[JTP]

I love the new Boxster and Cayman but the new 550 might be even better if it's true:



http://www.topspeed.com/cars/porsche/201...11772.html

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[Cloud9...68]

Hmmm... Interesting. Looks like the 550 has a lot of potential, due to its light weight. I wonder if Porsche will follow the same philosophy with the 550 relative to the now-iconic Boxster as it has with other cars in its lineup below the 911, i.e. avoid equipping it with an engine powerful to "embarrass" its higher-end sibling. But I'm getting way ahead of myself...

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[JTP]

The 550 may have been cancelled or delayed...



Back to the Boxster, I sat in a few and loved the feel of the 981 and loved last year's Spyder too. The Cayman R was very nice as well with performance raved by all. For me I would look for a nice used Cayman R over the 981.

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[flash]

Z4 cancelled

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1388097204' post='153872']

Z4 cancelled

[/quote]

Really? Interesting, especially after that article Tama referenced that the Corvette may be near the near of its run (although that has been erroneously predicted before). I wonder what combination of factors is behind this phenomenon. I have to believe having fewer and fewer places where you can enjoy cars like this has to be a big part of it. An article just came out in the local paper saying basically that even if Austin went ahead with every single road construction and public transportation project under proposal (and there's zero chance they will all be funded), we're still screwed - there's simply nothing that can be done to keep up with the growth. Makes me want to move right next to work, which is also right next to the track - if only I could convince the wife...

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[flash]

just stopped in at the dealership today. was stunned myself. not a single one on the lot, and they said there would be no more. first the Z8 and then the Z4 - definitely a trend with that company, just like porsche. they only want to build bigger, heavier, and duller cars.

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[Eric_Oz_S2]

In terms of acceleration, my supercharged S2 has similar accel to a 987S. I would expect the D1R would run similar numbers, and probably a little better for the Stage 3 kit. Obviously the gearing in the boxster helps the 0-100 as 2nd gear will get to 100 unlike the S2/968 (unless you rev it to about 7k). On track my car runs neck and neck with a 987 Boxster S in terms of acceleration - all the way from 80 to 200 km/h.



Graph if you are interested (987S published is green line, data log from my car are the other lines).



I would love a Cayman S - unfortunately in Oz they are $154k for the manual...

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[ds968]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1388104102' post='153874']just stopped in at the dealership today. was stunned myself. not a single one on the lot, and they said there would be no more. first the Z8 and then the Z4 - definitely a trend with that company, just like porsche. they only want to build bigger, heavier, and duller cars.[/quote]



Unreal, just when they get something finally right, they scrap it. Watch the last Z4 series quickly become a über expensive collector's car !

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='ds968' timestamp='1388136576' post='153878']

Unreal, just when they get something finally right, they scrap it. Watch the last Z4 series quickly become a über expensive collector's car !

[/quote]

Hard to say - the sports/GT car market is a strange and very limited one, and manufacturers' offerings tend to wax and wane. It looked like we were in a bit of an upsurge recently, with cars like the Surbaru BRZ/Scion FRS, the redesigned and well-reviewed Mercedes SLK, the amazing new Corvette, and even the Factory Five 818 for those inclined to build their own. But on the other hand, we've recently seen stalwarts like the Lotus Elise/Exige, Mazda RX8, and Honda S2000 fall by the wayside, with no clear replacements on the way. Not sure if any of these are likely to become collector's items, despite being very good cars. There will always be a market for cars like these among hard-core enthusiasts, but I fear this is a shrinking population, and it doesn't look like the younger generation has as much of a passion for these types of cars as us gray-beards, which I'm afraid isn't a good sign.



But back to the topic of this thread, it's great that cars like the Boxster/Cayman and Corvette (and the Miata and Nissan 370Z) are still available.

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[flash]

a large part of the equation is the fleet aggregate EPA economy requirements. the car companies essentially can't make a sports car unless they make a zero emissions car to balance it out. the zero emissions car sales aren't justifying that, as they are still being used to offset the huge trucks and suvs.

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[Cloud9...68]

Flash,



Good point, but wouldn't the fuel economy requirements encourage production of lightweight sports cars like the 550? Makes you wonder how companies like Ferrari and Lamborghini will survive, as I don't believe they get an exemption from the fuel economy requirements.

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[flash]

not unless those cars got 40mpg or better. the emissions reductions, and mpg increases dictate that in order to continue to provide the big gas guzzler suvs, they need to sell a lot of cars that get really good fuel economy. currently only small hybrids are getting them close. there is no room for another car that only gets 35mpg. that cuts into their other sales.



what we need to do is set a minimum for EVERY car. we need one that stands a more reasonable chance of success, and not allow the loophole of the fleet aggregate. there is no reason that they can't reduce the number of large engine gas guzzlers. the car companies will only do what is demanded though, and will never do "the right thing". the real problem is that gasoline is too inexpensive. this opens the door for people to put up with 15mpg in their navigator. we need gas to go up $1 a gallon and stay there. that would have the same effect it had in the 70s when we saw the end of the big block. it would force people to abandon their big cars and trucks, and get smaller ones with better fuel economy.



so, until that happens, we are likely to see the end of the sports car. we will again see other cars called a sports car (just like we did in the 80s), as the market testosterone level demands it. it is already happening. mark my words. we will see things like bmw coming out with a stripped down version of the 3 series, and calling it a sports car. it still doesn't make it one, but those marketing guys will do anything to sell a car.

