BRZ vs McLaren 570S

[FirestormFlex]

I drove a buddy's Audi R8 a while back and felt the same way. The car just wants to "go" - it's a little much for city driving, and a bit annoying to be honest.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by johl

I haven't driven a boxster for many years but my memories of them were not great. In my mind I don't even put them in the same category as other porsches. I always thought they were the Porsche that people buy only to say that they own one.

hopefully I am wrong and they are a great car now

It seems a lot of people on this forum somehow have a disdain for Porsches. I'm starting to wonder how much first-hand experience people really have with them. They are fantastic vehicles. For what it's worth, the front two-thirds of the 986 were pretty much the same as the 996. It was from the firewall back that they were different. And the major differences there were size and placement of the engine. The Boxster had an advantage in on of those, the 911 the other. <shrug>
People love to bash first-gen Boxsters, but it was nearly universally praised as the best all-around roadster of all time when it was in production. There's a reason there is a spec-986.

[bfrank1972]

Originally Posted by Pat

It seems a lot of people on this forum somehow have a disdain for Porsches. I'm starting to wonder how much first-hand experience people really have with them. They are fantastic vehicles. For what it's worth, the front two-thirds of the 986 were pretty much the same as the 996. It was from the firewall back that they were different. And the major differences there were size and placement of the engine. The Boxster had an advantage in on of those, the 911 the other. <shrug>
People love to bash first-gen Boxsters, but it was nearly universally praised as the best all-around roadster of all time when it was in production. There's a reason there is a spec-986.

Yeah, you're always going to have people stereotype about high end marque cars and their owners. In my personal experience, I'd have to say it's more true than not, at least where I live here in Westport, CT. Most people I talk to with new 911's don't know much about them and rarely if ever approach their limits. Nothing wrong with that though - there's more to owning a Porsche than performance (i.e. looks, quality, sound, prestige, etc). Go to any PCA meet and you'll find a good share of hardcore guys - often these are people who used to be 'unitiated' trophy car owners who manage to attend their first track day and are 'shown the way'

That said, I stand behind my personal comment about the 986 in this thread, based on a number of friends/aquantances (4 to be specific) who have owned various years of 996/986/997 cars and have had their share of headaches. It's hit or miss really (like just about any car) but in the end the cost of repair for just about any Porsche will be 5x what it costs for the BRZ/FRS. If something expensive gave way during your 2 year experience, you might have a different perspective on them.

No doubt they're great cars - I'm an absolutely HUGE Porsche fan. I've owned a 73 911s 2.4, 1995 993 with some fun mods, and driven the water cooled 911's, Caymans, GT3's plenty. But they're my wealthy friends' cars

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by johl

I haven't driven a boxster for many years but my memories of them were not great. In my mind I don't even put them in the same category as other porsches. I always thought they were the Porsche that people buy only to say that they own one.

hopefully I am wrong and they are a great car now

Great car now? Depending on your definition the Boxster has always been a great car. The early 986s can be maligned for a weak engine (201 hp) and so so interior quality, but the car has always been one hell of a handler. That's been true since day one. To think otherwise is being foolish.

[mnuttall]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

No, this isn't a joke, there'a point to be made here.... not a new one, admittedly, but entertainingly expressed.

There's a great review of the 570S by probably Canada's best auto journalist here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...ticle31539914/

I found the following comment illuminating, and in densely trafficked urban areas I find it applies not just to supercars but just about any car that does the 1/4 in less than 14 seconds:

This is the supercar conundrum. Day to day, I felt like a pilot who had strapped himself into an F22 jetfighter, only to be denied access to an airport. I taxied the streets of Toronto in my killer machine, longing for a takeoff that never came. There were brief moments when I was allowed to glimpse the promised land – I railed the McLaren through a long onramp, pulling more than a G of lateral force, and merged onto Highway 400 like a Star Trek attack pod, accelerating at warp speed. But then it was over, in a process that can only be described as the automotive equivalent of coitus interruptus. The McLaren was just getting started, but there were speed limits to respect, a driver’s license to preserve and jail to avoid. I clicked on the cruise control and droned north in my magnificent orange bird, its wings clipped.

That's a great argument for the twins over any high-powered sportscar you don't track and try to drive in urban areas. I'd love a nice Porsche or 488 as much as any enthusiast, but let's get real - even stomping on the gas on an on-ramp in my 140 hp, 2600 lb coupe at 40 MPH I am reaching license-losing speeds in under 15 seconds. The frustration of driving something 2 or 3 times quicker as a daily in traffic must be immense, and would likely having me saying sayonara to my driving privileges after succumbing once too often to temptation.

I can't say I disagree with this at all. As crazy as it may seem to some people I cross-shopped a 718 Cayman with the BRZ. I chose the BRZ for precisely this reason - the Cayman is just too good, I thought it would be boring and frustrating on the street. The BRZ is also marginally more practical; my five year old son can ride in the back seat.

[bfrank1972]

Originally Posted by mnuttall

I can't say I disagree with this at all. As crazy as it may seem to some people I cross-shopped a 718 Cayman with the BRZ. I chose the BRZ for precisely this reason - the Cayman is just too good, I thought it would be boring and frustrating on the street. The BRZ is also marginally more practical; my five year old son can ride in the back seat.

I'd say the BRZ/FR-S is hugely more practical (for both being sports cars). I can fit my whole family for short trips, me (6'2"), wife (5'10"), 11 year old (5'), 9 year old (44"), plus a BUNCH of soft baggage in the trunk. I call it "the clown car"