23109VC

Today I took my dad's 2000 Boxster out for a drive.

He has a base model (not the S). I think the 2000 models are rated at around 215-220hp. i believe it weighs slightly under 3000 lbs... not 100% sure.

he has the factory upgraded suspension (stiffer shocks, larger roll bars, factory option) with the optional 18" wheels.. pretty fat in the rear.. 275s i think.... with 225 or 235 up front.

the thing was a blast. it's not a honda "VTEC" where it has a sudden burst of power in the upper revs, but the thing pulls very nicely to redline...it pulls hard...no major drop off in power... and through corners.. geeeeez it is stable and just a blast.

it's been several months since i test drove an 8...but i recall the 8 having similar handling characteristics...but for some reason, the boxster feels faster and more torquey than I remember the 8 feeling... but on paper..i thought the RX8 had better hp and better power/weight...

any of you spend considerable seat time in a base model older boxster vs. an 8 to give me any indicators how an 8 would performr elative to my dad's car?

aside from the top down experience.i tend to think the 8 would be very similar in terms of power/handling. which would be GREAt because the Boxster is a ton of fun..and i recall thinking the 8 was so much fun when i test drove it..very similar.

knight7

iTrader: (1)

lol Wrong forum. i personally HATE porches. they just F!@#$ ugly the all look alike even if you buy a 200k one. boxter to me means i couldnt afford a carrera. or better.

CarAndDriver

knight7=moron

Michael

You, sir, are retarded.

I've got a 2000 Boxster S. It's more torquey than an RX-8, understandably. I like the 8 more because it's not as gruff and the transmission is smooth, the Porsche's is pretty rough. As far as power delivery, the Porsche is like a jackhammer compared to the RX-8 which would be like a chisel. It depends what you want in a car. I love both.

120k miles - dyno of the porsche:

Pretty much exactly what the whp it had from the factory. Reliability > *. The RX-8 doesn't have a prayer from what I've seen thus far of maintaining compression etc.

The 968 has a full M030 suspension and it runs DE's faster than the RX-8, but only marginally. Granted I've got Kumho Victoracers on track wheels for the Porsche whereas just street tires for the 8. The Boxster can't hang with the 8 in an autocross, though.

Overall, they're very comparable cars. But the 8 can do many more things for me at this point in my life so I'd say buy a used one with 15k miles for 10k or 15k under what it sold for new.

Or buy a high-miles Porsche. You should be able to buy a Boxster S for <20k if it's got 100k miles or more. DO NOT buy a regular trim Boxster, you will be very unsatisfied.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

wow,
you have issues. i dont think he ask about how the car looked...

anyway. they both are know to be great handling cars...

way above most...

convertable 2 seater vs 4 seats.

either way you win.

but the mazda is almost a no brainer on repair.

beers

NoTears316

good job

Raptor2k

I'd guess the S is significantly faster than the 8 and the trim is either right on or slighty slower. Too lazy to g00gl3.

For the sake of choice, I'd simply take the 8 for the rotary, 4 seats and exterior/interior preference.

chickenwafer

iTrader: (9)

great job

Stavesacre21

apples to oranges. while they may be in a similar performance range, the porsche is a vert 2 seater made entirely with the heart of a sports car, weekend driver in mind.

The 8 was clearly designed to be practical, which some would argue was considerably contradicted by some of it's designs. Made for 4, requires that little edge of extra maintanence, and not-so-droptop-ish.

Either choice would be a good one...no real right or wrong. It's all about what you're really looking for in a car. Good luck.

tiltmode43

iTrader: (15)

So many people say apples and oranges when one tries to compare the rx8 with another car. The question then is, what is the 8 comparable to. In this case I believe he was talking about handling dynamics/power delivery/fun factor where they both shine.

I guess it would come down to insurance rates and deciding of whether I needed the back seats. I'm a drop-top-aholic so I would personally choose the boxster s. More oomph, convert, 2 seater. The rx8, however, yields back seats and cheaper insurance rates, thats a lot of what helped win me over.

