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CNET (Road/Show) - In Defense of the turbocharged Porsche Boxster

5K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  CaymanChris 
#1 ·
In defense of the turbocharged Porsche Boxster

I like reading the supportive 2.0 engine reviews, granted the base (non-T) ones are not common. I'm actually liking the car more with sport but without PSE, because the sound without is good enough for me. Go figure.
 
#7 ·
I don't know if it's just me but I seem to see a quieting of the haters as the 4 cylinders are getting traction in the used market. A properly tuned and uncorked turbo 4 is an anti-purist edition and I love that. They may be the modern outlaws especially once the EV Cayman/Boxster becomes the only new option.
 
#9 ·
I play in a local blues/rock band, and my bandmates started calling my Boxster "Barbie". I typically ignore them. So a few weeks ago I drove my drummer and myself to hear another local band .... he lives close by ...... this was the first time he'd ridden in the car.

On the way home I was stopped at a redlight. There was no traffic and the road was empty ahead ......... conditions were clear and dry. When the light turned green I punched it. The road turned into a stretch of 60 MPH highway. Once I shifted from 2nd into 3rd, I immediately backed off, as to not get into "crazy speed for the road territory"........ but that "0 to 65" blast was completely unexpected on his part.

I looked over at my friend, who had this look of "what the h*ll just happened" :eek: on his face, and he said: "I'll never refer to this thing as 'Barbie' again" :cool:

I said: "I tried to tell you guys what this car was all about, but no one listened". Of course he'd already been introduced to the fantastic handling earlier in the evening :love:

I think people are finally realizing what a nice sports car the 718 is, including the base model. So many people trashed it early on because of the sound and "missing 2 cylinders", that I think some people dismissed the car at first.
 
#10 ·
I play in a local blues/rock band, and my bandmates started calling my Boxster "Barbie". I typically ignore them. So a few weeks ago I drove my drummer and myself to hear another local band .... he lives close by ...... this was the first time he'd ridden in the car.

On the way home I was stopped at a redlight. There was no traffic and the road was empty ahead ......... conditions were clear and dry. When the light turned green I punched it. The road turned into a stretch of 60 MPH highway. Once I shifted from 2nd into 3rd, I immediately backed off, as to not get into "crazy speed for the road territory"........ but that "0 to 65" blast was completely unexpected on his part.

I looked over at my friend, who had this look of "what the h*ll just happened" :eek: on his face, and he said: "I'll never refer to this thing as 'Barbie' again" :cool:

I said: "I tried to tell you guys what this car was all about, but no one listened". Of course he'd already been introduced to the fantastic handling earlier in the evening :love:

I think people are finally realizing what a nice sports car the 718 is, including the base model. So many people trashed it early on because of the sound and "missing 2 cylinders", that I think some people dismissed the car at first.
Love this, thanks for the visual!
 
#12 ·
I drove both a base and a GTS 4.0 on the track at PEC Atlanta and had 2 sections where I was able to floor both cars. Honestly when down below 5000 rpm I couldn't tell much difference between the two cars. It was then that I knew that a base engine was for me and that the Cayman T was what I needed to get. I think the gearing on these cars is well suited to a turbo engine.
 
#13 ·
I had an early AM meeting today, and so I got to bypass kid school drop-off and instead hit the entry ramp for the short interstate ride into the office... even under 4k rpms, keep in mind I'm coming from a Honda/Acura/Lexus background and still re-learning how to shift a manual productively... all I can say is WOW!
 
#17 ·
I never have understood all the angst over the 4-cylinder turbo. I owned one of the first Boxsters. It was followed by two 987s and three 981s. You can see that I am definitely a 6-cylinder fan but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate my new 718. Porsche started with 4-cylinder cars for goodness sake.
 
#18 ·
The hate was started by a handful of vloggers and YouTubers. Then all the internet purists jumped on the bandwagon.
 
#21 ·
What I find interesting is all the reviews that say the GTS 4.0 is worth over $100k while the base isn't worth $70 - $80k when the base has about 90% of the torque and 85% of the speed and 100% of the same chassis (especially when you get the T). I have seen reviews where the base was considered "too expensive for enthusiasts" while nothing similar was said for the GTS 4.0 or even any of the 911's for that matter. Honestly if people would watch their videos back to back I think they might see where it doesn't make sense. I guess this is actually good for me as it probably made it easier for me to get an allocation for the T, but it does seem like there is a bias that doesn't follow logic in my mind.
 
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