The Atlas_Croc went in for minor issues today @ 2K miles........wheel balance and slight suspension squeak, nothing major.



Was lucky and nabbed a new 2.7 litre base Boxster.....usually it's a nice Audi though.



I haven't driven a Boxster in a long time......and even longer for the base version......I think it was the late 90's the last I tried a

2.x engine version. A few observations......



I'm still not a drop-top person, but if I had to pick one a Boxster would be at the top of the list.



Those who are looking at a base Cayman will get a gem of an engine with the 2.7. True, while not as strong as the 3.2/3.4, I was truly surprise at how good it is. It pulls and revs out really nice and sounds great. Naturally it's tone isn't quite as deep as the 3.4, but its sound is more 'sweet'......a little more whine to it, very nice. Some say this is still one of the best sounding Porsche engines and I can easily see why. With 'just' 240HP it still kicks *** as far as moving the car around......still great fun.



The base 17' wheel package & suspension is nice also.......really good ride and handling for everyday driving.......it is still better than 98% of other non-Porsche sports cars out there.



The 5-speed is pretty nice......it actually feels a bit more mechanical in nature than the six-speed, but has slightly longer throws.



I guess the gest of this post was to point out that Porsche can't seem to make a bad car lately......even the 'base' versions are something very special to drive. I truly love my CS and would buy it all over again, but the base Cayman will be a blast to own in it's own right and I could be perfectly happy with one if my funds were a bit more limited.

Amen to your comments. I OWN a 2.7 base '06 Boxster (18" wheels), and I can say I've never had so much fun in a car. Sweet, smooth, fast (surprisingly so), great sounding, totally satisfying on the street. Dollar for dollar, I believe it's Porsche's best car. I bought mine off the lot (10 miles on the clock) for $45,365, $6K off sticker price. Yet it shares virtually all of the good stuff with Cayman and Carrera. Indeed, I have an office neighbor with an '06 Carrera S, which he loves, but his car cost $100,000, and other than an acceleration advantage, I believe there's nothing the Carrera can (reasonably) do on the street that my Boxster won't also do. Its biggest fun is sailing top-down through the mountains. Breathtaking scenes above you, snaking road before you, incredible car beneath you.

I'll echo what Adam and John have said. I've had my '06 Boxster for a week and I can't get over how enjoyable it is to drive. While I think my wife's Cayman S is an outstanding sports car, I really am a convertiblepilot at heart. It feels fantastic to have the Porsche experience with the top down.


I drove quite a few used Boxsters, everything from a '97 with 22k to a '04 SE. Iexpected aCayman-like experience with regard to steering, brakes, clutch, gear change and sound and there wasn't a 986 that satisfied me. The 987 did the trick. Mine is Carrara White with Sea Blue interior and top and has a few options (PASM, 6-speed, Sport Design wheels and Preferred Package Plus) which put theMSRP just beyond that of aunoptioned 987S, but for my purposes I know that I will be happier with my extras in lieu of the additional 40 horsepower. If I need to go fast I can always borrow the tintop.


I read this statement recently on another Porsche board: 'I used to think that Porsches were overpriced, and then I bought one.' So true. Sure, I would prefer to have paid less, but I don't think I ever regret my choice.


-James

Edited by - jbarrow on 07/27/2006 09:08:22 AM

Great statement. That's EXACTLY how it feels!