There's a lot of truth to that, particularly in the US market. But outside it, they kept a toe in the "pace" part of the equation with occasional Works outings like the Broadspeed XJ12s or TWR's amazing Group C XJS. And even the barges were faster than their reputation suggested - I had a S3 XJ6 for years and was frequently surprised by its ability to keep up with hot hatches through the twisties, particularly on poor surfaces where the suspension sophistication showed. In fact I'd have to say it was a more enjoyable car on a tight road than the XJR is. Admittedly a lot slower - low profile tyres and 100+HP more make a difference - but it shrunk around you in a way the R doesn't.

 

My XKR isw set up, and with my recent rebuilt engine ported and polished, it is running better than new and after the mods. I get these Camaro and Mustang guys that want to drag race from the lights. In the city you are crazy to drag up to more than 70 or 80 mph due to those steets that are double lane each side normally being 45 mph zones. Still, even when the US iron has a big motor, they normally burn so much rubber that the good old Sport Mode with its torque applying gifts wipes them out. I especially love beating the Boxter's because their drivers are cocky and think their cars are fast. In 7 tries I have not lost to one yet. My losses have been to M-3's which I know I could blow by at 90 or so, and those big engine corvettes, which can also beat the Ferraris from the light. My caution is to watch the traffic and drive ahead of the car, because we all know that drag racing in the city is bad news anyway. Some days I just can't overcome the urge, especially with the Boxters.

 

Sandy-
The Porsche Boxter S does 4.5 seconds 0-60; it tops out at 172 mph. August 2012 Automobile Magazine tested its top and got 179 mph indicated. The Boxter S is only 2,976 pounds. The 911 Cabriolet is $36,000 more and only marginally better-The Carrera has 350 hp versus 315 of the boxter-and does 4.1 0-60 and 182 mph top; the 911 doesn't turn in as rapidly as the boxter, is trickier when you deactivate the electronic controls and doesn't hold a straight line as well. At Miller Motor Sports Park in Tooele, Utah on the 3.048 mile 'outer course' the M3 stocker did 2:14, the Ferrari F430 did 2:12:28, the Jag XKR did 2:15:57, the Porsche 911 GT3 2:06:12,and the Corvette ZR1 did 2:05.86. The race rides to corrrespond are 1:47.97, 1:47.68, 1:53.20, 1:47.92, 1:48.28. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to say the Boxter S is 'wifey' demeans it slightly, I think. Anyway, Jag wins the Connely leather, burl walnut award with its styling pinache, and brings enough performance with itself to carry the day with the eyes that count most- those without the x chromosome.

 

I drove a Ser III (and an XJS) for years as well and agree with your remarks. I'm sure my Mustang 5.0 was faster thru the twistie stuff *unless*, as you say, the road surface was imperfect.

For giggles I've attached a pic of my old Ser III on the slalom course

Cheers
DD

 

The only Porsche I ever fancied was the old 928 with that big V8 up front-but I ended up buying the original shark-nosed BMW 635CSi instead, in black with black leather interior.

Managed to get it sideways down a ditch in the middle of nowhere one memorable winter

I do agree with the Boxster vs 911 comparison though-I'd always get an old 911 in preference to a Boxster & Porsches should have numbers anyway, not names

However, I don't want a Porsche-which is why I've got the Jag, and a Bentley as well to keep it company in the driveway

 

Sandy 85-

Well, you have sure given me my comeuppance and I will, in the face of this withering rebuke, crawl back to my garage and look longingly at my XKR. Over here, when you look at the differential in price versus performance, a lot of people think the built boxter is a good buy veersus the 911. I appreciate your giving me an education- I will accept your view as being the correct one and wish you well as you continue to enrich our forum with your knowledge.

Also, I plan to give Road & TRack Magazine and Automobile Magazine a piece of my mind for so badly misrepresenting the boxter. (November 2010 issue- cover feature, "Ultimate showdown, Road versus Track")
and Automobile Magazine, volume 27, No. 5, Boxster vs. Z4 vs. SLK, Battle for the Roadster Crown, (which th Boxter 'won').

 

So, what is your town's take on Cayman? I understand that the factory contributes to get outstanding magazine reviews but it looks like the cayman can stand on its own. Most likely Porsche will allow its lesser models to get turbos that will put them squarely against 911 in terms of performance.

 

Stand your ground man!

If you give these German girls an inch, they'll take a whole Autobahn

Sandy has a big, heavy saloon with the 'smaller' 3.2 engine, you have a lighter weight supercharged XKR-put your foot down & remind her who's boss

 

Ladies and Gentlemen!

