Yellow R1

The Mercedes is a lazy man's sports car? You downshifted into 3rd gear at 136 mph & blew your engine?!. Dude.....before you comment on an SLK55 being a "lazy man's sports car", you better learn how to drive. I'm not trying to be an azz, but pal, that is a COLOSSAL mistake.

People that buy SLK55s aren't "lazy". They just don't enjoy driving cars with weedeater motors. I drove the Boxter S & that thing was absolutely anemic.
Additionally, they kept nickel & diming me to death when adding options (such as leather here or there). That little experience just reconfirmed how happy I was that I got my SLK55 order in months earlier.

We are glad you like your Boxter but you aren't going to get much support on this site for your opinion. We bought the SLK55 because to us, it fit our needs (the Boxter fell short).

See ya,
-Matt

RSBSLK55

No sh-- ! Man you got to learn to drive. Perhaps you would be better off with a auto. Please don't insult me. The Formula Dodge I drive at the track has no syncro's. I'm pretty good a double clutching and heel and toe footwork. I wonder if you even know what I am talking about.

Rob

steve-p

Quite. Even as a former 928 and 911 owner, the Boxster does nothing for me I'm afraid. It's a fine car all right, but curiously unappealing as a road car. On the track it would be different, but if I wanted a track car, it would be a 911 GT2 or GT3, and still not a Boxster.

Yellow R1

Yup, my older brother had a Euro 928S for a few years in late 80s. THAT was a slick car. You could cruise at 120 mph & it was like 55 mph - rock solid. That 4 valve V8 PULLED too - it was a fun car to drive, was rare, & had a unique character.

Cheers,
-Matt

kimchiFLAVA

HaHa i was just kidding with that lazy mans car comment- so calm down chill out. CHILLAX.

Yes it was a mistake blowing my engine and i realize that but its not all that uncommon to shift into the wrong gear. Dont try to insult my driving skills please i could proboly smoke you in a race. Infact i like cars that have the ***** to not be so uhmm whats the word for it-automatic?

I would hardly call Porsche engines as "weedeater" motors.

Your choice is your choice and my choice is my choice. Iono bout you but when i make a car purschase or any purchase for that matter, I like to think I made the best choice to my needs. So what if I make a stupid comment on a car supposed to be in competition with mine, i picked a side and stand by it.
Same goes for your weedeating comment dont worry i forgive you.

Some of you people are too sensitive with your mercedes SLK55''s or SLK for that matter when i read bad reviews on my boxster i could care less i love this car. Believe it or not i have alotta respect and admiration for the SLK55 AMG. One thing that really bothers me though is how come AMG never builds a standard car? I mean they try so hard to build a sports car why not just stick in a clutch and there you have it ladies and gentlemen no more convincing to car magz or to me what this SLK's all about.

SLK55AMG

Yes but thats because you've NEVER seen a bad review of the Boxster

Yellow R1

Despite your rubuttal, downshifting into 3rd gear at 136 mph is not "uncommon"...its what manufactures call "Gross Negligence" by the owner. Nobody is insulting your driving skills - you are the one that posted you downshifted to THIRD GEAR at 136 mph - you draw your own conclusions.

I also wouldn't be making assumptions about the skill set of drivers you have never met. Just any fyi, I was driving & wrenching with muscle cars before you got out of diapers. I track my R1 at Laguna Seca & Infinion pretty routinely. Perhaps you can share your track times on some established circuits with us?

Regarding your comment on being "sensitive" about a car? I could care less about my SLK. Its one of many cars I've owned and frankly, its driven by my wife most the time. This does not change the fact that a Boxter felt like a weedeater motor when compared to the AMG. It lacked TORQUE & low end grunt. My wife even laughed at its raspy/anemic feel.

Last point. AMG was a tuner for MB for years. They are not a manufacturer nor do/did they ever have plans to do so. Being a car manufacturer vs. an engine builder are ENTIRELY separate business models. Your comment is the equivalent of asking why the "M" division within BMW doesn't manufacture, market, sell, & warranty vehicles. Like MB, BMW uses this in house division to enhance performance of its existing product offering, not fund an entire separate manufacturing firm.

-Matt

benz-aficionado

The cars on that list are all very competitive against the boxster s. For example, the crossfire has a significantly better power to weight ratio than the boxster s. The crossfire at least breaks the 300hp mark, something the boxster will probably do in 2020.

