[Shotimes] Another Way (OT) Test drives: Cayenne, Boxster, 911

[Ron Porter]

Strictly FYI for folks who have any interest in Porsches.

As anyone can imagine, there have been heated debates about Porsche's
building of the Cayenne. Many of the "faithful" are rather upset about
Porsche doing an SUV. It's OK for the BMW folks......but not for a
sports-car-only company, blah, blah, blah.

Ron Porter 

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Murray [mailto:mattm@optonline.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 5:23 AM
To: 911/993/996
Subject: [911] Test drives: Cayenne, Boxster, 911

>From the 944 list and Bruce Carr
Matt Murray

Well, a bunch of us had quite a day here at Nelson Ledges.

We had an all-day immersion in all things Porsche, thanks
to Fred Baker Porsche. They brought out a gaggle of 911's,
Boxsters and Cayennes for us to drive and whip the snot out
of at Nelson Ledges.

On the menu were a Boxster 5-sp, Boxster S tip, Boxster S
5-sp, Carrera 6-sp, Targa 6-sp, Carrera 4S cab tip, and
two or three Cayenne S (no turbos, he's not that dumb).

We started the morning with the obligatory "abuse the cars
and you're gone" talk, then broke into 2 groups. One group
rotated through the cars driving a slalom up and back, and
the other group did a full-throttle run down the front straight
to a panic ABS stop. Then we switched groups. After lunch, we
had "spirited" lapping sessions following instructors, 2 laps
in each car at a time.

Results?

EVERYBODY, and I mean everybody, was bowled over by the Cayenne.
Going into the day, I was wishy-washy, as were a lot of people.
Calling it a truck or SUV is way, way off the mark. It's more
like a giant sports car. Very little body roll, and the handling
is truly amazing. Not something you can describe. When you run
down a slalom with 4 people in it, and can place it right on the
cones, or mashing the brakes into ABS submission at 70mph, it is
completely composed like no "truck" or "SUV" you can imagine.
Later in the day, I did 10 laps at speed in it, a couple of them
at close to 10/10ths trying to keep up with the Boxsters, and I
have to say this is one amazing vehicle. It stays planted, even
with four people in it on the (ahem) less-than-smooth Nelson
pavement, can be turned in exactly where you want, hit any apex,
and powered out with no drama. Very neutral handling; both ends
break loose at the same time and with a lot of communication to
what the chassis is doing under you. I had my foot flat to the
floor
most of the time (four people in a 5,300 pound vehicle does not
allow catching Boxsters or 911s, but you can try) and it never
lost
its composure. And as either driver or passenger, I never found
myself trying to brace against something or hang on to the grab
handles.
Even after all those laps, it was still difficult for me to
reconcile
the visual cues that you are in a big vehicle of some sort with
the
from-your-butt cues that you are in a sports car. IMHO, no one
who is
dissing the Cayenne has ever DRIVEN one. Out of all the people
there
today (50?), including club racers, autocrossers like me, regular
Boxster and 911 owners, etc., I don't know of anybody who ended
the
day not being a Cayenne true believer. Strong stuff, but really
true.

The Boxster has had a few updates, e-gas, etc., etc., and is a
good
bit friendlier, smoother and more composed. A standard Boxster
with
tip is a little slow, but still a nice car. The S is a REALLY
nice
car, and for me had the shortest panic-ABS braking performance.
Great
linear power delivery, and in a chassis that is very
communicative.
I went in there hoping to like the Boxster S tip for my wife, but
the
tip can ONLY be controlled via the little switch on the steering
wheel.
When we did the tight turnaround at the top of the slalom, I
needed
to flip back to 1st gear but couldn't because the wheel was going
around and with it the shift switch. Other tip cars allow you to
bang
the shift lever itself; I'm very disappointed with Porsche for
that.
On the track the S is really, really easy to drive fast, stays
planted
and has unbelievable, easily modulated, brakes.

But in the end, as if there was any question, the 911 is still
the Big Mac Daddy. Driving them back-to-back with the Boxster S
really sealed it. Even in the Targa, the least "sporting" of
them,
I could catch a Boxster S any time. Between the Carrera, Targa
and C4S, I have to pick the C4S. The Carrera was quicker and more
visceral, but the C4S cab was so totally planted and stable that
you felt you could take on the world. Oh, and something else I
did
come to realize. It is NOT possible to drive any 911 on the
street
at more than 3/10ths. We were out there lapping at 7/10ths or so,
and the car still had another 7/10ths to give to the right
driver.
So now I know I'm gonna dope-slap the next guy who tells me he
drives his 911 "hard" on the street. Not even under acceleration,
bucko. We were doing 0-75-0 in half the length of Nelson's pit
lane,
and never got out of 2nd gear. At 75, you're already in ticket-me
territory anywhere here, and there are 4 more gears to go.

After a full day of all that, I climb back into my trusty 944 for
the
drive home and realize that it's somehow running on only 2
cylinders.
Um, oh. Well, it's actually running as well as it ever has. Drat.

So many thanks for Fred Baker Porsche for trotting out all that
new hardware, running the "driving experience" and really opening
our eyes. Today they sold a couple Cayennes to former doubters,
at
least one Carrera and a couple Boxsters. So we all won.

Bruce A. Carr
CarrBA@eBearing.com
88 944NA Ohio BBLURR
Rennlister, etc., etc.


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