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[Cloud9...68]

We're definitely in the midst of a major upheaval in the auto industry as the manufacturers deal with the gas mileage standards. I've often thought the price of gas should be variable - when you pull up to the pump, you swipe a bar code etched into your windshield that tells the pump you car's rated gas mileage, and the price of gas is adjusted accordingly. If you have a Suburban, you pay 3X the stated price - if a 40+ mpg car, you pay something like 0.7X. The age of the car would be factored in, so as not to disproportionately penalize people who can't afford a new, more efficient car right away.



But even without tricks like this, gas mileage of new cars is definitely improving. We're looking at mew cars for my wife, and there are quite a few cars, and not just tiny ones, that get pretty impressive mileage, and without giving up much, if anything, in comfort or safety. But yeah, sports cars are going to have a tough time surviving. I think there will always be a Miata, though.

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[flash]

agreed. the new X5 we just got is rated at 14/22, even with the turbo V8. it is only a few inches smaller, and a few hundred pounds lighter than the denali, but gets 25% better fuel economy, while providing over 15% more power. in real driving, if i keep it below 75mph, i get 30mpg highway. that's just crazy.



i like the graduated fuel cost idea. it would go very well with the graduated licenses.

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[Cloud9...68]

Yeah, the benefit of a graduated gas price is that it would target people who insist on commuting in their F150's by themselves every day. I think it would take a lot more than a $1 increase in the price of gas to get people to change their habits - it would probably have to get to the neighborhood of $10/gal, and that would unfairly penalize people who are already driving economical cars. By targeting the real offenders (sorry, my disgust towards people who drive trucks and such as everyday vehicles is showing...). In the graduated fuel cost scheme, people who can prove they need a large vehicle for their livelihood would get some sort of a break, but I would make it difficult to prove.



Back to the subject of choosing a next car, in our family, my wife is the one who gets to drive a car the most when traffic is relatively light, and as such would get the most enjoyment from having a nice car. And her getting a new car would allow me to relieve the 968 from the arduous task of commuting to and from the vanpool pick-up point. However, we're finding it tough to find a vehicle that meets all of her criteria. She wants a crossover, because she occasionally has to haul stuff for her business, and she drives enough that gas mileage is a major consideration. She currently drives an 07 BMW 328i, which we're planning to keep. I'd like to give it to our older daughter, so I can get her 04 325i, which would suit my needs perfectly, but my wife is balking at completely giving up the 328i, since it drives so nicely. So far, the only vehicle we've found that she likes enough to completely give up her 328i is the Audi Q5 diesel (the Mercedes GLK diesel and the BMW X3 are also decent), but these are a little out of our price range. The more affordable cars like the Subaru Forester turbo and the new Nissan Rogue are nice cars, but are still a step down in driving experience from the 328i. I suspect we'll end up waiting until we have enough of a down payment saved up for the Audi, BMW, or Mercedes.

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[flash]

based on the commuting changes here when gas hit $5/gal i have to disagree. we saw a good 20% decrease in traffic, and a corresponding shift toward public transportation and carpooling. now that gas has gone back down so low, it has reversed back. it's actually very predictable, and i'm sure not a factor ignored by the oil companies.



re: new car - go look at the audi A3 wagon, and the volvo wagon. lots of space without the penalties of size. i think they both are bringing in the diesel now too



way off track of the boxster now, and getting back to it. it catches my eye frequently. what i don't like is that it got bigger. that is the opposite direction of what i was hoping for. they improved the lines, and certainly the performance has gone way up, but if i change cars, i want to go smaller, not bigger.

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[Rap]

Mr. Cloudobama, shouldn't people get to decide what they believe is right for them and their particular situation? Or are we all just not capable of making decisions for ourselves? I'm not a truck guy by the way! Lol

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[flash]

no, people are not capable of making intelligent decisions for themselves. where we are in this mess is proof of that. people should not be allowed to make bad decisions without paying the penalties. drive a ferrari, pay the price. gas guzzler taxes should be a LOT higher. so should the price of fuel. we have to force the public to give up the idea that they are entitled to do what they want, if we stand any chance of making any progress. contrary to common misconception, this is not a free country. we all answer to each other, and every decision we make affects somebody else. time to stop being selfish, and think about what it means to the next guy.



back to the boxster



anybody know if they increased the storage capacity?

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[Cloud9...68]

Ouch, that hurts, but I understand where you're coming from. I'm usually pretty libertarian in my views, but seeing fleets of people driving themselves 30 miles each way to work in their F150's and Tahoes makes me cringe. Just such a waste of precious fuel. Having a graduated fuel price would give people the option (and freedom) to be as wasteful as they want, without penalizing the rest of us, which a blanket increase in gas price would do. The question of balancing freedom of choice with rewarding behavior that benefits society as a whole is always a dicey one. I have to confess that if I really thought it through, I would come around to agreeing that people should have the right to commute in as stupid a vehicle as they want. Or maybe the fact that I hate trucks so much makes me want to stick it to people who drive them - lol.

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[flash]

i'm in favor of both a hike in gas prices, and a huge gas price penalty for cars that are wasteful. i would love to see $10/gal pricing for pleasure cars and guzzlers. that would have a great effect. people could still choose to drive them, but would have to pay the price for that guilty pleasure. it would be no different than what we do with other such vices. i see no reason we should not apply that thinking here. i wouldn't love paying it any more than the next guy, but i would, because i support the idea.



new boxster - trunk space?

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