Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Hi all, Looking for some insights or previous experience on whether or not I should upgrade from my current 2.5 to an S. Anyone done something similar and regretted it? I have a very nice silver 2.5 with 66K on the clock, bought 2 years ago from a super chap that knows Boxsters very well. The things I love about this car are that it's in very nice condition inside and out, feels tight, light and nimble on the road, hasn't been mucked about with and is all original. To me it's a garage queen and sits indoors under a cover on a trickle charger till the sun comes out. It's a second car and do such little mileage that upkeep has been minimal aside of necessary servicing etc. It covers about 1000 miles a year currently. It does go very well and handles excellent into the bends, however coming out of the bends the allure of the 3.2 is hard to ignore! If anyone is willing to share their experiences I would be very grateful. Thank you in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Been there done it and big time regretted it. You don't know how really good your car is till you swap it for another. However it did force me to quickly jump to a 987.1 3.4 SE and I am loving it now. Would I go back to a 2.5, yes in a heart beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazza Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Sounds like you have a stunning car OP and It would be difficult to find an equivalent S in the same condition. Though as most of us know half the fun is in the chase😄 If possible you should try one out to get a proper comparison. Yes it is a bit faster, a bit torquier, but unless your driving your 2.5 at 10/10ths then I’d say get some driver training to get the most out of what you have first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Thanks, you're probably right, I've done similar things with other, albeit lesser cars, it's a really nice 2.5 after all and I am very fond of it. I really appreciate your reply, thank you. 27 minutes ago, Darkstar said: Been there done it and big time regretted it. You don't know how really good your car is till you swap it for another. However it did force me to quickly jump to a 987.1 3.4 SE and I am loving it now. Would I go back to a 2.5, yes in a heart beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 8 minutes ago, mazza said: Sounds like you have a stunning car OP and It would be difficult to find an equivalent S in the same condition. Though as most of us know half the fun is in the chase😄 If possible you should try one out to get a proper comparison. Yes it is a bit faster, a bit torquier, but unless your driving your 2.5 at 10/10ths then I’d say get some driver training to get the most out of what you have first! It's really straight and original which is great. Has the M030 factory suspension kit as well so looks slightly lower and meaner and more driver oriented. Great idea about some training, it is capable of far more than I am. I did had one hairy moment when I thought it was about to leave the road, but it just held the line like on rails. I needed a change of trousers and a sit down with a milky tea afterwards! I think there's a school in Exeter near us so will pursue that. Thanks again for replying, very much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazza Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 28 minutes ago, Freddie said: It's really straight and original which is great. Has the M030 factory suspension kit as well so looks slightly lower and meaner and more driver oriented. Great idea about some training, it is capable of far more than I am. I did had one hairy moment when I thought it was about to leave the road, but it just held the line like on rails. I needed a change of trousers and a sit down with a milky tea afterwards! I think there's a school in Exeter near us so will pursue that. Thanks again for replying, very much appreciated! Sounds like a lovely spec too with the suspension... I find cable throttle also makes a difference to the experience. Most people think to go faster you need a faster car... you don’t... proper driver training can add a significant amount of HP... A guy known as “mini bob” used to race minis... he came to a group drive in his Mini Cooper Diesel convertible, others came in 911, M3 etc... He was quicker than everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey P Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Freddie said: Looking for some insights or previous experience on whether or not I should upgrade from my current 2.5 to an S. The things I love about this car are that it's in very nice condition inside and out, feels tight, light and nimble on the road, hasn't been mucked about with and is all original. From what you have said, I would keep your existing car, it sounds awesome. I haven't driven a larger engined Boxster (I got carried away and bought the first one I saw, which was a 2.7 987, ha ha! ) but I doubt you would notice much difference in normal day-to-day driving. Also, your low annual mileage makes an "upgrade" seem a bit pointless, and could turn into an expensive mistake if you're unlucky. So my advice is, stick with what you've got and enjoy it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 I know from track days way back that the car is often better than the driver and therefore driver ability is where the speed comes from. You can probably explore a greater amount of the potential of a 2.5 on the road more of the time than in any other 'modern' Porsche ( @the baron could corroborate this?). If I were closer to you I'd let you take my 3.2 S for a spin when the rules allow. I was at a private event at the Nürburgring when a person asked if my Carton 3000GSi 24v was actually a Lotus Carlton as it was going quite a bit quicker than one of the two genuine Lotus versions that were there. (BTW my car was white so clearly not an LC) The fact I'd just had a huge moment and pitted I reckoned another 173bhp was needed like a hole in the head, but I'd benefitted from a handful of laps with an instructor earlier on the event to find way to carry a lot more speed and rhythm. Focus on your driving by smoothing out inputs and keeping the car balanced and in the right part of the rev range to carry speed. Over braking is the easiest way to make a car feel slow as you feel you are always spending time getting up to speed again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bally4563 Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Sounds like you know the answer to your question!! For a comparison you really need to try a 987 in my opinion, having had a few 986 a 3.2 and a 2.7 then moving on to 987 3.2 and now 3.4, would I go back to a 986 to be fair lovely cars whatever engine, but for me the improvements made on the 987, more room, prefer the styling changes I will stick with the latter in my opinion a different car altogether, but you only have to watch the great British Banquet and see the difference of opinion between the Chefs and the Judges!