The boxster does have a weedeater engine, no two ways around it. There is only so much power you can extract from a 6 cylinder engine and still keep it relaible. It's time for porsche to get with the program. V8's are everywhere these days, Ferarri, lamborghini, MB, BMW, Audi. Porsche cannot sit there and pretend to be following tradition for too much longer. Ferdinand Porsche set out to build the best sports car in the world. Well then, why do MB family sedans out accelerate them at alarming rates?

The boxster is slow. The 911 isn't too much faster. When almost every german manufacturer has at least one production car with 500hp or more, you would think that porsche would be at the front of the pack, not absent.

kimchiFLAVA: There is a major move towards SMG's and fast shifting autos. This is a direct result of F1 racing influence. MB, BMW, Audi and ferrari all have very advanced transmissions. Porsche is the odd man out with a severly dated tiptronic, and their usual 6 speed manual. The next car you buy may not be available in manual. Look at this as a good thing, your lap times will more than likely get better - that's really important to you remeber? You don't honestly think you can shift faster than audi's DSG? Or more consistant than BMW's SMG? How about ferarri? Case in point: The SLK350 is faster in 7spd auto then it is in 6spd manual.

SLK55AMG

The standard Crossfire has a significantly lower power to weight ratio than the Boxster S..... as you didn't mention SRT-6 originally I assumed that was the version you had in mind. The SRT-6 has a slightly better power to ratio 208 Vs 218 (5% better) its also not available in the UK and if it was it would be as expensive as the 987S...... do I even need to mention that the Crossfire is regarded as one of the biggest piles of crap ever to be put together?......

And you obvioulsy don't get it on the power front...... to you big numbers seem important to me its the performance that matters..... given a choice of two cars that perform exactly the same but one was light and had 250bhp while the other was heavy with 500bhp I'd choose the lighter 250bhp car..... I'd wagger you'd go for the 500bhp one? Porsche will continue to concentrate on pure performance...... they start by deciding the best way to extract performance from a car and the levels they require THEN they see how much power is required to achieve those goals. They do not start by saying lets see how big a lump we can squeeze in this car and lets have 500bhp and then worry about how to get it to go round corners afterwards.

When Porsche stop being the sportscar benchmark your arguements may start to make sense but until then we'll have to agree to disagree

Have you seen the Motortrend comparo of the SLK55 and Boxster S? After saying how quick the SLK is in a straight line they go on to say:

"The tables turn when it comes to any handling contest, where the Boxster's lighter weight, mid-engine balance, and predictable demeanor take command. The most graphic measure of its superiority in this arena is our slalom test, where anything over 70-71 mph is rarefied air. The S bolted through the cones at 73.2 mph--an exact tie with Porsche's own Carrera GT. Porsche has given the Boxster variable ratio power steering for the first time, and while that sounds as if it would delinearize the rudder, the result is the opposite, putting the nose exactly where you want it to go.

While 65.9 mph is still a credible slalom number--Corvette C5 territory--the SLK55 can be a handful, depending upon how you approach it. It feels neutral up to about 8/10s, but past that, it's understeer city. The heavy nose plows, and the somewhat heavy steering's solid connection to the road goes away when you push the car hard into a corner. Give it too much gas (with the stability control turned off) and there's oversteer aplenty. With so much power on tap, the SLK55 would be great fun at a drifting competition. The previous-gen SLK32 AMG, powered by a supercharged V-6 that may be lighter and may sit farther back in the chassis, was a bit quicker at 66.3. The SLK55's chassis is more than up to the job, but it feels as it if needs wider tires.

Besides forays at our test track and through the Hollywood Hills, we dropped into the Streets of Willow Springs for lap times, which synthesize all performance attributes into a single measure. Handling beat horsepower this time out, as the Boxster lapped the undulating, technical road course at 1:32.0 seconds, about two seconds quicker than the SLK's 1:33.9. It's worth mentioning, however, that the Mercedes's muscle had it motoring about five mph quicker at the end of the Streets's front straight. Both cars are packing plenty of brake power: The Benz stops from 60 to 0 in 115 feet, the Boxster in an even more outstanding 107, each with plenty of feel, good modulation, and no noticeable fade, even after many racetrack laps."

They sum up by saying that both cars are great..... which is what I've been saying all along :

"If the purist's sports-car scale is the measure--as we think it is--the Boxster S is the winner. Its superb mid-engine balance, high cornering limits, scythelike steering, flick-of-the-wrist six-speed manual gearbox, and wailing flat-six are all the credentials a mid-priced sports car could hope for. While clearly an evolution of the original Boxster ethos, it's a better machine in every way than the car it replaces; a controlled evolution as opposed to overstated revolution.

