The best manual gearbox I've ever used was on a 987 Boxster, 2007 model and was the 5 speed, not the 6. I hear the 981 gearboxes are just as good. My 2008 Miata is a fairly close second place. The 2009 BMW 128i I owned for a while was very boring to shift with long'ish throws in comparison. Looking back that was not actually a very sporty car despite the looks.
This guy get's it! Now you won't hear me saying that the uber capable modern sports cars and exotics don't have a place, because I think they do. But for the everyday guy or gal who just wants to have some fun on public roads in a car the Miata/BRZ/FRS and their ilk are easy recommendations.
Sorry, missed this post. The 2005 Boxster with manual I test drove before I got my 2005 Boxster with an automatic ($3,000 cheaper) had a phenomenal manual gearbox, which I think was only topped by the 2016 MX-5 Miata. Both are fantastic, leagues above anything else I've tried. I tried an NC Miata but it had an automatic so I couldn't compare. I'd imagine it's just as fantastic though. So I'm curious about the 981 manual gearbox as well, if it's anywhere close to the greatness of the 987 manual gearboxes then I'll be very happy. But wow...that 2016 MX-5 shifter just feels so good, like it feels natural and intuitive to me.
I think a lot of people throw around horsepower and even have what the Porsche forum commenters call "S envy" where they regret not getting the S/GTS models over the base models. However, from my experience now that I've driven many in the different ranges of these cars... I just realized and I'm hoping to embrace what I enjoy the most, which is just spirited driving in the way you described, getting close to the handling of a go-kart at legal speeds. It's why I'm a huge fan of the MX-5 and Cayman/Boxsters now. I went into the Porsche brand for the 911 but after the last couple years and learning more about myself as a driver (not as skilled as many of you), I realize that the Cayman/Boxsters are for dedicated drivers just as much as people who want to have fun (like me). The MX-5 is the same way. I've recommended several friends in the market for a car to try the MX-5 recently. Their initial hesitation was that the MX-5 didn't look as cool as a BRZ or WRX or BMW or of the "hair dresser" reputation of people driving a MX-5 or chick car, or whatever else they hear from online or other friends.
But the moment they test drove the MX-5 or we rent one on Turo.com... They absolutely love it. One bought a Mazda3 in the end just because he wanted practicality but that car has pretty good handling for its size and class. Another is considering the MX-5 over the other cars now (e.g. WRX, BRZ/FRS/GT86, etc. before). They enjoyed it just as much as when I let them drive around my old 987 Boxster or 718 Cayman. So it's really cool to see my friends get more into cars because of the handling aspect rather than just focus on the numbers like uninitiated Youtube commenters.
Also, good luck saving up for the Macan. I've driven the Macan, Macan S, and GTS...All are amazing. I'm shocked how it feels like a Cayman but just having a higher seat. It's nuts how far you can push those cars. I think the Macan S is perfect. I found when I drove the Macan base, I put it into Sport mode most of the time I was driving after work. The Macan S, I just drove around normally. I didn't press the Sport button until I went onto twisty corners in the back roads of Morgan Hill or something.
I have no experience with either the 981 or the 718, so I'm interested in your experience, but would you say that, even with the 718's added torque, (on the whole) you still tend to push it harder than a 981? I'd say that wanting to make the six cylinder (of the older car) sing would result in higher speeds, but I could be wrong.
Cause see, I would hope (or suspect) that not having to push the 718 as hard would mean more fun at lower speeds.
But yeah, I see how - if that thing just keeps hauling ass wherever you are in the rev range - you could be inclined to not lift your foot off the accelerator ever, which means you'd still get in trouble every time there's no one in front of you.
Sounds like trying a GT86 might not be a terrible idea either. It won't look as good as a Cayman or a Boxster, but they're probably even more fun to drive at lower speeds.
I hope you'll get a chance to try out the 981 and 718 sometime. They're completely different cars, even compared to the 987, which was closer to the 981.
So just a few things I noticed was that the 981 Cayman S and 718 Cayman Base are on par. When driving these two models, they felt similar in that they are both wickedly fast on the track. I felt the 718 Cayman Base being faster than the Cayman S, but my times were similar when tracking. However, on the street, it's a bit different. The torque in the 718 Cayman Base comes in much earlier at low revs and I can change lanes quickly and without hesitation in crazy Bay Area traffic or LA traffic. The 981 Cayman S, I had a bit more trouble changing lanes just because I felt like I needed to pre-plan when I should change lanes more compared to just effortlessly doing it in the 718 Cayman Base.
The 981 Cayman Base is very different from the 981 Cayman S in that the torque in the S version felt like it came on earlier as well, whereas the torque in the Base 981 came on much later. I always felt like the 981 Base was sluggish in Bay Area/LA traffic and it annoyed me a bit. I always had to drive it like I drive most cars, which is be aware of my surroundings, plan ahead to change lanes and such since it takes a while for the car to move once I press the throttle.
The 987 is more similar to the 986 (I've only driven the base of each, not the S version of either) and is also comparable to the 981 Base. It feels sluggish at low revs, especially in Bay Area/LA traffic and I have to be very aware of my surroundings when driving through traffic and switching lanes.