Oh, the rotary smoothness and 9k redline didn't hurt either

Michael

What's with ya'll always postwhoring? It's ****** annoying.

N10S

I have driven boxsters in the past, but never owned one and unfortunately never had the chance to test drive an "S" model. I am not a lover of topless cars though, and find that the RX8 provides a great coupe alternative with seating for four. If I didn't need the extra space the Cayman or even an older 993 C2S would be a nice choice. At the end of the day it seems like the RX8 and a few other sports cars like the boxster and the S2000 really do provide as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as you are going to find. Different kinds of apples perhaps, but apples nonetheless.

Michael, it must be nice to have both cars in your garage!!

Razz1

I believe the 8 will out handle the old boxer. I also believe it will out stop it.

Better handling, better braking. Since the boxer has upgraded suspension, that means you can do the same to the 8. Sways with better shocks and springs and the 8 will out handle it for sure.

Once again I think it's a two seat vs four seat or top down vs top.

N rider89

good job

Derex'8

iTrader: (4)

Jacques79

While I agree the RX-8's brakes are amazing and underated, the 2000 Boxster S has world renown brakes.

The only fault in the 2000 Boxster S is the transmission feel; doesn't feel as precise and ''click click'' as an S2000 or an RX-8.

But it does the rest perfectly and is exactly what a sports car should be.

FYI a 2000 Boxster S weighs in at 2855 pounds while having 250HP and 228 poud-feet of torque, plus it's a drop top. Hard to beat!!!!

23109VC

my dad's boxster is NOT an S model. it's a base with factory upgraded suspension and 18s. so hp is roughly 215 or so.

NOT 250.

so the car I drove...has roughly similar hp to an 8.

i know an 8 would be more reliable and cheaper to fix. cheaper to buy if you consider new vs new for SURE.

my main question was if you solely focus on accleration times and handling..

how similar would a 2000 base model 215hp boxster be vs a new 07 RX8?

say i take each out for a twisty mountain road on a sunday morning...would one be fiendishly faster than the other... or in terms of the ability of each to put a smile from ear to ear..would they be about the same..

(of course one is a vert and one is not) but in terms of twisty road ability... and straight line power - are they similar. i am assuming they are...but wanted to hear from those who have driven each.

i know the S model would be faster... that's not what i'm comparing.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

i think they would not be different enough to tell. unless you track them..

i think the ? is roof or no roof.. you decide..

my favorite car before i got the 8 was a supra targa..

go figure.

beers

Ike

Acceleration wise the older Boxster and the RX-8 are seriously close. About the only thing you could use to seperate them is the fact that the Boxster is owners seem to have an easier time getting the most out of them at the strip.

Handling wise they really close as well, and if you were to take that twisty mountain road neither would really be able to shake the other.

The base Boxster is a great car, but honestly you're almost a fool to buy one over the S2000. Even if they were the same price the S2000 does just about everything better and the quality is right there with the Boxster. Just seems to me if you're having a hard time deciding if you like a Boxster or RX-8 better you should skip em both and go buy yourself an S2K...

Aseras

the only thing that's in the porsches favor is name brand and resale value.

Red Devil

I'm going to have to mark this one down...I actually agree with everything you wrote. And I used to drive a friend's 2001 Boxster frequently.

tjbourgoyne

I like the Boxster but it does reek of "couldn't afford the other one" especially if an older person is behid the wheel. If I was in the market for a 2 seater though I'd go S2000.

9291150

Having spent plenty of time in a base Boxster, I can say that it's very 8-like. It's a great handler without beating you up, easy to toss about, has a smooth engine with great sounds, and lots of character overall.

Plus I love those fender lines from within the car, but I think it looks a bit soft, kinda feminine. Also worst axle hop of any car I tried, and the interior is a bit too plain.

I'd take one over the S2000 because it's just as rewarding to push, but also makes for a great daily driver. Vs. the 8, if I could have only a 2 seater I might take it because it's a droptop.

playdoh43

the boxter is pretty overpriced for what it is, but at the same time theres something magical about mid engined cars.

CarAndDriver

Forget the Boxster, give me a Cayman.