None of this, however, diminishes the SLK55 AMG's considerable, iron-pumping appeal. If the Boxster is an X-Acto knife, this Maximum Strength SLK is a designer meat cleaver. And, man, does it cleave, especially in a straight line, though there's an extra layer of insulation between it and the driver as compared with the Porsche. The Benz's edgier visual statement, trick retract-o-top, faultless high-speed stability, symphonic exhaust notes, industry-leading transmission, and AMG-level of exclusivity earn it a bunch as a first-class choice for a fast cruise across the country--or a slow one, down Sunset.

James Dean would opt for the Boxster, while Clark Gable would go for the Benz. Different guys, different cars, but all are stars, nonetheless. "

We all choose a car for different reasons...... straight line speed doesn't do it for me while handling does...... compare a 5 second drag race to a 30 minute blast down a winding road and i'll always choose the later.

benz-aficionado

SRT-6 was assumed, I wasn't going to get too technical here. As far as being a crappy car, even more reason that is shouldn't beat a boxster. Keep in mind it is an old SLK32, so we're talking direct competition to the boxster. A lot of crappy cars beat the boxster, is that something to be proud of?

Being underpowered is one of the reasons the boxster has such a bad reputation. It earned this reputaion on the street by losing races to lesser cars. On the track, cars like old porsche 944's, nissan 240sx's and old M3's have good reputations, so the track guys are hardly a credible source for opinion.

A land rover might be a good SUV in the middle of the rocky mountains, so the off roading guys will pick it over an ML or X5. But you and I both know which one we'd pick. 99% of suv's are driven on the street, every manufacturer knows that. Same goes for cars.

The beauty of the SLK is that is has 99% of the handling of the boxster without the power penalty.

I can sort of understand your thought process in buying the boxster, I believe that you were influenced by the media; car mags, tv commercials and glossy porsche brochures. The media is a powerful influence, it allows gm to sell cavaliers and aztec's. Once you actually own the car and a few Mustangs, Crossfires, Jags and Caddilacs have beat you, the glossy brochure is forgotten, the Car & Driver review is forgotten and you begin to realize that alot of your driving is done on the street, and on the street MB is king.

The boxster comes stock with 265's, the slk with 245's. You don't really want to know what it would do with say, 275's? 0-60, 1/4 mile, braking and what not? You mentioned it is in C5 territory in the slalom, the C5 is riding on 265's in the front and 285's in the rear. I would say if MB wanted the car to overturn all records, they would have gone with wider tires, but then they might have upset SL55 owners. You know how porsche can't up the HP's because of the 911 folks.

SLK55AMG

I hope you are smiling to yourself as much as I am with this .....

You insist on telling us all that straight line speed is king...... even if something like a Crossfire SRT-6 (0.3 quicker to 100mph) was a little quicker in a straight line it doesn't mean its a better car..... is a Civic with Nitrous better than the SLK55? I ONLY consider a car better if it is quicker on the sorts of roads I drive for fun or on track..... so lets use the SRT-6 as an example..... Hockenheim track time 1:17.4 compared to the 987S 1:15.7. The SLK55 is only 0.3 seconds a lap faster than the Crossfire but I assume you wouldn't consider it as nearly as good?

Although I do 99% of my driving on the "street" I don't do it in the way you seem to think most people do..... I don't generally engage in stop light racing..... I (as I've said LOTS of times) get my kicks on country roads which are anything but straight.

You still haven't shown me a SINGLE car (let alone a crappy one) that truely beats the Boxster S

SLK has 99% of the handling of the Boxster???..... again without wanting to diss the SLK if you want to believe that a difference of 7mph in a slalom test equates to 99% of the handling thats fine..... the Boxster S slalom time is 11% better than the 55 and equal to the Carrera GT (another test had it better than the Enzo) so I'd say thats quite a difference!

Motortrend slalom test speeds of 66mph are in reach of some much lesser cars: Galant & Accord while very few get above 70mph e.g. Ferrari 360, Lambo Gallardo and Porker GT2 all failed to break the 70mph barrier!!!!

The SLK55 may be even better with wider tyres (said that before as well) so I'm surprised why more people don't try that before spending shed loads on power and cosmetic upgrades.

