Commuting in the 981 Boxster GTS

My husband commutes in his manual 981 Boxster GTS about once a week. When we first took delivery, he drove it to work every day to get used to the manual transmission and break in the engine. But at some point, he decided that “The round trip from home to work is about 50 kilometers, so it feels like a waste to rack up the mileage just commuting.” Since then, he hasn’t used it for his commute very often.

My husband also takes our eldest daughter to kindergarten every morning. But even when he says, “How about taking the Boxster today?” she often replies, “No way (-_-)”…which is another reason it’s become a once-a-week thing. (Apparently, she’s a little embarrassed to arrive at kindergarten in the Boxster—maybe because he puts the roof down! lol)

And on the days he does commute in the Boxster, his first words when he gets home are usually:

Man, the Boxster really is such a great car! (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

A Little Joy, Every Day

Just the other day, he came home and said, “The Boxster really is such a great car,” then added,

I’ve put in a reservation for the Boxster Spyder, but honestly, I wouldn’t even mind if I didn’t get picked in the allocation lottery. The Boxster I have now is more than enough.

Really? It’s that good? lol

He also says things like this all the time:

There’s a rumor the next Boxster Spyder will have a “GT3 engine,” so I’d love one. But if it turns out to have a four-cylinder when they finally reveal it, I definitely don’t want it. I’m happy with the Boxster I have now.

It’ll soon be three years since we took delivery, yet every time he drives it, he gets excited as if it’s his first time behind the wheel. lol I haven’t sat him down and asked him about it, but I’ve put together the reasons he often talks about.

1. The Manual Transmission

My husband’s Boxster has left-hand drive and a manual transmission. Even before buying it, he was adamant: “It has to be left-hand drive and a manual.” He clearly loves driving a manual, and often says:

“It’s fun to become one with the car and feel like you’re working as a team. I love that there’s no room to let up.”

He says it often. By around 10,000 kilometers, he was shifting as naturally as breathing. Then, once he’d passed 20,000 kilometers, he said the car felt like an extension of his own hands and feet.

2. Just the Right Amount of Power

With 330 PS at 6,700 rpm, the Boxster GTS is just underpowered enough to let you really work the engine and enjoy the high revs. By contrast, our Panamera Turbo has a mighty 4.0-liter V8, so in everyday driving the engine usually sits around 1,000 rpm. It rarely goes above 2,000 rpm.

Every now and then, he’ll switch to Sport Plus or hit the boost button to overtake on the highway. Sure enough, the revs climb straight to around 4,000 rpm—but the fighter-jet-like acceleration feels dangerously intense, so he hardly ever uses it.

Most of the time, the Panamera cruises so quietly at around 1,000 rpm that I wonder, “Is it about to fall asleep? (-_-)” When you think about it, the Boxster must be a lot of fun: you can rev the engine and, with the manual transmission, keep pulling all the way into the upper rev range.

3. The Naturally Aspirated Engine

My husband bought this generation of Boxster GTS because it was the last with a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. He was determined: “I have to get one of these—even if I have to squeeze in at the last minute!” The naturally aspirated engine delivers smooth acceleration, and its crisp, high-pitched note bursts out with a satisfying “whoosh!” I also love the “brrr-r-r” sound it makes on downshifts. (Though when I drove it, I couldn’t get it to make that sound. lol)

There are YouTube videos comparing the sound of the 981 with the 718, and I still think the 981 sounds better to my ears.

4. The Roof Comes Down

I used to think “convertibles are for show-offs who want to look cool.” So when my husband suggested putting the roof down, I’d refuse, saying, “I don’t want to do that around people—it’s embarrassing.” lol

But then I experienced the sheer joy of driving with the top down on a winding road and the Royu Driveway… The feeling of cutting through the air and becoming one with it is a little like riding a motorcycle (though I’ve never ridden one), and it’s absolutely “so ridiculously fun! (That phrase is showing my age.)”

You just can’t get that feeling from a regular car’s sunroof. It’s one of the special pleasures that comes with owning a convertible.

How Does It Compare with the Panamera?

That’s usually how my husband talks about the Boxster, but the other day he made an interesting observation:

“I usually drive the Panamera, and when I take the Boxster on the highway every now and then, it can feel a little scary. The Boxster can go plenty fast and it’s stable, but it can’t match the Panamera’s sense of security. I guess the Panamera’s extra weight helps it feel more planted and stable on the road.”

Well, the Panamera weighs two tons. It’s more than 500 kilograms heavier than the Boxster, so it makes sense that the ride and stability feel different.

After hearing all that, I’m reminded that the Panamera—with all the room to relax—suits me better than the Boxster, which demands your full attention. lol

→ I wrote about it again later in this article:

Three Years After Buying a 981 Boxster GTS: Inspection Costs and Our Ownership Review