Greg's Yellow Boxster vs. Greg's Dark Blue 911

A Side-by-Side Comparison

The following stats were gathered from a variety of sources and I don't guarantee their accuracy. When I found two different numbers for things such as 0-60 times, I went with what Porsche says it is versus what magazine tests have found. Especially with the Boxster, many magazines were able to get much better 0-60 times than Porsche claimed the car could do. Weird, but true. The performance values on the 911 are for a car that is stock, not my particular car.

Just for kicks and grins I added my "winter beater" to the comparion.

	1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe	1999 Porsche Boxster	1988 Mercedes 560SEL
Purchased:	June 24, 1999	July 28, 1998	September 29, 1997
Engine:	3.2L H6 Rear-engine, air-cooled	2.5L H6 Mid-engine, water-cooled	5.6L V8 Front-engine, water-cooled
Compression Ratio:	9.5:1	11.0:1	9.0:1
Rated Horsepower:	217 hp (162kw) @ 5900 rpm	201 hp (150kw) @ 6000 rpm	238 hp (178kw) @ 4800 rpm
Maximum Torque:	195 ft. lbs. (264 Nm) @ 4800 rpm	181 ft. lbs. (245 Nm) @ 4500 rpm	287 ft. lbs. (388 Nm) @ 3500 rpm
Curb Weight:	2755 lbs. (1250 kg) 2928 lbs. Weighed on 3/10/00	2822 lbs. (1280 kg)	5050 lbs. (2291 kg)
Wheelbase:	89.5 in. (2265 mm)	95.2 in. (2415 mm)	112.2 in. (2850 mm)
Length:	168.9 in. (4287 mm)	171.0 in. (4340 mm)	199.2 in. (5060 mm)
Width:	65.0 in. (1650 mm)	70.1 in. (1780 mm)	72.0 in. (1828 mm)
Ground Clearance:	5.1 in. (130 mm)	4.1 in. (105 mm)	N/A
0-60 MPH:	5.3 sec Car&Driver 6.8 sec G-Tech 7/10/00	6.7 sec Porsche 6.8 sec G-Tech 12/10/99	7.7 sec G-Tech 12/8/99
Top Speed:	155 mph (250 kph)	149 mph (240 kph)	142 mph (230 kph)
Improvements:	Lowered & corner balanced 22mm Front / 27mm Rear Torsion Bars 22mm Front / 22mm Rear Sway Bars Carrera tail and front lip Front strut tower brace K&N air filter and drilled airbox Autothority chip Recaro SRD seats DAS Rollbar and Sablet 6-point harness both sides	Sabelt 6-point harness both sides	Does the cupholder count?
Impressions:	This car is a beast! It's loud, it's fast and very rough around the edges. The ergonomics suck, yet the seats are comfortable. It's hard to drive and feels heavy, but take it on the track and it's a whole other animal. It seems to thrive on the track. If you treat it right, it gets around corners faster than a car with such a rear weight bias should.	Smooth and refined around town. A true Porsche on the track.	Looks and feels bigger than it really is. Very quiet and rather smooth but not Cadillac mushy. Seats five very comfortably and even has heated reclining REAR seats. Surprisingly reliable for its age.
Driving:	Tricky to drive. Sticks like glue when driven properly, spins around quickly if not.	The mid-engine and near 50/50 weight distribution make this car EXTREMELY forgiving. It sticks to the road and very stable under nearly all conditions. It will still oversteer if you let off the gas in a hard corner.	Handles surprisingly well for a car of this size and weight. I wouldn't call it fun to drive, but it's not bad either. The car seems to have a calming effect when driven.
Much more to come, I'm just getting started.