I ordered the Boxster AFTER testing it and the SLK55 extensively.... said order was placed before most car magazines and media started saying how good either car was so I don't think I was influenced very much. If anything the media that was around at the time was pushing me towards the AMG and I had almost convinced myself to get one..... but then I drove it and found I couldn't live with the auto box..... it ruined the car for me.

P.S. NOTHING has been quicker than me on my usual twisty roads yet

P.P.S. I'd take a Range Rover before an ML or X5...... but the day I drive a 4X4 for fun is a LONG way away!

Yellow R1

You need to change your Screen name .

You also need to realize that while 1 car mag that gives the overall edge to the Boxter S, I've seen others the other way around. As we have ALL stated, its preference.

I will say its easier to plus 1 & widen the contact patch with rims & tires (while reducing unsprung weight from the stock rims) and then adjusting the suspension, if needed, than extracting significantly more power from the Boxter flat six. In fact, to counter your point, many people on this forum have already, or are in the process of, upgrading the rims & tires. Another simple "mod" is battery relocation to the trunk to further reduce oversteer. You can also "adjust" the car's attitude with your right foot - it may just take some more time than a Boxter, at limit, to drive at 10/10nths (but the prior mentioned adjustments would aid in reducing that "time" significantly).

See ya,
-Matt

SLK55AMG

Which magazine articles place the SLK in front? Other than the Sports Car International issue where they compared the AMG to a faulty 987S I haven't seen any..... but would be interested to read them if you have any links?

By moving the battery to the trunk did you mean reduce understeer?

RSBSLK55

You know he meant understeer SLK55AMG. I am getting real tired of this thread. It's about time you went to the Porsche forums. Your arguments on a SLK55 forum are going to be like getting water out of a stone. The Boxter S is a great car as is the SLK55. I think it is up to your personal preference. BTY, I have put 19's on mine. It makes a big difference.

SLK55AMG

Fair enough! As I've said all along the SLK55 is a great car, I've just enjoyed the friendly banter with Benz-aficinado as his comments are blinkered in the extreme whereas most others on here have been very balanced..... but I respect his right to be different

Yellow R1

You are gonna shoot me. I read these articles & toss 'em (starts cluttering my house!). I have car mag subscriptions from like 5 mags, soooo, I don't recall. I read the new mags when they hit the shelves as well
(its an addiction ).

So, it could have been the Automobile International mag you mentioned? I honestly don't recall - sorry my friend!

You are also right....I meant UNDERsteer. What an idiot - too many Martini's earlier I guess .

Last point - it IS fun to discuss pros/cons of competing cars. I have ZERO problems trading ideas/input & I appreciate your thoughts. Its a good discussion Buddy.

OK, really...last point . You keep coming back to a track & others keep referring to "street" use. I think you need to realize that even on a track, if you are overtaken on a straight, you are not going to overtake in the corners....not when the braking & handling are this close. Under 2 sec on a course with at least 20 corners is going to NET a 2nd place finish? I'll see ya.

Take care,
-Matt

benz-aficionado

I've shown you 15 cars that are either faster, nearly as fast or just as fast. The point I was making is that with the exception of the corvette, none of these cars are sports cars. Is it not odd that a boxster s being the sports car it is, runs with pontiacs and fords? A pontiac GTO goes 0-60 in 5.3, it MSRP's at $26k US. Sure they are worlds apart in refinement, but you'd think for the remaining $35k, porsche could at least come up with a decent engine.

You're not going to sit here and honestly tell us all that you don't want any more hp in your boxster, are you? You're content with 280, and if porsche raises the power you will be upset? A carrera GT is positively overpowered and porsche made a big mistake sticking a V10 in that car. They should have put a 6 in there and just made it handle a little better than a 911. Right?

This is how it should go... Boxster 280hp, Boxster S 330hp, 911 375hp, 911 S 425hp, 911 turbo 500hp, carrera gt fine where it is. When porsche hits those numbers, they will reclaim the torch. The cayman should have never been made, instead porsche should shell out a few bucks and get a convertible hardtop installed on the boxster already. Isn't it about time?

SLK55AMG

As others seem to have had enough of this debate I'll try and make this my final comment......

We haven't agreed simply because your idea of better is different to mine..... neither of us will convince the other. Maybe if you drove in the UK you'd understand my points a bit more...... we don't have streets like your average US city and even when we do have straight bits with lots of traffic lights they are usually littered with speed cameras so very little fun can be had "racing" away from a stop light. I honestly don't care a bit whether a luxo barge or other cheaper car has similar or better straight line speed because those types of cars don't compete when I drive for fun.....

