Boxter S v Chimera
Discussion
Well.
I am uniquely placed to answer that. I own both. A TVR Chimaera 450 and a Boxster S. And yes..I have the new model Boxster S on order...
So. How do they compare....
1) The Chimaera accelerates more quickly. 4.7 vs 5.7 to 60. And 11.5 vs 14 to 100. This IS noticeable in the drive. But..less than you'd think. 5.7 to 60mph is still like s*** off a shiny shovel in comparison to most road cars....so you still get the power advantage when wanting to overtake or other power based manouvre.
2) The Boxster S I have corners more quickly than the Chimaera. Sticks to road like s*** to a blanket. Amazing. Under power the car will understeer then oversteer but in a reasonably friendly way. It also hangs on further than you could believe. Errrr. The Chimaera doesn't. Oversteer under power...whooo hooo!
Great fun...but don't overcook it and which one got through the corner quicker...? The Porsche.
3) The Chimaera sounds utterly brilliant in a loud'n'proud upfront kind of way. The Boxster is subdued at low revs - unassuming, you might say - once you boot it it makes the right kind of noise. Silverstone was seriously wonderful with the roof down
4) The Chimaera is a lumpy git to drive in traffic. The Boxster S isn't.
5) The Chimaera gets stared at even in the South. Everyone knows what a Boxster looks like.
6) I have received admiring comments and obscenities on both cars. You get more obsceneties in the Porsche.
7) The Chimaera smells fantastic sort of GRP and leather and...TVRness. Its great. The Boxster reeks of leather when new...and after hide food but it isn't the same....but I still like it.
8) When it rains the Chimaera roof goes up in a about a minute whilst you get soaked. The Boxster roof goes up in 12 seconds and you remain dry.
9) The Chimaera has a lot of wind noise at high speed with the roof on. The Boxster is quiet.
10) The Chimaera has a HUGE and PRACTICAL boot. AND a rear parcel shelf that is HUGE. The Boxster has two smaller boots and is significantly less practical for trips away on the luggage front. But you can still do it.
11) The Boxster has little lights everywhere so you can see into the boot, luggage areas etc. In the Chimaera you fumble in the dark.
12) The Chimaera is made of GRP so the paint doesn't stick to it so well as a metal car. This means it collects stone chips more quickly than the Boxster.
13) Bits of trim in the Chimaera come off occaisionally. The Boxster's trim is solid. Hewn from granite solid.
14) The Porsche's running costs are surprisingly low. The Chimaera's running costs are teeth itchingly, horrifyingly high. I have objective evidence to prove it.
In short. The Boxster is sheer class, quality oozes from every surface. Its a subtle car...but as ownership continues I have learned a deep respect for it...and will always have one whilst I can afford it. Its easy to live with but can still provide excitement on road and track and will do it all with aplomb time and again for years.
The Chimaera is love at first sight. Then as ownership continues that love grows...as do the bills. Its full of character and a joy to drive.
They're both good. What can I say? Each one will suit a different owner - or suit the same owner differently.
If I had to choose I'd buy the Porsche. But God I'd miss the TVR.
I am uniquely placed to answer that. I own both. A TVR Chimaera 450 and a Boxster S. And yes..I have the new model Boxster S on order...
So. How do they compare....
1) The Chimaera accelerates more quickly. 4.7 vs 5.7 to 60. And 11.5 vs 14 to 100. This IS noticeable in the drive. But..less than you'd think. 5.7 to 60mph is still like s*** off a shiny shovel in comparison to most road cars....so you still get the power advantage when wanting to overtake or other power based manouvre.
2) The Boxster S I have corners more quickly than the Chimaera. Sticks to road like s*** to a blanket. Amazing. Under power the car will understeer then oversteer but in a reasonably friendly way. It also hangs on further than you could believe. Errrr. The Chimaera doesn't. Oversteer under power...whooo hooo!
Great fun...but don't overcook it and which one got through the corner quicker...? The Porsche. 3) The Chimaera sounds utterly brilliant in a loud'n'proud upfront kind of way. The Boxster is subdued at low revs - unassuming, you might say - once you boot it it makes the right kind of noise. Silverstone was seriously wonderful with the roof down
4) The Chimaera is a lumpy git to drive in traffic. The Boxster S isn't.
