{"id":36653,"date":"2018-04-23T13:36:37","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T04:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=36653"},"modified":"2026-10-11T08:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T23:58:17","slug":"981-boxster-gts-owner-appeal-porsches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/981-boxster-gts-owner-appeal-porsches\/","title":{"rendered":"A 981 Boxster GTS Owner on the Appeal of Porsche\u2019s Last Naturally Aspirated Six-Cylinder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our 2016 Boxster<\/h3>\n

The 2016 Boxster GTS with a manual transmission in our garage was my husband\u2019s first Porsche. Porsche is increasingly focused on efficiency, and the 911\u2014and now the Boxster\u2014has moved toward turbocharging and smaller engines. That makes the 2016 Boxster one of the last six-cylinder models, often described as the final naturally aspirated six-cylinder Boxster.(The current 718 Boxster has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"*Photo courtesy of Aitan Kai on Twitter, <\/span>@ConeManLP826<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Day \u201cSomeday, I\u2019ll Own a Porsche\u201d Came True<\/h3>\n

My husband had wanted a Porsche ever since he was a student. Once owning one started to feel within reach, he was adamant: \u201cI\u2019m definitely getting a naturally aspirated six-cylinder model before they go turbo!\u201d<\/strong> When delivery day finally arrived, he captured the moment in a blog post:<\/p>\n

About 20 years after getting my driver\u2019s license, the day has finally arrived. When I was younger, I always dreamed of owning a Porsche\u2014and becoming someone who could afford one. Along the way, I often wondered if it was beyond my reach and told myself to stop dreaming about something so unrealistic.<\/p>\n

On November 21, 2015, my new companion was born at Porsche\u2019s Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart, Germany. After a long, long voyage by sea, it finally arrived in my hands. I never imagined I\u2019d actually be able to buy one\u2026 My younger self, 20 years ago, would never have believed it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My husband is usually so calm and reserved that he rarely lets his emotions show. I didn\u2019t know he could write something so heartfelt. I\u2019m genuinely happy for him\u2014he deserves a big congratulations.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s His Favorite Thing About the Boxster GTS?<\/h3>\n

The 981 Boxster GTS comes with a sport exhaust system as standard<\/strong>, and my husband says it\u2019s his favorite feature. Press the button\u2014or select Sport or Sport Plus mode\u2014and the exhaust flaps open, unleashing a wonderfully loud, soaring sound. It\u2019s seriously loud, but he often says, \u201cThat\u2019s a sound you just don\u2019t get from a turbo.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Is a Left-Hand-Drive Manual Really That Intimidating?<\/h3>\n

As for the handling, he says, \u201cIt carves through a bend, tracking the road precisely as if it\u2019s glued to the surface. It feels just like making a perfect turn on carving skis.\u201d<\/strong> I know what he means, even from behind the wheel of our Panamera. But I had to ask: \u201cIsn\u2019t it intimidating to drive a left-hand-drive car with a manual transmission?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a foreign car, the turn-signal stalk is on the left. In a right-hand-drive car, that means you\u2019re using your left hand for both shifting and signaling, which can make things more complicated. With the steering wheel on the left, I can shift with my right hand, and that feels more natural and secure. It\u2019s no problem at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also read that when quick, precise movements matter, using your dominant hand can be more reliable. It takes practice, of course, but keep working on those wrist movements and operating the shifter with your left hand can become second nature. That makes sense.<\/p>\n

Why the 981 Boxster Is Such a Special Car<\/h3>\n

My husband has also put it this way:<\/p>\n

There are plenty of cars faster than the Boxster, but I don\u2019t know another car that delivers this much fun and makes driving feel this good. I want to keep this Boxster for as long as I can\u2014right up until age catches up with me and I can no longer press the clutch. It\u2019s that kind of car.<\/p>\n

At a convertible owners\u2019 meetup yesterday, someone apparently asked him, \u201cPlease, you have to sell me that Boxster!\u201d He replied, \u201cNo way, this one\u2026\u201d\u2014and looked pretty pleased with himself. (Laughs.)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: my husband told me, \u201cGet that ridiculous automatic-only restriction off your license before the Boxster arrives!\u201d<\/strong> So about three years ago, I went to driving school with a bunch of university students and managed to get the restriction removed. But when I actually drove the Boxster around town, I stalled repeatedly on a hill start and ended up stopped in the middle of the road with my hazard lights on. The experience stuck with me, and I haven\u2019t driven it since.<\/p>\n

Still, I can drive a manual now, so I\u2019m thinking I\u2019ll set myself a goal of getting comfortable behind the wheel before the end of this year\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Our 2016 Boxster The 2016 Boxster GTS with a manual transmission in our garage was my husband\u2019s first Porsche. Porsche is increasingly focused on efficiency, and the 911\u2014and now the Boxster\u2014has moved toward turbocharging and smaller engines. That makes the 2016 Boxster one of the last six-cylinder models, often described as the final naturally aspirated six-cylinder Boxster.(The current 718 Boxster has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.) *Photo courtesy of Aitan Kai on Twitter, @ConeManLP826\u00a0. The Day...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=1239","footnotes":""},"categories":[72,32],"tags":[184,197,212,218],"class_list":["post-36653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-testdrive","category-aboutboxster","tag-porsche-boxster","tag-gts","tag-sport-exhaust","tag-218","en-US"],"yoast_head":"A 981 Boxster GTS Owner on the Appeal of Porsche\u2019s Last Naturally Aspirated Six-Cylinder - Porsche Owner's Blog from Japan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the 981 Boxster GTS ownership experience: why its naturally aspirated six-cylinder, manual gearbox, and sport exhaust make it so special.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/981-boxster-gts-owner-appeal-porsches\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A 981 Boxster GTS Owner on the Appeal of Porsche\u2019s Last Naturally Aspirated Six-Cylinder - 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