I honestly don't feel the current Boxster S needs any more power...... needs being the important word there, if it had more I wouldn't object but at the same time I've never felt it didn't have enough. The original 2.5 Boxster was woefully underpowered but the latest generation have plenty of go for most enthusiasts.

The cars you've compared to the Boxster in this thread don't make the grade as far as I'm concerned because they don't handle corners as well as they do straight line speed (WRX, EVO and TVRs being the exception) most cars that can beat the 987S in a straight line AND round a track are nearly all in the supercar category.

Take care!

SLK55AMG

I know I said the same previously in this thread...... to quote myself :

"If the SLK55 and Boxster S were racing on track I'd suspect the AMG would win...... its superior speed in the straights would get it in front and then it would hold up the Boxster in the corners."

:p

jcanabal

novabenz

Yellow R1

Then don't read it. Part of the fun in having a sports car is trading ideas & input from other enthusiasts (ie discussing the pros & cons on different aspects of competing cars).

Maybe you should go polish your car & stare at it some more in your driveway . Geezus, what a bunch of whiners.

-Matt

Roadster Fan

Nice thread with some rational comments. On the subject of which to buy i can only give my own experience. Over the years I have been a Service Manager for MB (15 Years) & Porsche (4 Years) at dealer level and at regional level so I am able to look at it in a different way than most having an insiders view to both organisations, customer service, warranty as well as reliability issues build quality and meeting happy and dissatisfied customers of both brands. Oh, and the ability to drive all of the models extensively in group tests, roadshows and comparision ride and drive events.

I considered the Boxster S and the SLK 55 as being desirable for me and within my budget and after weighing up the considerable experiences i have had with MB & Porsche I opted for the Boxster S and I have been delighted with my decision.

Both are undeniably excellent cars, i actually think the SLK looks better (From the front & side) than the Boxster but the Porsche is in my humble opinion a better car overall. MB make great cars and they are getting better (If only they can improve the reliability woes of recent years), but Porsche specialise in making sports cars, and only sports cars, which reflects in everything about their engineering....handling, ride, build quality, performance, brakes etc. It is altogether a more rewarding experience of ownership. Mercedes is still a great brand, and the SLK 55 an exceptional car. A big powerful V8 may appeal to some but there is more to sports car ownership than the engine. It is a close run thing and on this board you will mostly get more favourable opinions for the SLK just as you will get positive and rave reviews of the Boxster on Porsche fan sites.

Anyway, for the gentleman who started this thread i think that whatever you choose you will still end up with a great car. Decide based on what is important to you. I cannot consider to buy a sports car with an auto box, i would never have purchased the Boxster if it only had the option of the tiptronic box - so manual it has to be for me, but that's just my preference. I suggest you read all you can on both cars, visit both Porsche and MB fan sites and spend as much time as you can inside both cars before you spend your money.

Good luck and best wishes to you all on this board.

SoCalCLK

[QUOTE=Roadster Fan]MB make great cars and they are getting better (If only they can improve the reliability woes of recent years), but Porsche specialise in making sports cars, and only sports cars, which reflects in everything about their engineering....handling, ride, build quality, performance, brakes etc. It is altogether a more rewarding experience of ownership.
QUOTE]

Sorry newbie, but the Cayenne is not a sports car, but an SUV. Also, the statement of "It is altogether a more rewarding experience of ownership" can be debated.

I have owned a 2000 Carrera 996 and my 2002 CLK 430, and must state that my ownership experience has been more "rewarding" with the Mercedes-Benz.

The Boxster to me is a substitute (read less desirable alternative) to the true sports car in the Porsche family, the current 997. I prefer the fire-breathing SLK55 AMG for its dominating power, hard top feature and the fact that it is the top dog in its class, versus the Boxster which is a substitute.

CDN-SLK55

I think you all should watch the Top Gear video by Jeremy Clarkson. He put the Boxster up against the SLK55 and had some very interesting comments. He did think that the boxster handled a bit better than the SLK and thought the Boxster was a bit better built. But after driving both cars his decision was the SLK55, without any hesitation. He said it is a nicer looking car and simply put, was a lot more fun to drive.

I found the video on Bit Torrence and the entire video is 348Meg. If you get a chance, download it...