What we are experiencing here, is a cultural, social, and gender differences between an urban German (young and hot headed!) female, and a mature, suburban, Midwestern American male (pretty much the conditions that killed my last marriage to someone acting, talking, and looking just like Sandy!).

The differences are huge. I tend to side with Sandy, because I lived in Germany on and off, for over 18 years (I never lived in Stuttgart or in Baden-Wurttenberg), but I lived in Berlin, and mostly in Munich. Here in the States, we are influenced by the magazines (paid advertising), TV shows, and hype the marketing creates for any consumer goods, including the automobiles.

Sandy states her opinion (mainly repeating the opinion she heard from her peers), that was formed in and around the factory the model was concieved in, and on the narrow, twisty, urban European streets.

I can tell you guys,.....you will NEVER agree. Not because any of you is dead on, and the other will not admit to it, but because you come from different backgrounds. A small example: Here in the States a lot of young people like VW Jetta. In Germany, VW Jetta is considered "old people's car", and a young person ("hip" young person!) would not be caught dead in one!

Here in the States a lot of proud VW owners brag about "fahrvegnuggen" (a "non word" in Germany), and in Germany VW is the lowest POS one can buy!

The politicians, and the marketing people did well since the end of WW2. Anything made in Germany is cherished in the States, and Germans die for anything made in the USA (not to mention clubs that worship the worst motorcycle on the planet today, that's made in Wisconsin!). So much so, that thousands of Germans come to USA every year (and vice versa), to the point that some decide to live on either side for a long time.

One of them is my ex. "Needed" to live in the States, and after 9 years of doing so, she "needed" to go back because she missed the "culture". Fast forward two years from that, and she "can not live in Germany any more, because she misses USA, and is too Americanized." (!!)

Funny thing happens when you live for a long time somewhere you were not born,......I know it well. I miss Germany badly while I'm in the States. And I miss USA when I'm over there!

But I am digressing,.....back to the Boxter. It IS everything Sandy said it is. I owned only three Porche cars in my life... 924, 928, and 911. Panamera is nice, Boxter is nice, Cayene is nice,.....but why all manufacturers have to make "crossovers", "SUVs" etc?

MARKET SHARE.

To me,....911 IS a Porche,...all the newer ones are "let's please Americans, and make some money!"

Anyway,......sorry about the rant.

 

The Cayenne is very popular over here too, so it does not drain North American bank accounts only :-)
When it was released it seemed that literally everybody who ran out of ideas where to throw the surplus money at went mad about this car.
And it's still selling strong here.

I think that he Panamera mainly was made for two reasons: First, to hold the Maserati Quattroporte at bay, which grew quite popular here since it was released in its 5th incarnation in 2003. And second, to get buyers who would otherwise think of buying a Audi A5 or A7 or a Mercedes CLS.

As for the Porsche Boxter: it's a roadster and why shouldn't Porsche build a roadster too? Many renowned manufacturers do. I know of a British make that is about to release one. The car is called F-Type, as far as I remember, and it caused quite different reactions too when it was announced . If one doesn't like the Boxter, it's OK. Luckily there are so many attractive alternatives ...

 

You have to admit that if we all agreed with each other, it'd be a pretty boring forum!

I've never fancied a Boxster, although I have great respect for the 911 but have never wanted one badly enough to part with my cash-although I was almost tempted to damage my bank balance by the 928 as it had a big V8 up front

As a 'fair-minded' English judge in this debate (!!!), I know that no-one will ever agree with each other, but it's an awfully entertaining way to spend an evening on the PC instead of doing business accounts

Admit it guys-we all know that Sandy has injected a certain 'colour' into this forum & stimulated some very entertaining debate! A bit like dropping a blonde bombshell girl on a ship of guys that's been at sea for the past 3 months

When it comes to cars & driving, from my observations in life so far-the fastest & most effective way to get around is in a 25-year old Moskvitch taxi with ruined engine mountings, a wobbly gearstick & 6 inches of free play at the steering wheel.

My numerous trips to Russia made me believe that an ancient, clapped out Russian taxi in the hands of a determined Russian taxi driver is a very powerful weapon indeed-a combination potent enough to shame the most powerful modern cars & racing drivers.

For the adrenalin rush of raw, naked terror-nothing comes close to a clapped-out ancient Communist taxi driven at full throttle down the snowy main route out of Moscow, by a driver who doesn't believe in speed limits or in giving way to vehicles already in the lane he wants to move into...

