RR

As serious AudiWorld fanatics learned this week, my S4 was involved in a collision on Wednesday. To aggravate me further, I'd just prepped the car for driving this weekend at Motorsport Ranch. New brake pads, revalved Stoptech calipers, and my second opportunity to use R-Compound tires.

I was seriously bummed....and the insurance company still hasn't sent the appraiser so there was no hope of attending with the flying smurf.

In a campaign to qualify for sainthood, my wife let me take her car to the track Saturday (2000 Boxster, 2.7 liter). I drove 4 sessions.

Wow. What a difference. I seriously sucked in the Boxster. I found it WAY different and much harder to drive. That's not a Boxster slam. I believe that a Boxster is "generally" faster at this sort of track than an S4. Certainly, a stock Boxster driven by a good driver ought to be able to outdo a stock S4. Mod's change things and an S4 with race rubber is probably faster..especially with a chip and afermarket brakes that won't fade. Track prepped Boxsters are still doing better times than I was with my S4, but the difference is small and I think I'll be there soon. My rought estimates given TWS laps times is

Fair S4 time with stock rubber = 2:14 (mine)
Fair S4 time with race rubber = 2:10 (mine)
Ultimate S4 time = 2:02-2:06 (someday)

Fair Boxster time with stock = 2:10
Fair Boxster time with race rubber = 2:06
Ultimate Boxster time 2:02

Boxster with great driver and 320 HP = 1:57 (John Gladwell from the Porsche Store)

However (this is getting long), let me get back to the point. I found the Boxster incredibly twitchy, both with respect to throttle input and steering input. And you also have to work much harder heeping the revs up (the torque disadvantage is huge).

In the warm-up lap for the first session, I managed to slide the car (unintentionally) at what seemed like baby speeds. Even little things that would never upset the S4 would step the Boxster tail out big time. A good example is the flack I've been taking from instructors about rev matching. They keep telling me I need to do better and should learn heel/toe. All this time, I' wondering why they are so concerned about preserving my clutch? Well, failing to properly rev match on a 3-2 Boxster downshift isn't just a clutch wear problem...it's a move that will spin the car if it's done poorly at the wrong moment.
I eventually got better, but it made me nervous....I even decided to skip today (nerves, fear of thrashing two cars in a week, tired, etc).

I know that much of this is vehicle familarity. But I would still conclude that the S4 is a great car if you want to "drive fast". The Boxster may well be a better car to "learn to drive fast", as it certainly punishes any mistakes much more quickly. Many of my instructors have praised my smoothness before, but now I'd have to give the car much of the credit for smoothing me out.

One of the other boxster guys told me I'd never want to go back to the S4.... but I can't wait to get MY car back.

RR

P.S> Quit posting Nagaro front end pics! It reminds me of my car's mangled front end and depresses me everytime I see one.

BOOST

..and better handling to boot.

Funny you think the Boxster is twitchy- our 2000 Boxster S seems quite stable (as almost all midengined cars do until they are spun.)

Clearly the Boxsters have a lower polar moment of inertia which is one reason why they handle better (and are harder to recover when spinning).

-Will

2000 S4 Imola
2000 Boxster S
1993 GMC Typhoon

Tomasz@Startup

or additional roll bars? Did you have 2 inches above the helmet with the stock roll bars, or they did not care?

RR

at least that's what I've seen.

I probably don't have two inches, but I am only 5' 8".

I had a 6'4" (est) instructor on my first run. He was definately too big for the car and I joke that having him ride with me would be part of my rollover protection :-)

RR

RR

I'd agree that the Boxster seems stable in the extreme during normal driving. I'm just talking about when the tires start to screech a bit. The S4 is much more progressive and mellow IMHO. It starts to make noise but is still under control...even if you continue to push. The Boxster has a narrower margin between in-control and out-of control...even though both limits (above normal driving and beyond the edge) might still be higher than the S4.

matthewk

You have now learned the lesson about the crutch that AWD provides.

donp

You've had track time in your Boxter S... have you then driven an AWD car?

Do you think you were faster in the AWD after having learned skills for a mid-engined car or was it a handicap?

Warren Wang

<center><img src="http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=wwang&album_id=27906&image_id =0&show=image&param=45785"></center><p>There's definately an unfair advantage here. These cars are so sure footed, it's silly. Very hard to get them out of shape. I picked up a ton of knowledge driving in the B5 chassis, but I'm learning a lot of finer skills in my Type R. Really gotta wring that sucker out to get a good time! I never would have learned double clutching during heel-toe on my S4. There's rarely a need to downshift! Also, you really have to carry the speed in the Type R.

Now here's what's even cooler. Driving the Type R is making me faster in my S4 too, or in today's case, Andrew's S4 (thanks again for the loan @ the auto-x!). Anyhow, that's my two cents.

Warren<ul><li><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbum.asp?userid=wwang&album_id=27906">More pictures of my cage in progress.</a></li></ul>

Žob

<center><img src="http://www.spaceship.com/~randrews/DSCN1197.JPG"></center><p>

Žob

Crutch? "Unfair advantage" is what everyone else called it and it was banned :P