- Joined
- Aug 19, 2007
- Messages
- 554
- Points
- 129
As most of you probably know, my little Barchatta was involved in an accident and was written off my the insurance company. I was tired from putting a lot of work into the car, so thought I would plump for something different this time.
I've only owned Italian cars my whole life (146, Punto, Spider, Barchetta etc), so I have no real perspective on whether or not the stereo typical Italian traits were true (you know, the old lots of 'passion but frequently breaking down' stuff). So, I took my chances and bought something... German!
I got myself a 2000 Porsche Boxster with low miles and in great condition, and thought that you guys may be interested in a quick comparison. Let me just sat that, firstly, the Boxster has done less than half the mileage of my Barchetta, and retailed for almost three times as much. Not a really fair comparison, but here we go.
Where the Porsche is better:
Build quality. This thing is built like a tank. Fat, heavy, bulky. Really nice engine, if more than a little 'dry'. All mechanical components seem to be lasting the 10+ years very well indeed. And the fact that I can get 33MPG from a 2.7 flat six speaks volumes for its quality.
Power. I think it puts down about 250BHP. It’s got a lot of torque, and can happily be taken to 7200RPM. Don’t mistake this for speed though, it never feels that fast
Idiot appeal. Frankly, idiots love it. Not matter where I got there’s a guy in a baseball cap saying ‘nice car mate’ or ‘shoulda went for the Boxster S’… People think I won the lottery, rather than bought a car the same price as a one year old Clio.
Maintenance. I put Petrol in the Porsche. That’s it.
Where the Barchetta is better:
In just about every other way to be honest. The Porsche is massive, nearly six feet wide, and god knows how long. Way too bag for a two seater.
The B’s engine sounded better, by a long way. Gone is that wonderful tight whine, replaced with… well, nothing really. The Boxster is nearly silent in comparison.
Looks. Self explanatory I think, not sure anyone thinks the Boxster is an attractive car. Not even me.
Interior. You would be astonished by the similarities between the Boxsters interior and a budget, 10 year old Ford Focus. Cheap, black plastic everywhere. Not a patch of the B’s nicely styled, gorgeous console.
To Drive. The Barchetta was tight, and light, took some winding up. In the Barchetta, you felt like you could really shift. Took lots of concentration and had a real thrill about the drive. Things rattled and shook, engine and wind noise was spilling out everywhere. Lots of drama, and lots of fun
Also to try and answer this front wheel drive / rear wheel drive thing – you don’t wouldn’t know the difference unless you lose traction. And in which case, you’re probably better off in a front wheel drive ;-)
This is purely a personal thing, and utterly subjective but do I wish I had gone for another Barchetta? Well, yes - if I had the time to look after her. It was much more fun to drive, and such a fun hobby to have. The Porsche is a great car in a lot of respects, but I have zero attachment to it. Secondly, I miss this community here. It’s nice to have an unusual car and be able to share the experience with a group of enthusiasts.
Ideally, I would have a Barchetta as a second car, but I’ll never be able to afford or have space for one. Maybe soon I’ll be in the situation of not needing to rely 100% on my car every day – if that happens, I’ll be getting a Barchetta again
Tony
I've only owned Italian cars my whole life (146, Punto, Spider, Barchetta etc), so I have no real perspective on whether or not the stereo typical Italian traits were true (you know, the old lots of 'passion but frequently breaking down' stuff). So, I took my chances and bought something... German!
I got myself a 2000 Porsche Boxster with low miles and in great condition, and thought that you guys may be interested in a quick comparison. Let me just sat that, firstly, the Boxster has done less than half the mileage of my Barchetta, and retailed for almost three times as much. Not a really fair comparison, but here we go.
Where the Porsche is better:
Build quality. This thing is built like a tank. Fat, heavy, bulky. Really nice engine, if more than a little 'dry'. All mechanical components seem to be lasting the 10+ years very well indeed. And the fact that I can get 33MPG from a 2.7 flat six speaks volumes for its quality.
Power. I think it puts down about 250BHP. It’s got a lot of torque, and can happily be taken to 7200RPM. Don’t mistake this for speed though, it never feels that fast
Idiot appeal. Frankly, idiots love it. Not matter where I got there’s a guy in a baseball cap saying ‘nice car mate’ or ‘shoulda went for the Boxster S’… People think I won the lottery, rather than bought a car the same price as a one year old Clio.
Maintenance. I put Petrol in the Porsche. That’s it.
Where the Barchetta is better:
In just about every other way to be honest. The Porsche is massive, nearly six feet wide, and god knows how long. Way too bag for a two seater.
The B’s engine sounded better, by a long way. Gone is that wonderful tight whine, replaced with… well, nothing really. The Boxster is nearly silent in comparison.
Looks. Self explanatory I think, not sure anyone thinks the Boxster is an attractive car. Not even me.
Interior. You would be astonished by the similarities between the Boxsters interior and a budget, 10 year old Ford Focus. Cheap, black plastic everywhere. Not a patch of the B’s nicely styled, gorgeous console.
To Drive. The Barchetta was tight, and light, took some winding up. In the Barchetta, you felt like you could really shift. Took lots of concentration and had a real thrill about the drive. Things rattled and shook, engine and wind noise was spilling out everywhere. Lots of drama, and lots of fun
Also to try and answer this front wheel drive / rear wheel drive thing – you don’t wouldn’t know the difference unless you lose traction. And in which case, you’re probably better off in a front wheel drive ;-)
This is purely a personal thing, and utterly subjective but do I wish I had gone for another Barchetta? Well, yes - if I had the time to look after her. It was much more fun to drive, and such a fun hobby to have. The Porsche is a great car in a lot of respects, but I have zero attachment to it. Secondly, I miss this community here. It’s nice to have an unusual car and be able to share the experience with a group of enthusiasts.
Ideally, I would have a Barchetta as a second car, but I’ll never be able to afford or have space for one. Maybe soon I’ll be in the situation of not needing to rely 100% on my car every day – if that happens, I’ll be getting a Barchetta again
Tony