Add into that potent mix the religious factor of the driver crossing himself after every suicidal driving manoeuvre, and I'm afraid that even Sandy would meet her match

If you get stuck in a Russian traffic jam, you don't bother waiting in the queue, you just drive the taxi off-road, up the kerb & down the grass verge past the stationary traffic & then drive up the grass verge again to cut everyone up...

They say that you feel most alive when you're closest to death-and boy were my eyes wide open after the full Russian 'airport taxi' service

 

Sandy85-

You live where the Porsches are built? Zuffenhausen, a city district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg? Dann wirklich Sie mussen so klug auf diesem Autos wie die alten Schildberger sein, und Ich muss Ihren Rat am nachstes Mal suchen. Bei "Road America" an das 1.6 mile gerade Weg, eine Porsche 917 war am schnellsten mit 217.68 mph. Eines Tages viellicht ich will eine Porsche haben, aber der Mann auf Fraulienen denken muss, und mit Jaguar...Sie weissen...'mit Specht fangt Mann Mause!'
Forgive me if my German is completel rusty, but you understand the old Bavarian sentiment, which tiees in with you comment on the Jaguar saloons.

 

Just imagine what that driver could do behind the wheel of your Bentley

 

Nah ... mid 80's Dodge Diplomat taxi specials. Everything in the police package, except it came with a Slant Six. Including a LSD equipped, 4.11 diff.

Then, you have to understand taxi rules:

1. the car is a rental
2. if my bumper is ahead of your bumper, the lane is mine
3. if you are a civilian, the lane is mine
4. see #1

 

My references to the car reviews in the magazines was proof of my positions- and understated veiled sarcasm in the response. Sandy85 knows the street rep in Stuttgart of the Boxters. They may not even sell the Boxter S there for all I know. I know the street rep of them here. I have traveled in 46 countries including almost all of europe, and when I am in the states, I also can recognize recognize the 'Daimler' for the glorified taxicab it is- nothing like the beauty and refinement of construction and finish of detail of the Jaguar Brand- J.D. Powers gave Jaguar No. 1 last year- but I continue to try to be understated in my responses and courteous to a fault to avoid any unpleasantness with the Moderator! So please, do not confuse me for someone who has become convinced that the Porsche Boxter S is a 'wifey' car- I used the right words to withdraw gracefully. Unless your experience is different, european girls are just as stubborn as american ones when it comes to the strength of their convictions, and one of the hardest things to do in life is to change their opinions. Cognitive disonance, you know. I am glad Sandy85 is active on the forum, she adds a spice to the walnut panelling and fine cigars of the club atmosphere.I'm also glad I am 7-0 against the Boxters!!

 

Make that 8-1 against boxters

 

I am, and I suspect he'd cause more carnage than those 4000 Russian tanks did at the Battle of Kursk!

The most scary thing about the Russian taxi drivers is that they frighten the hell out of you with lunatic driving in a clapped-out heap that should have been crushed with the fall of the Berlin wall-yet they don't actually seem to crash

When I was in St Petersburg for a week with a Russian lady some years ago, we'd see a crash happen right in front of our eyes every day without fail. The other motorists didn't bother stopping to help-they all just formed 'new' lanes around the crash site & the traffic continued to flow as fast & suicidally as normal! Our Russian taxi driver scythed round corners & crash sites with the skill & precision of a Western racing driver-using nothing but a battered old Moskvitch and 'The Force'

God, a Russian taxi driver let loose in a Bentley-that is a truly terrifying thought & makes me reach for the 'happy pills' just thinking about it

 

With Russian taxi drivers, it doesn't matter whose bumper is ahead, as they're coming into your lane anyway whether you give way or not

If you are a pedestrian on a crossing, you are a nuisance & therefore considered 'fodder' to be intimidated & nudged out the way

And then when the snow finally arrives in winter, the driving becomes even faster & more aggressive


Strangely, I loved very minute of it-although I was in abject terror for a lot of the time

 

I once got a limo in Taipei to the airport, big Volvo sedan driven by a young girl who could barely see over the dashboard.
We asked her to put in an AC-DC disc in the player and we told her we were late.
My buddy and I laughed all the way there I though she was going to put a helmet on and driving gloves. She drove like we had robbed a bank, I would never dare try what she did, not quite a Russian Moskovich but fun all the same.

 

There are certain cd's in the changer where I have to watch the volume .. or else the speed mysteriously starts to creep up