As you all know I've been hunting a TTRS roadster but then someone known to me through the Coupé club suggested taking a look at a competitor to the TT, the NEW 718 Porsche Boxter S

I do like the look of the car but I'm Just not sure about that flat 4 turbo. It would have to go some to beat the epic 5 cylinder Audi!

So - is it a Cockster or a Boxter?

not driven the newer Boxster s - but the flat 6 one was epic fun, really balanced RWD fun.

Do you want a glorified hot hatch, or something that was designed from the ground up to handle?

with you on the four pot vs five pot argument though....makes me really miss my old 20vt thinking about it.

Rather than a Boxter, what about a Cayman S?

Still a flat 4 mind.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/Porsche/Cayman

This ^^

The 917 Boxter S is a Caymen without the roof

I think it looks better

I have been looking at the Cayman s but have been worried about the longevity of the engien in these

Yeah, but I'm not keen on rag tops, so I thought the Cayman would be a more direct competitor with the TTRS... but then I note you are after a roadster. Doh.

350bhp.... nice. 0-60 of 4.6sec.. that's the new one anyway.

It's a shame everyone is dropping cylinders these days.

Mind you it sounds ok... they even parked it in the Turin hotel carpark..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpDR6b1bfZo

Boxter all day long for me,

4 pot.. euughhhh... The older cars at least had the right number of cylinders.

You sound like a Ferrari-ist, for whom only 8 or more cylinders constitutes a *real* Ferrari

Do you mean 718? I can't find any reference to 917?!



And the rest!


Car and Driver Porsche 718 Boxster S PDK

It's a 1 foot roll-out so add 2 tenths to eacn increment after 30mph. Still, this thing is blisteringly quick and, comparing these numbers to the same magazine's road test of the TT RS I can confirm that, once rolling, there would be nothing in it.

The TT just looks too box like in real life, its over styled.

The Porsche Boxter S as mentioned above was designed as a driving machine. The new design looks great now and the Caymen too...I am not a Porsche fanboy either.

The TT does have 5 pot but is the sound real?? The only advantage I can see the TT has is the 2 tiny small seats if you had kids or had to drop someone home.

I did indeed mean the 718, not sure where 917 came from!

And it will be the rag top version, not a Coupé.

TTRS over the Cayman all day long.

Some other suggestions

Alfa 4C spider
F-Type S
Exige 3.5
BMW M240i cab
Merc C43 Cab

I love Alfas but I couldn’t recommend the 4C. Build quality/finish is iffy and the front-end grip is poor (terrible power-on understeer without geo changes that aftermarket guys do). Amongst owners, apparently keeping the thing pointing in the right direction on bumpy country lanes requires F1 levels of concentration. It’s a shame because it’s a pretty little thing and very light but a typical modern Alfa flawed gem

Dimma


If you were a fan of maxpower back in the day

I love Dimma body kits.
A Xsara Dimma used to drive around Hereford.
It owned the road

From the front it has to be the TTRS with the Black optic option. Porsche looks - Goofy

From the Back it's the Porsche all day long.

Inside - The Porsche interior has some nice touches but the virtual cockpit, heater controls in the vents and other touches have the Audi way ahead.

Sound - The Porsche sounds like a Subaru, the Audi like an 80's rally Quattro - Audi win.

I've not driven the Porsche yet but guess that on the limit, or the track it will be the better car.

This car will spend a lot of time taking us on long Euro trips. Our current TT roadster just about has enough luggage space and it stays the same, roof up or down.

We looked at the Jag. It's a good call and is one of the best looking 2 door 2 seaters out there. But the luggage space on the convertible is a joke. A mates wife has the V8-r and she says that she can't even use it for going shopping

The 4C and Lotus are just far too tiny. As is the super cheap Mazda MX5 / Fiat.

The BMW & Mercedes are both have rear seats, ala Audi A3 cab or A5 Cab. There is also the Mustang, we've rented two of these but we are not really fans of any of these cars It has to be a 2 seater convertible.

Fully aware we could go older and look at R8's or my dream car the Vantage.

Sadly the reality check just has to be the true cost of ownership. You can own an R8 or an Aston but you can't ever really use it. If you use them they rapidly de-value as nobody wants a high mileage exotic. Everything is also hideously expensive and seems to have a very short lifespan, especially on the Aston. After chatting to someone "in the know" I have truly killed any dream of owning an exotic

Quote BB: "I have truly killed any dream of owning an exotic "

Erm..... Fiat Coupé?

