know someone who spent Â£14K on JUST the options!), but you're right - it is easier to personalise... As for problems, it's a bit of pot luck... Both cars are hand made, so there is bound to be variations in quality. Some will be bad, some will be good. The same goes for dealers. It just happens to be that all the owners I've spoken to have had bad experiences with Porsche dealers - and apparently most Porsche owners will only keep their car for a year, maybe two.

That's why my verdict was generalised. If you want a drivers car, go for the Boxster - if you want an all-rounder, go for the TT... However, it really is down to personal taste....

Oh, and one more thing I forgot to add... Porsche only gives 2 years warranty! It's an additional Â£800-ish for each additional year!

Thanks!

Shash. 
Oh, forgot to add... The most fun you can have in a Boxster is to push it to its limit! The car is so balanced you can have a lot of fun drifting... I would strongly suggest you take the Boxster on a track or even better a proper drift day - you'll have amazing fun with it!

Shash.

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My own initial dealings with Porsche dealers were not good, in fact one didnt even want to serve me, left me waiting 40 minutes before they could make anyone available.

Granted the 3.7 conversion I have found is about Â£15k to get to around 340 - 360 bhp, but what would it cost to get a TT to this level?

Anyway I think we have summed it up - drive both cars and see what you like best. 
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Having spoken with Audi man today, still nothing from Audi re V6. He thinks with the launch of the A3 and A8 over the next couple of months that Audi have got too much on their hands at the moment even without the TTV6. He did say that the 6 other people who had got their names down for the V6 are very much taking the same stance with some opting for the A4 cab. No other news 
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For the cost of a specc'd up Boxster S, you could have a Merc SLK32 AMG.

Downside for me would be auto box, but the one in question (called AMG SpeedShift) has tiptronic functionality and is supposed to be quite good. 0-60 in 4. something seconds can't be sniffed at! 
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I have owned an SLK and it was a pretty good all around car, a friend of mine had a AMG and it was pretty frightening the speed of it and that was with the auto box or what ever it is called. Also has the advantage of hard top, but interior (IMO) is worst of the 3 cars mentioned here, and the sound system in mine was none bose and worst car I have had for stereo - my 1978 VX Viva was better.


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## sico (Feb 6, 2003)

PaulS said:


> ttstu said:
> 
> 
> > As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!
> ...


Poor mans Porsche is a stupid quote. Its mainly told by people who cant afford a boxster or anything alike.

It simply is away of them making themselves feel better by slaging off something they couldnt afford.


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## ttstu (Nov 1, 2003)

sico said


> Poor mans Porsche is a stupid quote. Its mainly told by people who cant afford a boxster or anything alike.
> 
> It simply is away of them making themselves feel better by slaging off something they couldnt afford.


Hope that wasn't aimed at me. I wasn't referring to the "poor man's Porsche" as quoted by someone else. I was referring to the fact that "wealth is relative".

Thought I'd clarify in case I've been misunderstood. :wink:


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## gazandjan (Sep 8, 2003)

PaulS said:


> ttstu said:
> 
> 
> > As for poor mans Porsche. There is an element of truth in the statement. Remember wealth is totally relative!
> ...


This I agree with (ducks and runs for cover)

Thats what "some" 225 owners say

Don't think that was too controversial, was it?


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## sico (Feb 6, 2003)

ttstu said:


> sico said
> 
> 
> > Poor mans Porsche is a stupid quote. Its mainly told by people who cant afford a boxster or anything alike.
> ...


No not aimed at you :-*


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## Samantha (Jan 20, 2004)

I can agree with alot of whats been said here. I guess at the end of the day, the TT is far superior in the 'looks' department, but the Porsche wins on the fact that its a Porsche at the end of the day and it will always have that image. I've been in both cars and have to admit that the TT is far more 'cosy' than the Boxster. Would an aftermarket exhaust help the TTs shyness in the noise dept?


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## ANT (Oct 2, 2002)

The sound of the V6 is absolutely fantastic. For me it was reason enough to not have the fantastic roofline of the coupe this time round!  and definately for me comes very close the Porsche Boxter's soundtrack

On my last TT I fitted a Sebring exhaust system, whilst it wasn't loud by any means it sounded much better + the bonus of the Torque and a few bhp :wink:

ANT


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