Quote from lescor:
I can't decide, please help me clarify my daydreams. Opinions on other similar roadsters welcome.
Back to topic.
I bought a Z4 two weeks ago. There is little doubt the Boxster S is the higher performing car. Also, it is a lot more expensive as you can see in the link someone posted a few pages back.
Regular Boxster vs. Z4 3 liter, is pretty much a dead heat in performance. Slight edge to the Z4.
I was car shopping for a while knowing I needed a new car by around July 1. I looked at all the cars mentioned.
Corvette was out for me. I had two and wasn't happy with either one. Although I admit they are probably much better now than the ones I had. However, since I lease, I did not want a car nearing the end of it's production run. Same with the Boxster. No changes on either car since '97. A guy on my trading desk just got out of his Corvette lease 4 months early. That was how desperate he was to get away from the incessant problems with the car. Maybe he just had a bad one. I know someone else that still has a '98 Vette, and she likes it. (Automatic of course). Corvettes seem like ladies cars to me. Or cars for the very young or the very old males. The vast majority of Corvettes are sold with automatic transmissions. Which is an extra cost option on them with the exception of the high performance hardtop. On that car, the stick is extra
BTW, since I lease, residual is a factor. The Corvette has a much lower residual than any German car. The residual on the z4 on a 3 year lease is 63%.
I drove a Honda S2000, and was thoroughly disappointed. 240 hp out of a normally aspirated 4 cylinder engine seems impressive on paper. But very weak torque, and not enough storage to keep your registration in the cabin. No glove box, tiny trunk, and a lot of money for a big go cart. Wasn't halfway through with the test drive, when I knew the car had no chance to be in my garage.
I looked at and drove the Audi Quatro TT convertible. I liked it, and considered it strongly. But then I drove the Z4, and I immediately forgot about the Audi.
I know the styling is controversial on the Z4 (as it was on the Audi when it was introduced). My consistent friend Max401, upon hearing I got the car said the designer should be shot at dawn. Well that was a plus for me.
Certainly the car is FAR better looking in real life than in photographs.
But still, it's all subjective.
As far as quality, the Z4 is as good as it gets. Solid chassis (probably the most rigid of any roadster ever). Incredible brakes. Certainly the best of any production car you will find other than a Porche Turbo or other exotics well in excess of $125k. Proven engine. Great sounds from both the engine and exhausts.
The Boxster, which is a great car also, seems a bit dated compared to the z4. The cockpit is a bit more spartan, and the price is still higher. And the Z4 comes with 6 airbags, 10 speaker stereo, and some more modern features you can read about (electric power assist steering which is adjustabe, electric throttle control, also adustable, run flat tires standard (16, 17 or 18 inch depending on model and options, and lots of other cool stuff).
I went with the 2.5 liter Z4 which was marginally less expensive than (and more reliable than) the Boxster. And less than the 3 liter Z4 (even so, I got the premium and sport packages included for less money....power everything, leather, sport suspension, adjustable throttle and steering, 17 inch tires, fog lights, heated mirrors....basically eveything I wanted). I considered the 3 liter, but decided the extra acceleration was not a big deal to me. And another consideration is the 3 liter comes standard with 18 inch wheels and tires. Expensive to replace, and they have a more harsh ride.
With the manual transmission, the 2.5 is more than fast enough. I was told with an automatic, then the 3 liter would be a better match, but to me, an automatic sportscar is a contradiction in terms.
Either car, the z4 or the Boxster is a great car. Each has it's pluses and minuses. The prices of the 3 liter z4 and the Boxster are very close. Overlapping depending on options. Drive them both, and make a decision. Maybe you will feel like I did after driving them, and save a bunch of money by going with the more than adequate 2.5 liter.
The z4 outscored the Boxster in some magazine comparisons, and didn't in others. But that was NOT the Boxster S.
Here is a link you might find interesting:
http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e85/forum.php
This site is pretty much a Z4 owners site, but there are a lot of links on that site, and a lot of talk about both the z4 and the boxster. Hope it helps.
Good luck, and Peace,
RS
