Reviews

From the Archive: Chasing sunsets and driving enjoyment with the droptop 2006 BMW 650i, Cadillac XLR-V, Jaguar XK, Mercedes SL550, and Porsche 911. More

From the September 2002 issue of Car and Driver.
To use the new 450-hp Audi RS 6 as your grocery-getting daily driver is to use a broadsword as a butter knife. Looking very much like your average Audi A6, the RS 6 is glorious overkill.
Audi claims this 4050-pound all-wheel-drive sedan—third in a line of RS hot-rod Audis and the first to be sold in the U.S.—sprints to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That’s faster than the Mercedes E55 AMG by almost a second and fractionally faster than the manual-transmission BMW M5. The Audi easily reached an indicated 174 mph on the unlimited portion of the A92 autobahn near Munich. And so easily and with such supernatural stability does it maintain that speed that we found ourselves noodling with the navigation system while our co-driver bumped against the speed limiter. The limiter is set at 155 mph for all markets, so our test car had either a lazy limiter or an optimistic speedometer. Either way, 155 mph or 174 mph, it doesn’t really matter. Germany is the only place we know where one can fully exploit this car’s greatest trick—providing great speed along with great composure.

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What we have here is a grand German game of wonderfully irrational one-upmanship. Mercedes offers 349 horsepower in the E55 AMG? BMW has 394 horses in the M5? Then Audi will produce 450.
In the engine room of the RS is a hot version of the 4.2-liter, five-valve DOHC V-8 that powers the A8 and the upper-level A6. It has been worked over by Quattro GmbH. “Quattro” is usually a reference to Audi’s all-wheel-drive system, but here it applies to a performance arm of the company that is to compete with the M group at BMW and Mercedes’ AMG.
Two turbochargers have been bolted to the 4.2-liter engine, which in stock guise makes between 300 and 360 horsepower, depending on application. They blow a maximum of 11.6 psi of pressure and come with twin air-to-air intercoolers. The cylinder heads are modified for better airflow and cooling. The two exhaust valves per cylinder are sodium-filled to keep them cool. Freer-flowing intake and exhaust result in 415 pound-feet of torque delivered over a flat plateau between 1950 and 5600 rpm to go with the 450 horses. Its delivery is fluid and almost electric in its smoothness.
And that performance comes while routing the power through a five-speed automatic transmission, the only gearbox available. Audi says there isn’t a manual gearbox under parent VW’s corporate umbrella that can handle this much power. So the RS 6 uses the tranny from the 414-hp A8 W-12 (a car not sold in the U.S.). With this much torque and the quick shifts in either standard or sport mode, we didn’t mind giving our clutch-pedal leg a rest. Should you want to choose your own gears, Audi provides shift paddles behind the steering wheel.
When you need to slow the car more quickly than a downshift would accomplish—which you often will in this beast—Audi has you covered. Massive eight-piston Brembo calipers clamp down on 14.4-inch rotors in front, and single-piston calipers with 13.2-inch rotors handle the braking in back. Audi has upped the braking-technology ante as well. In place of a traditional rotor is a friction ring (the circular part where the pads contact) connected to an aluminum hub by 14 short pins. The pins allow the friction ring to move one millimeter either outboard or inboard. Audi says this allows the friction ring to stay in perfect alignment with the pad surface under extreme conditions. The arrangement also allows for better cooling and less unsprung weight. With full pressure on the brake pedal, the force of deceleration is nothing short of staggering, although the brakes on our prototype had a softer brake-pedal action than we’d like. We’ll have to test a production car before we pass judgment on feel.
The RS 6’s suspension is equally trick. The car comes standard with a semiactive suspension system called Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). Unlike Mercedes’ electronically controlled ABC pitch-and-roll-control active suspension, DRC is strictly mechanical—hydraulic lines that connect diagonally opposed single-tube shocks through a central reservoir and valve. Shock fluid can move around the car to selectively change the damping characteristics of the various corners. For instance, in an aggressive cornering maneuver, as hydraulic pressure in the shocks on the inside of the corner is reduced, hydraulic fluid and pressure move to the diagonal outside shocks, stiffening them to reduce roll. Yamaha developed the system for its racing motorcycles. The result is a reasonably soft ride (at least over well-maintained roads in Germany) and generally good body control for a two-ton sedan.
Audi also stiffened the shocks by 40 percent and the springs by 30 percent, compared with the A6 4.2 model. The entire suspension of the RS 6 is made of aluminum, including the front and rear subframes. To this Audi adds 18-inch aluminum wheels wearing 255/40ZR-18 Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires at all four corners.
The wheels and tires are the visual clues that this A6 is something special. Otherwise, the RS 6 has restrained styling. There’s a new front fascia incorporating intakes for the intercoolers, a new rear fascia to incorporate the large twin exhaust tips, a small rear spoiler to reduce aerodynamic lift at high speeds, and matte aluminum trim. The interior is near-standard Audi, but with the addition of special wood trim or carbon fiber as a no-cost option and perforated leather on the steering wheel and shift knob. Everything is standard but the navigation system and the rear side airbags.
Standard equipment, however, will not be what motivates buyers to step up to the estimated price (Audi officially says only that it will be “less than $85,000”). That estimate would make the RS 6 almost $10,000 more expensive than a BMW M5 or Mercedes E55 AMG. With only 860 RS 6 sedans destined for delivery to the U.S. starting next year, Audi believes there are plenty of people who will happily pay that much for massive overkill and grand one-upmanship.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
2003 Audi RS 6
VEHICLE TYPE  front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE AS TESTED $82,000
ENGINE TYPE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 40-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, Bosch Motronic engine-control system with port fuel injectionDisplacement 255 in3, 4172 cm3Power (SAE net) 450 bhp @ 6000 rpmTorque (SAE net) 415 lb-ft @ 1950 rpm
TRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 108.6 inLength: 191.3 inWidth: 72.8 inHeight: 56.1 inCurb weight: 4050 lb
C/D TEST RESULTSZero to 60 mph: 4.6 secStanding ¼-mile: 14.1 secTop speed (governor limited): 155 mph
FUEL ECONOMYEuropean combined cycle: 16 mpgUrban cycle: 11 mpgExtra-urban cycle: 23 mpg

