Porsche Owner Husband’s Impressions of the Roadster

First Impressions

Starting off gently, the first thing I noticed was that the engine sound was very ordinary. It sounded like a typical passenger car. Reading the Roadster’s development stories, I often see phrases like “We were obsessed with the sound and tuned it thoroughly,” but I thought, “Hmm, it’s surprisingly quiet and normal-sounding.”

Shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear and accelerating, I felt, “It’s not moving much. Or rather, the revs rise slowly.” No wonder — my body was still tuned to the 500hp GT3 I had just been driving in manual.

Cornering

Calming down and setting aside preconceptions, I faced the car head-on.

Feeling the power delivery and engine response, I took a corner slowly. Then, all the negative impressions I had vanished like a lie. The tires’ grip was clearly communicated through the steering and chassis, and there was no hint of body weakness. The chassis rolled moderately with good front-to-rear balance, and the outside tires bore weight firmly.

It cornered very smoothly and stably.

I had driven the NB and NC generations a bit long ago, but honestly, I didn’t expect it to drive this well.

Compared to the Boxster, the Roadster has more body roll, but that roll never feels unstable. The roll doesn’t just keep increasing lazily; it stops sharply at a certain point, and the car uses that roll to shift weight side to side for cornering. This particular car has upgraded stabilizers, so I don’t know how the stock setup feels, but it was very well balanced.

By comparison, the Boxster runs flatter and feels like it corners more with front-to-rear weight transfer than side to side. Being mid-engined, it pivots around its center like a spinning top, but the Roadster’s rotation axis seems a bit further forward, closer to the driver’s seat.

Driving it is genuinely a blast. It feels like I’ve become a better driver as I smoothly carve through winding roads. I kept exclaiming to myself, “This car is amazing!!” (I got a bit carried away).

At 3rd and 4th gears, the engine sound was very different from my first impression. It’s not flashy, but it’s pleasant. If I had to describe it in onomatopoeia, it would be “broom, broom,” but there’s a rhythm and heartbeat to it that makes it a really nice sound.

It made me think, “Cruising down a country road in a lower gear would be so enjoyable.”

Engine Power

The engine power also surprised me. Contrary to my initial impression, the balance with the lightweight body of just about 1 ton felt excellent. It might feel underpowered from a standstill, but when flowing through winding roads, it feels just right — manageable and fully controllable, which is very fun.

So overall, it has enough power for enjoyable driving. It reminded me again that cars shouldn’t be judged by power alone.

Brakes

Regarding the brakes, I felt they are more about adjusting by pedal travel than pedal force. Personally, I’d prefer a bit more stopping power. This was the biggest difference I felt compared to the Boxster during this short test drive. Of course, there are other differences, but this was the most striking.

With Porsches, every model has a certain “fun and satisfaction” when pressing the brake. While any car can give you the joy of acceleration, Porsches also give you the joy of deceleration — the satisfying feeling of slowing exactly as you want.

The Roadster’s brakes didn’t quite deliver that level of fun, but I should add that I never felt unsafe or uneasy.

Overall Impression

That’s my brief impression. If I were to choose among Japanese cars, the Roadster would definitely be on my list. Honestly, if I didn’t own a Boxster, I’d probably be running to the Mazda dealer right now.

Compared to the first generation, the Roadster has gotten pricier, but for this performance, it’s reasonable — even a bargain. Of course, the Boxster is in a different price range, so if you compare hard specs like power and brakes, the Boxster wins hands down.

However, even though their goals and directions differ, the Roadster’s fun factor in the soft aspects rivals the Boxster. Especially on compact winding roads like the Royu Driveway, its fun and feel are truly wonderful. While personal preferences vary, I can confidently say the difference isn’t as big as the price gap.

There’s a certain company slogan, “Fun to Drive,” but honestly, that phrase should belong to the Roadster. It’s that fun of a car.

Thank you very much to the owner!