Barmybob,
its not only the cost of ownership ,its also the ultimate usability of an 'exotic'
I have a ferrari 360,I love it, what a sound , spent loads on it ..stradale exhaust, carbon brakes ,stradale wheels, loads of carbon etc etc.......but it hasn't seen a road since last October ,and when it does you can't just take it to the shops or into town ,its for a drive ,to somewhere where you know it will be safe tp park it, and then head home ,or out on a Ferrari club meeting ,great fun ,but that's it .
I'm currently looking for a good gen II 997 ,I know I can use it every day if I want too ,as its a far more allround useable package than the Ferrari
I'd put the Boxter in the same category, fast ,reliable,good looking, great build, and a stress free ownership proposition

LOVE IT

Totally agree.

Most of them, like your 360 are huge cars and that really hinders usability - parking - narrow lanes etc. At the other end there is the MX5 / Fiat which are very reasonable to buy new, I could have 2 optioned up examples for the price of a somewhat basic TT / Boxter! The trouble is they, like many other 2+2's, are just a bit too small for a 2 / 3 week euro trip.

The Boxter and the TT are the only two convertible cars we've found that seem to sit perfectly in that middle ground. It's a real shame that the F-type is so tight on space, and a bit more expensive, as they look and sound great.

I am still edging towards a TT RS. My wife is on her second TT roadster and they have really grown on me.


Last year Audi lent me a new shape TT Roadster for a week. It was a somewhat basic specification but I liked that version even more than the Mk2... Better seats, fantastic steering wheel more legroom and oh that Virtual cockpit.



I've since had a TTRS (Coupé) and that engine is just epic. The Porsche really is going to have to go some to win me over

You get the same feeling in a Coupe as you would in something more expensive. Win win for me. Mind you, the 20VT can hold its own with the more exotic in terms of needing TLC.

ment to mention ,after years of cars suitable to ferry the kids around ,my wife now has a new shape TT ,she's not really a petrol head ,just likes a nice car with decent performance but useablilty is more important than anything else .
hers is the basic 1.8 sport ,for everyday driving ,its a bloody good car, fantastic interior, great dash ,decent level of equipment as standard, and is pretty quick ,her only gripe is its a bit antiseptic ....
im sure the RS version would sort the last bit out

added.......after posting the above my wife just read it ,her TT is due for a change, so I said new TT or 2nd hand Boxter........new TT BUT a faster one

I said why ...........don't want to say 'I have porsche' as my everyday car
....women !!!!

The black one above was a 1.8. It was a nippy little car and I loved the handling, far nicer than the Mk2 TT. Every inch of me was urging Trish to take a Mk3 TT but she had set her heart on the used Amplified Black Roadster.

We also had a 2.0 Quattro with DSG, just for the day. This really was a fair bit faster than the 1.8. I would say that the 2.0 probably delivers the best bang for buck in whole the TT range.

The TTS is a mental car. When I first took it out I felt that it was perhaps a little too quick. The DSG farts quickly become addictive though and in a short time you realise that the car can easily handle the power. It's only when you look at the price hike over the 2.0 that you start to wonder if it is really worth it.

And it is at this point when you start to kill off any idea of laying out even more money on a TTRS - it would be silly

But you then get the keys to a TTRS.

You press the button and start the engine, those crackles and pops sound nice. You then engage dynamic mode and realise that this car is going to be something else. The noise is already putting a smile on your face, for me it took me back to the first time I fired up a Coupé 20VT, even my old Audi Coupé GT5E from the 80's. The anticipation of what is to come is slowly building. As I passed the "National Speed Limit" sign I planted the pedal and was astounded. A huge shove in the back then, snap, another gear, quickly followed by another and then the brake pedal... WOW this car is quick! There was a grin from ear as I tried to take it all in. Then the realisation that the only thing I've ever been in that was anything near to being in this car was in my mates McLaren. And I could NEVER afford one of those.

It is remarkable how quickly I jumped from thinking the TTRS was silly money to how soon can I get one

You've gotta scratch that itch Bob.

It almost happened a few weeks ago... I so nearly made a deal on a Grey RS Roadster. I just wasn't completely happy with the numbers. I was being too greedy - wanting to keep the A5 and have the RS - idiot If I had chopped in the A5 it would have happened

Then totally out of the blue this weekend some news has hit me which has put the dream back on hold

It's nothing too serious but it's playing havoc with my RS before retirement plan.

Hope things get sorted Bob.

Like I say nothing too serious. Trish has finally decided to drop her hours at work due to her being in pain with her shoulder. It puts a little squeeze on the finances but nothing that a little belt tightening, and maybe one less Holiday a year, wouldn't cover.

The dream is still alive