M3 OR BOXSTER S
Discussion
but it's not my money is it.I used to have an E46 M3 and now have a Boxster S. The M3 is the quicker car on paper but in everyday terms there's not a huge amount in it. The M3 felt like it had far more grunt towards the higher speeds but then you very infrequently get the chance to use it.
I would say that the Boxster has more feel to it, you know exactly what is happening with the car and the steering feedback is amongst the best I've experienced.
The M3 is an amazing all rounder and I think my only critism was I thought the steering felt a little removed (if that makes sense). They are very different cars as you can use the M3 for so much more than you can use the Boxster. For example put the rear seats down and you've got a reasonable load carrier, leave them up and you can take four adults along for the ride.
My conclusion is that the Boxster is a sports car and the M3 is a fast coupe. Drive both and draw your on conclusions as it will be very much down to your personal taste.
PS - You may find the M3 to be the more costly to run in terms of insurance & servicing.
I would say that the Boxster has more feel to it, you know exactly what is happening with the car and the steering feedback is amongst the best I've experienced.
The M3 is an amazing all rounder and I think my only critism was I thought the steering felt a little removed (if that makes sense). They are very different cars as you can use the M3 for so much more than you can use the Boxster. For example put the rear seats down and you've got a reasonable load carrier, leave them up and you can take four adults along for the ride.
My conclusion is that the Boxster is a sports car and the M3 is a fast coupe. Drive both and draw your on conclusions as it will be very much down to your personal taste.
PS - You may find the M3 to be the more costly to run in terms of insurance & servicing.
I used to own both (a 2002 Boxster S and E46 M3) at the same time. I owned them from new and they arrived about 2 months apart. I was surprised to find that I used the M3 much more than the Boxster. Neither of them felt like 'sports cars' they both felt like sports coupes, but the Boxster felt like a slower, less characterful and less usable option. It wasn't just me that had that opinion, my wife also much preferred to drive the M3. Part of my viewpoint may come from the fact that I've owned many 911s (including a GT3) and I found the Boxster to be a little flat and characterless, the steering whilst accurate was a little 'wooden', the brakes were woeful and several times just failed to slow the car down (that may have been due to the OEM pads) and the handling was so benign and lifeless compared to a 911. The Boxster flatters the kind of driver that prefers a car that's more capable than themselves. The Boxster is all about poise and precision. Unlike a 911 where you use the weight at the rear to your advantage, there is a feeling in the Boxster that the driver has less of a role in the process.
The M3 however more closely related to the 911, there's skill involved in 'how' you tackle a corner, the engine is central to it's character and you can slide the thing till your hearts content. The brakes provide more feel, the steering feels more alive (although with less feel than the Boxster) and overall it's the kind of mate that slaps you on the back at a pub and asks you if you'd like a pint. Whereas the Boxster says "not for me, I'm teetotal".
Another factor worth bearing in mind, is how they feel to travel in. I've done several 1000+ mile journeys in both and the M3 transforms into a tourer at will, whereas the Boxster feels too upright with lots of hard plastics and nowhere to rest your arms. I found myself looking longingly at BMW Z4s or anything that fulfilled the 'roadster' tag. The Boxster doesn't criuse very well and yet it also dissapointed me when it was driven hard.
I always found that in the M3 I was quicker than most cars on the road (effortlessley) whereas in the Boxster I had to ring it's nuts off to show the kind of advantage I would expect from a Porsche.
The Boxster is a good car, don't get me wrong, but I would now buy it more for the fact that it's a convertible and I like the look rather than any presumption of it being an out and out drivers car. With hindsight I know now that it would have been worth spending another £30k to get a 911 convertible, just for the performance, better feel and character.
Just my 0.02p worth but after 18 months of owning both it was an easy decision to sell the Boxster and keep the M3.
The M3 however more closely related to the 911, there's skill involved in 'how' you tackle a corner, the engine is central to it's character and you can slide the thing till your hearts content. The brakes provide more feel, the steering feels more alive (although with less feel than the Boxster) and overall it's the kind of mate that slaps you on the back at a pub and asks you if you'd like a pint. Whereas the Boxster says "not for me, I'm teetotal".
Another factor worth bearing in mind, is how they feel to travel in. I've done several 1000+ mile journeys in both and the M3 transforms into a tourer at will, whereas the Boxster feels too upright with lots of hard plastics and nowhere to rest your arms. I found myself looking longingly at BMW Z4s or anything that fulfilled the 'roadster' tag. The Boxster doesn't criuse very well and yet it also dissapointed me when it was driven hard.
I always found that in the M3 I was quicker than most cars on the road (effortlessley) whereas in the Boxster I had to ring it's nuts off to show the kind of advantage I would expect from a Porsche.
The Boxster is a good car, don't get me wrong, but I would now buy it more for the fact that it's a convertible and I like the look rather than any presumption of it being an out and out drivers car. With hindsight I know now that it would have been worth spending another £30k to get a 911 convertible, just for the performance, better feel and character.
Just my 0.02p worth but after 18 months of owning both it was an easy decision to sell the Boxster and keep the M3.
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