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 \u201cThe round trip from home to work is about 50 kilometers, so it feels like a waste to rack up the mileage just commuting.\u201d<\/strong> Since then, he hasn\u2019t used it for his commute very often.<\/p>\n My husband also takes our eldest daughter to kindergarten every morning. But even when he says, \u201cHow about taking the Boxster today?\u201d<\/strong> she often replies, \u201cNo way (-_-)\u201d<\/strong>\u2026which is another reason it\u2019s become a once-a-week thing. (Apparently, she\u2019s a little embarrassed to arrive at kindergarten in the Boxster\u2014maybe because he puts the roof down! lol)<\/span><\/p>\n And on the days he does commute in the Boxster, his first words when he gets home are usually:<\/p>\n Man, the Boxster really is such a great car! (\uff9f\u2200\uff9f)<\/span><\/p>\n Just the other day, he came home and said, \u201cThe Boxster really is such a great car,\u201d<\/strong> then added,<\/p>\n I\u2019ve put in a reservation for the Boxster Spyder, but honestly, I wouldn\u2019t even mind if I didn\u2019t get picked in the allocation lottery. The Boxster I have now is more than enough.<\/p>\n Really? It\u2019s that good? lol<\/p>\n He also says things like this all the time:<\/p>\n There\u2019s a rumor the next Boxster Spyder will have a \u201cGT3 engine,\u201d<\/strong> so I\u2019d love one. But if it turns out to have a four-cylinder when they finally reveal it, I definitely don\u2019t want it. I\u2019m happy with the Boxster I have now.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll soon be three years since we took delivery, yet every time he drives it, he gets excited as if it\u2019s his first time behind the wheel. lol I haven\u2019t sat him down and asked him about it, but I\u2019ve put together the reasons he often talks about.<\/p>\n My husband\u2019s Boxster has left-hand drive and a manual transmission. Even before buying it, he was adamant: \u201cIt has to be left-hand drive and a manual.\u201d<\/strong> He clearly loves driving a manual, and often says:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fun to become one with the car and feel like you\u2019re working as a team. I love that there\u2019s no room to let up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He says it often. By around 10,000 kilometers, he was shifting as naturally as breathing. Then, once he\u2019d passed 20,000 kilometers, he said the car felt like an extension of his own hands and feet.<\/p>\n With 330 PS at 6,700 rpm, the Boxster GTS is just underpowered enough<\/strong> 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n Every now and then, he\u2019ll 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\u2014but the fighter-jet-like acceleration feels dangerously intense, so he hardly ever uses it.<\/p>\n Most of the time, the Panamera cruises so quietly at around 1,000 rpm that I wonder, \u201cIs it about to fall asleep? (-_-)\u201d<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n My husband bought this generation of Boxster GTS because it was the last with a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. He was determined: \u201cI have to get one of these\u2014even if I have to squeeze in at the last minute!\u201d The naturally aspirated engine delivers smooth acceleration, and its crisp, high-pitched note bursts out with a satisfying \u201cwhoosh!\u201d<\/strong> I also love the \u201cbrrr-r-r\u201d sound it makes on downshifts. (Though when I drove it, I couldn\u2019t get it to make that sound. lol)<\/span><\/p>\n There are YouTube videos comparing the sound of the 981 with the 718, and I still think the 981 sounds better to my ears.<\/p>\n I used to think \u201cconvertibles are for show-offs who want to look cool.\u201d<\/strong> So when my husband suggested putting the roof down, I\u2019d refuse, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t want to do that around people\u2014it\u2019s embarrassing.\u201d lol<\/p>\nA Little Joy, Every Day<\/h3>\n
1. The Manual Transmission<\/h4>\n
2. Just the Right Amount of Power<\/h4>\n
3. The Naturally Aspirated Engine<\/h4>\n
4. The Roof Comes Down<\/h4>\n