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 59 minutes ago, mazza said: Sounds like a lovely spec too with the suspension... I find cable throttle also makes a difference to the experience. Most people think to go faster you need a faster car... you don’t... proper driver training can add a significant amount of HP... A guy known as “mini bob” used to race minis... he came to a group drive in his Mini Cooper Diesel convertible, others came in 911, M3 etc... He was quicker than everyone! Thanks, good story, I love to hear things like that, experience and skill counts for a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryg Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 I have a 3.2 and drive with friends who have 2.5 and 2.7 cars and it makes little difference in the real world. If you have a car that is THAT good, stick with it IMO or upgrade to a newer one as also suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 49 minutes ago, Davey P said: From what you have said, I would keep your existing car, it sounds awesome. I haven't driven a larger engined Boxster (I got carried away and bought the first one I saw, which was a 2.7 987, ha ha! ) but I doubt you would notice much difference in normal day-to-day driving. Also, your low annual mileage makes an "upgrade" seem a bit pointless, and could turn into an expensive mistake if you're unlucky. So my advice is, stick with what you've got and enjoy it Ta, you're probably right! Part of me just wants to try one out, but this is sound advice, thank you very much indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey P Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 3 minutes ago, Freddie said: Ta, you're probably right! Part of me just wants to try one out, but this is sound advice, thank you very much indeed. No problemo mate It's very unusual for me to give a sensible answer to anything on here, but in your case it seemed like the right thing to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 3 minutes ago, Davey P said: No problemo mate It's very unusual for me to give a sensible answer to anything on here, but in your case it seemed like the right thing to do Lol! Sensible is not my forte! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 14 minutes ago, Terryg said: I have a 3.2 and drive with friends who have 2.5 and 2.7 cars and it makes little difference in the real world. If you have a car that is THAT good, stick with it IMO or upgrade to a newer one as also suggested. Thanks, budget wouldn't support anything newer, but good to hear this. It's a funny thing, wanting the biggest fastest. Doesn't seem to be a lot of cheaper 3.2s around to take a punt on at the mo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Yet one more. If you love your car, and you are not already a track fiend, driver training rather than replacing it. As Loz said to someone else recently, put it in second/third and drive around your favourite bendy roads between 4000rpm and the red line, trying not to change gear. Financially, if your car is perfect, finding a 3.2 equally "perfect" is going to cost you at least £2-3000 - in the difference in selling yours and buying another, then fixing all the stuff on the new car (because there will be stuff to fix). All that hassle for 1000 miles per year. Now think about spending that money on driver training and imagine where you could be... As Terry says above, there are some here with those cars who larger-engined cars can't catch. It's not how many horses you have, it's how you use them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bally4563 Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: Yet one more. If you love your car, and you are not already a track fiend, driver training rather than replacing it. As Loz said to someone else recently, put it in second/third and drive around your favourite bendy roads between 4000rpm and the red line, trying not to change gear. Financially, if your car is perfect, finding a 3.2 equally "perfect" is going to cost you at least £2-3000 - in the difference in selling yours and buying another, then fixing all the stuff on the new car (because there will be stuff to fix). All that hassle for 1000 miles per year. Now think about spending that money on driver training and imagine where you could be... As Terry says above, there are some here with those cars who larger-engined cars can't catch. It's not how many horses you have, it's how you use them +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Having come from predominantly 911's for the past 20yrs or so jumping into a Boxster always felt a bit underpowered regardless of engine size, however Im talking straight line speed here, get it on the twisty stuff and the Boxster with a good driver will keep up with most stuff if not pull away. Before I bought, or re bought my 986 I test drove 2.7 and 3.2, never considered the 987 as prefer the more analog experience of the 986 and that is never truer than in the early 2.5 engined cars, yes they are a little slower but if driven correctly they are wonderful cars and I don't see you getting more fun out of a 3.2, they are not that much quicker and geared differently. If your looking for more speed maybe you should look into a 911/996 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 @mazza how do you know Bob? I know him. He's been on our Euro drive trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 16 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: Yet one more. If you love your car, and you are not already a track fiend, driver training rather than replacing it. As Loz said to someone else recently, put it in second/third and drive around your favourite bendy roads between 4000rpm and the red line, trying not to change gear. Financially, if your car is perfect, finding a 3.2 equally "perfect" is going to cost you at least £2-3000 - in the difference in selling yours and buying another, then fixing all the stuff on the new car (because there will be stuff to fix). All that hassle for 1000 miles per year. Now think about spending that money on driver training and imagine where you could be... As Terry says above, there are some here with those cars who larger-engined cars can't catch. It's not how many horses you have, it's how you use them Thanks so much, will definitely be looking at driver training Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 3 minutes ago, the baron said: Having come from predominantly 911's for the past 20yrs or so jumping into a Boxster always felt a bit underpowered regardless of engine size, however Im talking straight line speed here, get it on the twisty stuff and the Boxster with a good driver will keep up with most stuff if not pull away. Before I bought, or re bought my 986 I test drove 2.7 and 3.2, never considered the 987 as prefer the more analog experience of the 986 and that is never truer than in the early 2.5 engined cars, yes they are a little slower but if driven correctly they are wonderful cars and I don't see you getting more fun out of a 3.2, they are not that much quicker and geared differently. If your looking for more speed maybe you should look into a 911/996 Thanks @the baron, have been looking at 996s as an entry level 911 but too dear for me at this stage. I too am a fan of analogue, partly why I opted for the early Boxster, although still OBD like all cars from then on. My mate has a 993 - would have done that if I had 10x more money! Straight line and off the line I guess is what is most alluring on the 3.2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 I have spent some good wheel time in a well sorted and lightly modded 964 Targa and quite honestly I prefer the 986. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 4 minutes ago, edc said: I have spent some good wheel time in a well sorted and lightly modded 964 Targa and quite honestly I prefer the 986. Lucky you! Love the look of the Targa. never driven any other Porsches but I love how the mid engined boxster handles. Many thanks for coming back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazza Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 3 hours ago, edc said: @mazza how do you know Bob? I know him. He's been on our Euro drive trips. Mutual petrol head who arranged the drive and invited us along... lovely guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted May 14, 2020 Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Presumably you are up in the Herts/Bucks/Northants borders area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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