Went on some test drives yesterday. Tried a C7 Z51 7 speed manual, a couple Boxsters (987 base and 987 S), and got cock blocked at the Ford dealer when I asked to drive a car with Magneride.
The '18 C7 was numb and did nothing to stir my loins. The interior was mediocre, the infotainment was light years behind the equivalent Sync, and it wasn't rorty enough, even with the exhaust in "sport." It's a nice car to drive and the chassis is well sorted, but there was no fizz.
First Boxster I drove was a base 987.1 '08 with 88k on it for a price that was verrrrrrry tempting to YOLO on the spot. It drove very nicely, the chassis was compliant, but sporty, the little 2.7 was eager to rev and had a lovely intake sound, and it was squeak/rattle free. However, I was surprised at the travel on the brake pedal and that it was a bit mushy. Not what I was expecting at all. Not sure if maybe some stainless lines and new fluid and pads would sort it. I'll have to try another base car with lower miles.
Second Boxster was another '08, but an S model with sport seats. The intake bark and overall noise was better and it certainly felt a bit faster. Throttle response also felt sharper. The brake pedal on the S model was definitely nicer and more what I would expect. It also had half the miles, but was nearly twice as expensive. I didn't feel that the price gap was justified and will have to sample some more cars.
The 996 was an '03 base car with around 50k on it. It's been a while since I'd driven a 911, the last one was track-prepped 993 almost a decade ago. The clutch was noticeably heavier than the Boxsters and man, you can really feel that weight hanging off the end of it. Interiors have also come a long way since the 996 as well.
It was a nice car to drive, but I came to the conclusion that I'd rather have a Boxster. The Boxsters are more lively, agile, and don't look like a bathtub in convertible form. All three Porsches were at area authorized dealers with the CPO warranty (2 years, unlimited mileage). After my experiences at both (being thrown the keys within minutes of speaking with sales rep) and zero pressure to buy on the spot, I'm sold on buying a CPO car from a dealer. And now I'm keen to try a 981 to see if I'd be missing out on anything.
Sadly, the Ford dealer where @Nabster bought his Mustang from was not a pleasant experience and we were shooed out unless I was willing to do a credit app to prove I could afford it. This was especially odd as we showed up in his Mustang, said that he got it from that dealer, and explained that I just came from a Porsche dealer and had driven a Corvette earlier. It was a disappointing experience when they cited that they had to protect their products and couldn't have people putting miles on their cars to try them out. Upon returning home, we noticed that they had a Bullitt (7 total!) with Magneride and 3800-odd miles on it. This is treatment I've come to expect from GM dealers about new Corvettes and hotter Camaros and left this place insulted and stunned.
On the plus side, when I show up in whatever I buy, I'll rub it in their faces.
The '18 C7 was numb and did nothing to stir my loins. The interior was mediocre, the infotainment was light years behind the equivalent Sync, and it wasn't rorty enough, even with the exhaust in "sport." It's a nice car to drive and the chassis is well sorted, but there was no fizz.
First Boxster I drove was a base 987.1 '08 with 88k on it for a price that was verrrrrrry tempting to YOLO on the spot. It drove very nicely, the chassis was compliant, but sporty, the little 2.7 was eager to rev and had a lovely intake sound, and it was squeak/rattle free. However, I was surprised at the travel on the brake pedal and that it was a bit mushy. Not what I was expecting at all. Not sure if maybe some stainless lines and new fluid and pads would sort it. I'll have to try another base car with lower miles.
Second Boxster was another '08, but an S model with sport seats. The intake bark and overall noise was better and it certainly felt a bit faster. Throttle response also felt sharper. The brake pedal on the S model was definitely nicer and more what I would expect. It also had half the miles, but was nearly twice as expensive. I didn't feel that the price gap was justified and will have to sample some more cars.
The 996 was an '03 base car with around 50k on it. It's been a while since I'd driven a 911, the last one was track-prepped 993 almost a decade ago. The clutch was noticeably heavier than the Boxsters and man, you can really feel that weight hanging off the end of it. Interiors have also come a long way since the 996 as well.
It was a nice car to drive, but I came to the conclusion that I'd rather have a Boxster. The Boxsters are more lively, agile, and don't look like a bathtub in convertible form. All three Porsches were at area authorized dealers with the CPO warranty (2 years, unlimited mileage). After my experiences at both (being thrown the keys within minutes of speaking with sales rep) and zero pressure to buy on the spot, I'm sold on buying a CPO car from a dealer. And now I'm keen to try a 981 to see if I'd be missing out on anything.
Sadly, the Ford dealer where @Nabster bought his Mustang from was not a pleasant experience and we were shooed out unless I was willing to do a credit app to prove I could afford it. This was especially odd as we showed up in his Mustang, said that he got it from that dealer, and explained that I just came from a Porsche dealer and had driven a Corvette earlier. It was a disappointing experience when they cited that they had to protect their products and couldn't have people putting miles on their cars to try them out. Upon returning home, we noticed that they had a Bullitt (7 total!) with Magneride and 3800-odd miles on it. This is treatment I've come to expect from GM dealers about new Corvettes and hotter Camaros and left this place insulted and stunned.
On the plus side, when I show up in whatever I buy, I'll rub it in their faces.