With all that said, there's one element that I found interesting and changes how I feel about these cars: Exhaust Sound.
At first, I was impressed with the 718 Cayman Base's performance, but the online reviews of the sound of the Flat-4 vs. Flat-6 got to me eventually. It felt like the car was perfect but everyone kept b*tching about the sound of the Flat-4. It's the only complaint anyone has about the 718. I think it sounds great, but not as awesome as the Flat-6, so the complaints are true, but blown way out of proportion. That's the internet though. So over time, this got to me and I came to under appreciate the 718 Cayman Base a lot. I stopped driving it as much, especially since I got it primarily for my mom and I drive it on weekends until I get my own again. Recently, I went down to Southern California and rented a 2014 Porsche Boxster 981 Base just to drive around for fun and go to the Porsche Experience Center in LA. Driving around Southern California that weekend was the eye opener and reminder of how different the 718 and 981 Cayman/Boxsters is. I forgot how sluggish my 981 Cayman Base was in traffic. I kept focusing on the sound of the 981 and how great I remembered the 987 and 981 sounds were compared to the 718 that I disregarded the torque different in the 718. The 718 is a completely different beast than the 986, 987, and 981 performance-wise and even in normal daily driving, especially in traffic. I came back home feeling renewed appreciate for the 718 Cayman Base.
With all that said, there is another difference between the 986/987 vs. 981 and I think the 981's sound is just amazing. Everyone raves about it and it's totally true how amazing the sound is. However, the sound of the 981 Base really only comes on over 4,000+ RPM...meaning in traffic, I don't hear it. It's completely silent and not very interesting. When I daily drove my 987 Boxster, the sound comes on at 4,000+ RPM just like the 981 Cayman Base, however, even when driving at lower speeds, the 987 seemed to give off the engine sound, even short bursts of the throttle provided aural sensation. I think the 981 lacks that. So in this sense, I actually enjoyed driving my 987 Boxster in traffic and back roads more than the 981 because the sound was there to reward me when driving even at low speeds.
The 718 is a completely different beast and I feel that as great as the performance is, I won't track it and therefore I'll just be driving it normally. But you're right Fallout-NL, you can do a lot with the 718 at lower speeds/lower revs. I have a lot of fun moving the car around even in traffic because of how nimble and fast the car is. So I've learned to finally appreciate it. However, because of how fast it can go, I constantly find myself going up to speeds of 80-100 without even pressing hard on the throttle, like I'm barely at 2,000 RPM and I'm creeping up to 100 miles per hour without even knowing it since the chassis has another improvement over the 981 model... I feel less of the speed in the 718. I have to pay attention to my speed more often on the highway or even the streets. I know some people don't care, but in my area, there are a lot of police around rush hour and even sometimes at night when I drive. I don't want to be paying $600 speeding tickets again... Once is more than enough.
However, I'm now looking into getting back into manuals so after thinking about it, a Base Cayman 981 may be the one I am going for since it has a fantastic exhaust note. Why not the 987 Boxster/Cayman if the sound is fantastic at low and high speeds? To be truthful, my 987 Boxster had an engine failure due to the IMS so I'm a bit scared of that generation now even though I know models after 2008/2009 are safe. So I'm focusing on the 981 Cayman Base. If I control the car with a manual, I'm hoping to get the exhaust note better than if I drive it with the PDK. Regardless, all of these cars are amazing and each has its own quirks and characteristics.
Also, I've driven the FRS and I think it's great. However, I find the gearbox not as great "feeling" as the MX-5 and Porsches. So I considered the MX-5 and then eventually another car down the road, but when my friend expressed interest in the MX-5, I just decided to go back to Porsche Cayman 981. I'm still deciding, but we'll see.
It also feels that whenever someone in this thread posts a picture, I end up thinking about the S2000, MX-5 NC or something. This is a dangerous thread for me...
Since I know you have a Boxster as well, check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhLXvxlQR4&t=15s
Even compared to the GT86 and Nissan 370Z, I think I'd rather choose a Porsche Cayman 987. It's impressive a car as old as the 986/987's are still comparable and even better than the new sports cars now. But the one element that would push me to choose the 987 Cayman over the BRZ/FRS/GT86 and Nissan 370Z? The sound. Don't under appreciate your Boxster!
He mentions the actual feel of lightness which is important. I think there are several other factors that play into it as well.
For me, the main issue is track width and tire width and how they relate to wheel placement. In a smaller car; the lane is relatively wider and the are more possible lines. And with narrower tires it's easier to find a clean track on a less than perfect road.
Going back the the light fealing tho, occassioanly there is a heavy car that feels fun in it's own way. The way a light car can't, and not just in terms of power. In some heavy cars you can really appreciate the forces generated when it goes and brakes and turns.
You and everyone else will probably laugh, but I think driving heavy cars sometimes is hilarious and fun. I rented a Buick Regal 2011 earlier this year for business and it felt so heavy compared to every car I've recently driven. But it was a really fun car to drive for some reason. I had to handle the car differently than I would my normal Toyota sedans or small sport cars.
