My Porsche-driving husband's impressions of the Roadster test drive.

first impression

When we started the car, the first thing we noticed was that the engine sound was quite normal. It sounded like a normal passenger car, and if you read the development story of the Roadster, you will often hear people say, "We put a lot of effort into the sound, and tuned it. We tuned it. I was surprised at the sound of the engine, which sounded like a normal passenger car.Hmmm, such a mature and normal sound.I felt like, 'I'm not going to be able to do this.

I shifted from second to third gear and tried to accelerate. The car is not moving forward. Or rather, the rpm rise is too slow. That's how I feel. No wonder. My body, which had been driving a 500ps GT3 with a manual transmission just a few minutes ago, had completely lost its standards.

cornering

Calm your mind, discard your preconceptions, and face the car head-on.

While feeling the power and the way the engine turns, we first try to turn a corner slowly. Then, theImpressions that I had felt negatively before are gone as if they were lies.The ground contact of the tires is firmly transmitted to the steering wheel and chassis, and there is not the slightest sense of weakness in the body. The chassis rolls moderately with a good front-rear balance, and the outside tires are firmly loaded.

And it turns corners very smoothly and stably.

I had driven the NB and NC for a little while a long time ago, but I have to admit that I did not expect the car to run so well.

Although the roll is greater than that of the Boxster, there is no instability in the sense of roll at all.Moreover, the roll does not lean forever; it stops at a certain point and uses the roll to turn with the load from both sides, and the car corners like that. The sway bar had been changed on this car, so I don't know how it would be with the stock sway bar, but it was very well-balanced.

Incidentally, compared to the Boxster, the Boxster runs with a flatter posture and gives the impression of turning with front and rear loads rather than left and right. And since it is mid-ship, it seems to turn around the center of the car like a frame.I wonder if the roadster's axis of rotation is a little more forward and closer to the driver's seat.I think."

It's really a heck of a lot of fun to run.I was driving through the winding roads as if I had become a better driver. I was having so much fun that I was thinking to myself, "I'm not going to be able to drive this car.This car is soooo good!!!!I made a lot of noise by myself, calling out 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry' over and over again (sweat).

When running in 3rd or 4th gear, the engine sound was very different from the impression I had at first. It is not a loud sound by any means, but you can hear it and think, 'comfortableIt was a nice sound. The sound could only be described in onomatopoeic letters, "boom, boom, boom," but there was more of a sense of rhythm, a sense of pulse, combined with a pleasant, good sound.

It's the kind of tone that makes you think, "This would feel great if I were cruising down a country road in the countryside in one or two lower gears.

Engine Power

The same is true for engine power. The engine power is also a big change from the first impression when starting out, and it is now more like aIt feels very well balanced with the lightweight body, which weighs only about one ton.In terms of acceleration performance from 0 km/h, it may indeed be underpowered, but when driving down a winding road, it does not feel that way, and gives the impression of power that can be handled and handled within the hand, and this feeling of being able to use it all up is very enjoyable.

Therefore, I have the impression that the power is sufficient for driving. I feel once again that a car should not be described only by its power.

brake

Next, when it comes to the brakes, I felt that they are the type that are adjusted by stroke rather than by tread force. Personally, I think a little more stopping power would be good here.This is the main difference between the Boxster and the Boxster that I felt during my short test drive.Of course, there are other differences, but these are the most striking. Of course, there are other differences, but these are the most striking.

In the case of Porsche, every car model has a kind of "fun and pleasant feeling" that is felt by stepping on the brake. While the feeling of accelerating with the accelerator pedal can be felt in any car, Porsche has a feeling of the opposite. There is the feeling of decelerating as expected by stepping on the brake.

I should add that the roadster's brakes did not make it that much more interesting or fun, but it still did not make me feel unsafe or insecure.

Sohyo (General Council of Trade Unions of Japan)

The above is a short review, but this is all my impressions so far. If I had to choose among domestic cars, the Roadster would definitely be on my list. Frankly, if I didn't have a Boxster.I'm running to the Mazda dealership right now though.Id.

Although the Roadster is more expensive than the first generation, it is still a reasonable, or rather, a good value for this performance. Of course, the price range of the Roadster is quite different from that of the Boxster, so if we compare the absolute performance and hardware values such as power and brakes, the Boxster is naturally superior.

However, even though the direction and the goal are different, the level of fun in terms of software is no less than that of the Boxster. Especially on compact winding roads such as Ashiu, the fun and feeling is truly wonderful. There isAlthough there is a difference in personal preference, I can assure you that the difference is not as great as the difference in price.

There is a catchphrase from a certain company, "Fun to Drive," which should be used for the Roadster. It was such a "fun" car that I thought so.

Thank you, owner!