ajp166 wrote:

RRSTDV8 wrote:

ajp166 wrote:

A Boxter will not go down in the history books... fact.

The Boxster is already there, dear chap

It must be a rare book as only you have it in there! And all this from a guy who has never owned a Boxter.... try own an M car and you will change your opinion quickly!

I changed my opinion after owning several M cars and it wasn't good


















Mini
Mazda
Micra

Its each to their own guys
Not everyone gets the same thrill out of each car

My Mrs was moaning that the X6 was too big.. too thirsty and too hard on the ride as well as it's steering..
So got rid of it.. (it's gone off to malaysia!)..

Was looking around for another smaller car, cheap, good runner etc..
Got an 08/08 Jag X type 2.2d Auto SE.

Yeah i know... bit of a step down, but it's actually not bad.
2.2 Diesel is economical, front wheel drive so relatively no rwd snow issues, leather, sat nav, cruise, auto, parking sensors, 17" alloys, auto lights/wipers, heated seats, and it's something different.. paid £9.9k (it was a trade in at a Vw dealer who did a trade sale on it..)42k on the clock, one owner full jag history... Not a bad buy i don't think, ticks all the boxes, looks relatively smart, and i don't care if it gets knocked about in the sainsburys car park.. plus the tyre went on it the other day, cost me £60 for a budget new tyre! the X6's would have cost me £300 each corner..

Did I really just read that a Z3M is a better car than a Boxster S!!!? After owning a number of M cars I can wholeheartedly disagree than any M car convertible is better than a Boxster. As for poor mans Porsche, seriously? When I bought mine I was after a convertible to drive across Europe in, I actually am not a massive fan of the 911 convertible (although would have a coupe in a heartbeat) so went for a Boxster and was so glad I did. Of all the cars I've owned (and bearing in mind this is an old model as well) I was amazed at how well it drove, how comfortable it was and how solid it felt no matter what I threw at it.

Z3M.........are you sure that's not a typo!!? Range Rover Sport HSE and for a bit of weekend fun a S1 Lotus Elise with a few track biased additions!

sam006 wrote:

Did I really just read that a Z3M is a better car than a Boxster S!!!? After owning a number of M cars I can wholeheartedly disagree than any M car convertible is better than a Boxster. As for poor mans Porsche, seriously? When I bought mine I was after a convertible to drive across Europe in, I actually am not a massive fan of the 911 convertible (although would have a coupe in a heartbeat) so went for a Boxster and was so glad I did. Of all the cars I've owned (and bearing in mind this is an old model as well) I was amazed at how well it drove, how comfortable it was and how solid it felt no matter what I threw at it.

Z3M.........are you sure that's not a typo!!?

Great so you have driven a Z3M right?

The Boxter is meant to be a sports car but it's track and straight line speeds are pathetic! End of! If I want comfort and a nice drive I buy a Range Rover!

Yes I have, was actually suprised at how good it was after thinking it was another poor BMW to be built in the USA (along with the X5 and X3). All about individual experiences i guess, but the z3 is just not a car I'd fall in love with!? Didn't have any character I felt, as much as I liked the look of it (thought it a more macho proposition than that offered by Mercades etc) when contemplating what car to do a holiday of a lifetime in (hooning through Europe/Italy for best part of a month) z3 was not a car I even considered. However I do buy cars with my heart not my head (hence a few alfa's over the years)!!

Although carefully noting it would be a very boarding world if we all had the same opinions!?  Range Rover Sport HSE and for a bit of weekend fun a S1 Lotus Elise with a few track biased additions!

Very true Sam... I owned a Honda Accord Type R a few years ago and that handled like a dream ....miss that car sometimes.

I always wanted an Alfa 156 GTA 3.2... Mmmmm just didnt have the nerve to get it.

ajp166 wrote:

The Boxter is meant to be a sports car but it's track and straight line speeds are pathetic! End of!

 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

156 GTA was always a car I hankered after, However I valued my life too much to buy one!! Range Rover Sport HSE and for a bit of weekend fun a S1 Lotus Elise with a few track biased additions!

I'll wade in here a bit to compare a Boxter with a BMW Z M is a strange comparison. a Boxter S yes but the standard Boxter is in a totally different class to a Z 3/4 M.

The Non S Boxters were matched against the 2.5 Z4 and SLK . The 3.0 E85 Z4 sat in the space between the 2.7 Boxter and the S. The non S Boxters did not compete and could not compete with the Z3M and Z4M in terms of pace or emotion - I know there is a debate about balance but when you are talking of almost 100hp difference in performance its clear the cars were aimed at totally different markets.


Here are some Nurburgring Laptimes from another forum (circa 2008) - a good measure of outright speed and handling if correct.


8:15 --- BMW Z4 M Roadster
8:15 --- Porsche 997 Carrera 2
8:16 --- Aston Martin DB9
8:17 --- Aston Martin Vanquish
8:22 --- BMW M3 E46
8:22 --- BMW M Coupe
8:23 --- Porsche Boxster S
8:23 --- Porsche 996 Carrera 4
8:24 --- Audi S5
8:24 --- Subaru Impreza WRX STi
8:25 --- Lotus Exige S
8:25 --- Mitsubishi Evo VI
8:25 --- Mitsubishi Evo VII
8:26 --- BMW 335i Coupé
8:26 --- Mercedes Benz SLK 32 AMG
8:26 --- Nissan 350Z
8:28 --- BMW E49 M5
8:29 --- Mercedes Benz CLK 55 AMG
8:31 --- 2006 Cadillac STS-V
8:32 --- BMW Z4 3.0 SMG
8:32 --- Lotus Exige
8:32 --- Volkswagen Golf R32 Mk IV
8:35 --- BMW 130i
8:35 --- BMW M3 SMG E36
8:36 --- Porsche Boxster

The Z4M tried to knock the Boxter S of its perch and failed, despite in my eyes being a far better looking car than the Boxter S - as you can see they are very evenly matched in terms of lap performance.

In the end BMW have realised that however well built and pretty they made the Z4 people always default to the Porsche 2.7 Boxter in this market so they changed the emphasis of the Z4 to mini GT in E89 Guise.


I went for a Z4 over a Boxter for a number of reasons for a weekend car - rarity, less of a default choice, felt more like a traditional 60s roadster due to the long bonnet and stubby tail and to be honest cost . if cost had been no object -servicing rather than outright purchase cost I'd have hone Z4M.......... still might 2011 MY- RRS HSE - Zermatt -Ebony-Piano .... its a monochrome world

2006- BMW Z4M Roadster -Titanium Silver

Club - Ex Defender & Disco 3

And then there is this a respectable time for a heavy lump
http://www.lro.com/news.php?sid=326

8:55 only 19 seconds slower than a std Boxter..... and worryingly close to my 3.0 Z4

I think this proves what I'm on about when you compare the RRS Supercharge time versus the Boxter versus the Z4M. 2011 MY- RRS HSE - Zermatt -Ebony-Piano .... its a monochrome world

2006- BMW Z4M Roadster -Titanium Silver

Club - Ex Defender & Disco 3

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=24980

This says what I was getting at better than I can I think... 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed