[JTP]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1388441672' post='154002'] i would have to weigh in the detrimental factor of it being a porsche, and all of the over-engineered, over-complicated.



i can't think of another one that does what it does, for that kind of money.[/quote]



The fact they are over engineered and relatively inexpensive for the performance is why I love Porsche and why I have owned 7 of them! Although I understand Flash's point of buying the 968 because it is almost anti-Porsche in design. I've only owned the under dog models, 928, 944, 914, 968. Never had a 911 yet.

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[flash]

it may be inexpensive now, but keep in mind that the 968 was not by any stretch inexpensive when it was new, which is the real measuring stick. in fact, that is one of the things that killed it. other models are the same. you can get very similar performance from a car with a much lower price tag, then, and now. i didn't look at the 968 for its performance. i looked at it as a platform that i could tear apart and turn into a good car. finally, i have something decent. but even with all that i have done, i would still get whomped by a showroom stock vette.

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[JTP]

Good point, I couldn't afford a new one then. Only after it depreciated.



The Boxster is getting really good reviews though and it is beginning to lose that chick car image.

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[Bulti]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1388459971' post='154014']but even with all that i have done, i would still get whomped by a showroom stock vette.[/quote]



Comparing the 968 with a car with more than twice the engine size? You will have to slap a few turbo's on, in addition to the supercharger. I wonder if on a curvy road the Porsche would have to give way to the C4, the contemporary Vette.





What do you say about the Jaguar F type? I bet that V6 S-model would be real fun to drive.

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[flash]

i'm comparing dollar for dollar, not inch to inch. they wanted $55k for my 968. the vette was a lot less (well under $40k). also, you can't compare the C4 to my car, as i am making more power than that car did (though there was a more powerful model available). you would have to compare it to the new vette. in today's money, the 968 would cost $86.9k (using the inflation calculator). that means i need to compare the 968 to cars of that price. it just doesn't stand up, even with all i have done.



i sat in the new F. was all prepared to buy one. did not like it. could not see over the hood for 30 feet, no matter where i put the seat. interior felt smaller than the 968. no trunk space at all. like the Z8, beautiful on the outside, but not all that great anywhere else.



but exercises like these are why i bought it then, and why i still have it.

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[Cloud9...68]

Flash,



Are you looking for another project, or a more-or-less "finished" new car? Given your criteria, it seems that you pretty much own the perfect cars in your 968 and SL. But if you're looking to replace the 968 with a new car that comes close to meeting your criteria, I'd drive the new Boxster and the C7 Vette back to back and see which one you like better.



If you're looking for another project that will end up at a higher plane of performance than your 968, I still wonder if a man with your creativity couldn't make the Z8 work. Seems you could partner with an auto customizing shop and create a vastly improved interior. And that V8, while not a flat-plane crank unit like a Ferrari's, has unlimited tuning potential, and I would assume you could work your usual magic on the chassis and suspension, and figure out a way to cut a few hundred pounds out of it. You'd end up with something beautiful, rare, and extremely fast. And it wouldn't be a Porsche, lol. But on the downside (there's always one, isn't there?), its trunk is only 5.1 cubic feet.

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[flash]

no idea. my thoughts have ranged from a 2 liter supercharged MGB to a bone stock 355GTS. my issue is that i can't find opportunity to drive the 968, and therefore it seems silly to keep it. the SL550 works on most levels, but isn't quite as much fun as i'd like, due largely to its size and weight. it also doesn't have quite as much trunk space as i'd like, due primarily to the top. i have not found a car to replace and merge the 968 and the 550. i would love not to have 2 cars i don't drive, and 1 that i did. as a side note, i'm going to sell the VR800A for the same reason. i bought it 2 years ago, went completely through it, optioned the heck out of it, and rode it 6 times. that's just plain dumb.



i'm going to drive the 968 for a few weeks, and see what i think. i'm also going to do something about the exhaust. that will go a long way toward me enjoying the car more. who knows? i may fall back in love with it.

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[Cloud9...68]

I hear you, and am in much the same boat, in that I drive maybe 2000 miles a year. I view my 968 as purely a track training/practice tool, to use to prepare myself for actual racing, when the kids are gone and I can afford to do it. And even with that, I think I'd prefer an arrive-and-drive approach, like one of the Skip Barber formula series, vs. keeping and maintaining my own race car. So yes, not needing to drive on the street much really makes you question the wisdom of putting a lot of money and energy into a street car.

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[986boxster1998]

Bob, It's about time you got in that thing and drove/enjoyed it a bit. Seems like you're always working on it; good luck and happy motoring! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/EmoticonCar.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[flash]

agreed. it's essentially done now. the exhaust is too loud, so i'm going to see what i can do about that, but that's about it. i plan to spend some time driving it, and since the weather is so great here this time of year, i just may finally get to do that.

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[986boxster1998]

After supercharging my car I simply did the exhaust modification removing the plate in there. I know some poeple don't like how it sounds on naturally aspirated cars, but I think it sounds pretty close to the stock tone with the supercharger on there. Admittedly its loader, but is actually pretty quiet and made the car noticably livelier. It's definetly quiter then a friend's B&B exhaust, but have no clue how restriction compares to the RS Barn or B&B units.

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[flash]

yeah - i can see how it would be better for the supercharger. you benefit from things that cost on a naturally aspirated car. as for the others, i hate the B&B. way too loud and definitely way too resonant for me. the dynomax that rs barn uses is too restrictive. there is a muffler i am planning on trying though. we'll see how it goes. who knows? my next car may be my existing one.

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[968Syncro]

Mine has the B&B exhaust and I dislike how loud it is. It has been on the lower priority list to someday change it to something quieter.

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[Rap]

Cloud I did the arrive and drive approach this year. While my Sparco's aren't uncomfortable, on a three to five hour trip they aren't the most comfortable. Loading up your car can be another issue. Then of course what do you do if you break down? On my tenth and last outing I developed a hole in the thread of my rear tire. This meant the end of the weekend for me. Luckily for me i was at Pocono and I was able to limp home by stopping and filling the tire up. Luck such as that runs out. Everyone tells me you eventually break down. Since I doubt you look like Mc Queen, Newman or Dean you might rethink this approach unless you're staying close to home! Lol

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[Cloud9...68]

Rap,



With the track less than 20 miles from my house, arrive-and-drive is definitely the way to go for me. But I totally understand your reasoning for trailering your car - I would do the same if I lived over an hour from the nearest track, and did weekend-long events. In my case, it's drive up, do a 20-minute session or two, and then drive home (or back to work). If I break down, no big deal.

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[Bulti]

How great fun it must be to let off some steam on a racetrack during a working day. You are a lucky guy Cloud!

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[ds968]

[quote name='968Syncro' timestamp='1388525262' post='154032']Mine has the B&B exhaust and I dislike how loud it is. It has been on the lower priority list to someday change it to something quieter.[/quote]



While I loooove the BB sound on my six speed and would actually prefer it to be slightly louder ( and I don't even have a resonator ) I must admit that the experience of driving a really quiet 968 is just as enjoyable, in a vastly different way but still great fun . Did not think it would be but I really like it, so I'm very glad to have the best of both worlds now :-) :-). Bob, I think once you build a quiet, lightweight catback for your cab and drive that around for a few weeks you might never let go of your car :-) .

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[Rap]

Cloud I live 16 miles from Pocono. I just realized that my growth was being stymied by driving the same track. Of course my demographic location puts me at a decent point from a number of tracks which was also factored into the trailer decision. Speaking of decision, guess now that its the new year it will be time to pull the plug and order the trailer.

While Pocono has a couple of infields with different runs, the clubs seem to stick primarily to the north course. Yet after running Watkins Glen two years ago during my first year and despite kissing the wall, it was pretty apparent that running other tracks was way cool. It's a bit of a chore traveling and somewhat nomadic but meeting new people and running different tracks increases your learning curve. I hope to be a vagabond this year!

DS I think your missing the change factor here! I too like the louder note. Interestingly enough the non sc car has a better sound. My employees tell me they can hear me coming.

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[ds968]

Bob ( RAP ) the SC will quiet down the exhaust note. And I don't mean that it just makes it smoother, it's quieter by what I sense to be at least one third, if not even more..

Lol, as to the change factor even though they're both 968s it really feels like driving two completely different cars and I like both of them equally for their own respective merits.

And that brings me in line with the topic here : I am now completely disinterested in buying any other car in the near foreseeable future.

I've test driven most of the cars I might have considered as " my next car " ( Maserati GT, Aston Martin DB9 and the Vantage , Audi R8 , Ferrari F430, Jaguar XKR ) and while some are more stunning, others are much faster, most have a better sound, and several have a combination of all those over the 968, none had the ergonomics, or the dashboard aesthetics, or ( and you would be shocked to hear this ) not a single one other than the R8 had the road feedback and the driver being one with the car feel the 968 gives me. It felt like the car drives you instead of you driving the car. So for me to spend in excess than $ 100 K for a used car that does not even match all tne attributes I find so appealing in the 968, would be a waste of money and frankly...stupid.

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[Cloud9...68]

DS - very cool. Great to hear that your 968s give you everything you're looking for in a car, for a fraction of the price of those exotics you've driven. Sometimes there's a huge difference between how a car appears based on its specs, and how it actually feels to drive.



One question, though. How does the supercharger quiet the exhaust note? I understand how a turbocharger does that, as the impeller spins in the exhaust stream, absorbing some of its energy, but I don't understand how a supercharger has any effect on the exhaust sound.

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