Tips And Works

Sometimes, long-term cars arrive with little input from staff as to what options we might enjoy. Some automakers are more accommodating and allow us to build the exact car we want. Porsche is one of those. So when it came time to order a long-term Boxster S, we pored over roughly 15 pages of options and came up with a Boxster S that is the equivalent of a custom-made suit. Unfortunately, some off-the-rack staffers found the idea of a $79,075 Boxster to be wretched excess.

Admittedly, our Boxster S cost about six grand more than a base 911 runs today, but if you were invited to order a Porsche with the works, at no charge, wouldn't you?

We started by choosing the color scheme of the 2004 special-edition 550 Boxster S, a combination of GT Silver Metallic paint outside (a $3070 option) with a cocoa leather interior ($2465) and a matching cocoa top. That's a staggering $5535. The special leather covers the dashboard, doors, and seats with milk-chocolaty hides that drew many compliments in the logbook. We were just getting started.

Next came the so-called Preferred Package Plus ($4990) that adds power seats with memory, auto-dimming mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, heated seats, bi­xenon headlights, an upgraded Bose stereo with a trunk-mounted six-CD changer, and painted Porsche crests for the 19-inch Carrera Classic wheels ($1940). To keep the 19s from making the ride too harsh, we opted for the $1990 Porsche Active Suspension Management that provides a compliant ride in normal mode, stiffens in sport mode, and automatically adjusts during aggressive driving. The most expensive option turned out to be the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes at $8150. What attracted us to them were numerous complaints from Porsche-club members, so we wanted to see how they'd stand up to 40,000 miles of abuse. Toss in automatic climate control ($550), a sport shifter with shorter throws ($765), and $340 silver seatbelts (ya gotta coordinate), and you have a very special Boxster S. Our only regret was the $920 Sport Chrono stopwatch: It looked good, but we rarely used it to time ourselves. And, yes, we skipped a nav system because our experience with the one in our long-term Cayenne SUV didn't exactly impress us and because the interface increases the complexity of the radio controls.

After restraining ourselves through the break-in period, the Boxster was sent to the test track, where it screamed from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, stopped from 70 mph in 147 feet, and pulled a blackout-inducing 0.98 g on the skidpad. There were complaints regarding the high-effort feel of the short shifter. "It just trades travel for effort," said online deputy editor Dave VanderWerp. But the shifter did seem to loosen with age and would later receive its fair share of compliments.

As for that $8150 brake system, the advantage of six-piston calipers (up from four in front) is perfect brake feel, and the benefit of the bigger rotors (13.8 inches front and rear) is fade-free braking even after many high-speed stops, a huge asset at the track. But in everyday driving, our tests showed that the expensive brakes bested the standard ones by just eight feet in 70-to-standstill stops. As far as stopping distances are concerned, both the base brakes and the mondo-costly ones are so strong that they are limited only by the grip of the tires, not the clamping force of the brakes. So unless your Boxster is destined for several weekends of racing, it might be a better idea to leave the substantial cash for these ceramic-composite brakes in the kids' college fund. And although those pricey brakes proved fade-free, they did begin to make a scraping, squealing noise after a session at GingerMan Raceway in western Michigan. New pads at 31,750 miles cured the racket and were covered by Porsche's four-year/50,000-mile warranty. The pads weren't worn out-far from it, they were just noisy. Without the warranty, replacing them would have cost about $1000. To correct problems with early versions of the ceramic brakes, Porsche switched to a more-heat-resistant material and changed the cooling passages within the rotors. Previously, high rotor temperatures would cause the carbon material to degrade and the rotors to wear quickly, a serious problem discovered by Porsche clubbers who tore through the exotic rotors after only a few sessions at the track. After 40,000 miles, we noticed barely any wear on the rotors; pad life, even with a couple of track sessions, was estimated to be well over 100,000 miles. We did discover that the brakes are reluctant to provide initial stopping force when they're wet. Trying to brake after leaving a carwash, in heavy rain, or after the car has been sitting overnight triggers a rush of adrenaline and trepidation.

After eight months and 20,000 miles, the Boxster went in for its first service. Yes, Porsche has seriously long service intervals. We had made only one previous unscheduled visit to our dealer to replace a broken ashtray at 9854 miles. The 20K service involves an oil and oil-filter change with a series of inspections. Nonetheless, we were dinged an unmerciful $505. Making this stop even more painful was the fact that the original-equipment Michelin PS2 tires wore out at about 20,000 miles, so we could have added $1304 to the 20K stop. Instead, we replaced the Michelins with a set of Yokohama Advan Sports for $1155. In the daily grind, the Yokohamas seemed to offer the same grip as the Michelins, but at the track, the Boxster's skidpad number fell to 0.93 and the new tires required 10 more feet to stop from 70 mph. The good news is we wouldn't have to pay for service again until 40,000 miles. We also complained about a whining transmission, which turned out to be the fault of a noisy ring-and-pinion gear. Get this: Porsche replaced the entire transmission under warranty.