5) The Chimaera gets stared at even in the South. Everyone knows what a Boxster looks like.
6) I have received admiring comments and obscenities on both cars. You get more obsceneties in the Porsche.
7) The Chimaera smells fantastic sort of GRP and leather and...TVRness. Its great. The Boxster reeks of leather when new...and after hide food but it isn't the same....but I still like it.
8) When it rains the Chimaera roof goes up in a about a minute whilst you get soaked. The Boxster roof goes up in 12 seconds and you remain dry.
9) The Chimaera has a lot of wind noise at high speed with the roof on. The Boxster is quiet.
10) The Chimaera has a HUGE and PRACTICAL boot. AND a rear parcel shelf that is HUGE. The Boxster has two smaller boots and is significantly less practical for trips away on the luggage front. But you can still do it.
11) The Boxster has little lights everywhere so you can see into the boot, luggage areas etc. In the Chimaera you fumble in the dark.
12) The Chimaera is made of GRP so the paint doesn't stick to it so well as a metal car. This means it collects stone chips more quickly than the Boxster.
13) Bits of trim in the Chimaera come off occaisionally. The Boxster's trim is solid. Hewn from granite solid.
14) The Porsche's running costs are surprisingly low. The Chimaera's running costs are teeth itchingly, horrifyingly high. I have objective evidence to prove it.
In short. The Boxster is sheer class, quality oozes from every surface. Its a subtle car...but as ownership continues I have learned a deep respect for it...and will always have one whilst I can afford it. Its easy to live with but can still provide excitement on road and track and will do it all with aplomb time and again for years.
The Chimaera is love at first sight. Then as ownership continues that love grows...as do the bills. Its full of character and a joy to drive.
They're both good. What can I say? Each one will suit a different owner - or suit the same owner differently.
If I had to choose I'd buy the Porsche. But God I'd miss the TVR.
quote:
I would have thought the porsche would be more practical and better at longer Journeys.
With the hood down which one is more practical ?
Well. I have undertaken journeys of some hundreds of miles in both. Do so quite regularly actually.
The Chimaera has a larger volume of boot space and its all in one place. This makes it VERY practical for taking large quantities of luggage - for instance if going away for a two week holiday with the wife.
It is, however, blisteringly inconvenient under those circumstances to take the roof off and on. Don't get me wrong... I have taken a vast quantity of luggage on holiday in the Chimaera and still had room for the roof in the boot. But the roadside show that we put on whenever rain started was hilarious - for everyone else..
This was in Ireland and there - it rains a lot. The Chimaera has a parcel shelf which can take even more luggage if required...although you then have a security problem if you leave the roof off when its parked up. Due to this I have never toured with the Chimaera assuming that I will have luggage on the parcel shelf.
The Boxster has two boots. Both about half the volume of the Chimaera's. This means you must pack in baggage that will fit the spaces you have available. There is no parcel shelf - at all. Although there are plenty of little cubby holes, side pockets and in the new model - the astonishing innovation of a (gasp) glovebox.
Porsche will sell you a HUGELY expensive luggage set that makes the most of the two boots. Its absolutely beautiful stuff - anodised aluminium - light and strong. But at the better part of a thousand pounds I decided that I could do without it. Instead I bought a range of squishy bags that can be "squished" into any shape that the automotive engineer can come up with. Works fine. £150. Enough said.
So..which is most practical on a journey roof up, roof down?
If you've got the hardtop on the Boxster or its winter I'd say (gasp!) The Chimaera! You don't take the roof off so the fact it takes an age and all the luggage has to go in and out and the parcel shelf isn't secure doesn't matter. At that point the extra space in the Chimaera wins hands down.
If its the summer and its hot...it has to be the Boxster. That roof goes up and down before you have time to say "do you think that cloud looks a bit threatening, dear?". It doesn't require any access to the luggage compartment and you don't have to get out of the car. You just have to take a little less stuff with you.
By now the Mrs and I have bought "the minaturised one" of everything and are dab hands at taking only that which we need..and compacting it into less space than anyone thought possible.
Bottom line: either one works. Both have disadvantages and advantages.
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