Despite having two useful trunks, the two seats in this mid-engined machine limited its appeal for cross-country trips. Aside from jaunts to places not too distant-Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois-our silver Boxster stayed here, speeding about Michigan's mitten. During winter, we outfitted the car with Dunlop Winter Sport M3s ($1194) on 18-inch Porsche wheels that cost $3344. Aside from a lack of ground clearance and lower limits, the Boxster on snow tires exhibited the same excellent handling when the roads were white.

An off-track excursion cost the Boxster two wheels and a tie rod that set us back an ankle-grabbing $3462, but the Porsche soldiered on to its 40,000-mile service with nary a problem. We think the bill for the 40K service-$619-another glorified oil change, should best be handed to the owner with a couple of nitroglycerin pills. And, don't forget, if you'd only used the summer tires, you'd be ready for a fresh set of $1300 rubber.

With 40,000 hard miles under it, the Boxster's structure quivered a bit more than when it went on its first date here-something we didn't notice until a new Boxster visited for a short-term stay. At this point, the long-termer's driver seat had a few welts, the steering-wheel leather had been rubbed smooth, and the floor mats were stained with salt, but the exterior was as fresh and striking as it was on delivery day. As one staffer put it, "Having a Porsche in the long-term fleet is critical because whenever you want a reminder of how the perfect car drives, what benchmark steering, brakes, and handling feel like, or how a sports car is supposed to sound, just grab the keys to the Boxster, and all other cars suddenly don't measure up."Dear Porsche: May we have another?

RANTS AND RAVES

DAVE VANDERWERP
The best brake feel of any car in my memory. The expensive brakes aren't grabby at all-they just erase speed right now and remind you every lap that you're braking too early.

STEVE SPENCE
Porsche engineering still has not designed a cup holder that will safely (and without a mess) transport a large cup of coffee.

K.C. COLWELL
Eighty grand for a Boxster. Man, I love this job. What's next, a paint-to-sample Cayman?

MIKE DUSHANE
It's hard to find fault with the Boxster S's combination of capability and comfort. It's my favorite car.

ANDRÉ IDZIKOWSKI
Measuring oil level is a pain in the ass. It sometimes takes five minutes to get a reading from the computer. What was wrong with the old-fashioned dipstick?

DAVE FERGUSON
Engine sounds great while accelerating. Found myself running it up whenever there was a wall or building to reflect the sound.

JARED GALL
Just backing out of a parking space is enough to get a feel for how perfect this car is.

2005 Porsche Boxster S

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster

PRICE AS TESTED: $79,075 (base price: $53,895)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 194 cu in, 3179cc
Power (SAE net): 280 bhp @ 6200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 236 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 95.1 in
Length: 171.6 in
Width: 70.9 in
Height: 51.0 in
Curb weight: 3114 lb

PERFORMANCE:

NEW:

40,000

Zero to 60 mph:

5.1 sec

5.2 sec

Zero to 100 mph:

12.8 sec

12.6 sec

Zero to 130 mph:

24.3

23.9 sec

Street start, 5-60 mph:

5.8 sec

5.7 sec

Standing ¼ mile:

13.6 sec @102 mph

13.6 sec @103 mph

Braking, 70-0 mph:

147 ft

157 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad:

0.98g

0.93g

Top speed (drag limited):

165 mph

EPA fuel economy, city driving: 20 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 20 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 5.5 qt

WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper; 10 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection

OPERATING COSTS (FOR 40,000 MILES):
Service (2 scheduled, 3 unscheduled): $1124
Normal wear: $1297
Repair: $0
Gasoline (@ $2.40 per gallon): $4800

NONWARRANTY REPAIRS: Crash repair (new front and rear wheels, new front tire, fender liner, ball joint, tie rod, and labor) $3462

LIFE EXPECTANCIES (ESTIMATED FROM 40,000-MILE TEST):
Tires: 19,500 miles
Front brake pads: more than 100,000 miles
Rear brake pads: more than 100,000 miles

WHAT BITS AND PIECES COST:
Headlamp: $957
Engine air filter: $36
Oil filter: $17
Wheel: F: $918, R:1023
Tire: F: $319, R: $333
Wiper blades: $37
Front brake pads: $331

MODEL-YEAR CHANGES:
2006: 2-stage front airbags standard, updated Porsche Communication Management system, new exterior color, optional tire-pressure monitoring system

BAUBLES AND BOLT-ONS

GPS RADAR DETECTOR: Aside from continual improvements in range and sensitivity, little has happened in the radar-detector world since the advent of laser detection. The $450 Passport 9500i (www.escortradar.com; 800-433-3487) takes the next great leap forward by adding a GPS receiver. This gives the 9500i features that go beyond the regular beeping and blinking. The biggest use of the GPS functionality is the ability to mark false alarms by location and frequency. The 9500i can also remember the locations of speed traps and warn you in advance. Our favorite trick, though, is to set the display to show your current speed, which is a handy guide to speedometer error. The 9500i is based on the 8500 X50 but adds voice alerts, auto volume control, and European Ku-band detection. As with the 8500, you can turn off any of the available radar bands, and the display can be set to show the strength of up to eight signals. It still doesn't have the directional arrows so admired on the Valentine One (there's a patent), but the 9500i's performance and features are strong enough to give it a solid following. - Michael Austin