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From the August 2000 issue of Car and Driver.
See that Northwest DC-10 over there? As a little joke, let’s grab that baby, tow it behind a hangar somewhere, see how long it takes ’em to notice some-thing’s wrong.”
“I don’t think so,” replied 31-year-old supertug driver William Jones.
“Come on. It’ll be funny. I promise we’ll put it back later. Probably.”
“No, really, I don’t think so.”
“Northwest has tortured me for decades. Let’s see if they have a sense of humor.”

2007 Elgin Pelican P Street Sweeper

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“They don’t. Trust me. They don’t.” At the time, Jones and I were at Newark International Airport, seated within the surprisingly comfortable cabin of a 255- hp, 35,000-pound Douglas-Kalmar TBL-280—a so-called supertug for which Continental Airlines had just shelled out $481,898. It makes as much torque as two Corvettes and can tow any commercial air-craft except a Boeing 747. If Continental needs to tow a 747, it simply fires up one of the TBL-280’s big brothers—the 540- hp, 53,000-pound TBL-400. That one costs $667,657.
At airports around the world, conventional tugs are a dime a dozen. They push aircraft away from gates and pull planes a short distance until they’re clear of ramp traffic.
A supertug differs in five ways. First, its cockpit is enclosed—heated, air-conditioned, and electrically demisted, in fact. Second, a supertug is in radio contact with everyone—pilots, air-traffic controllers, ground controllers, safety observers, possibly even with Major Tom. Third, a supertug is as simple to drive backward as forward, because its seat and instrument panel swivel 180 degrees. Fourth, a supertug can tow a 660,000-pound Boeing 777 to Akron and back, whereas conventional tugs tend to eat their transmissions after only a few hundred yards. And finally, a supertug doesn’t attach itself to aircraft via a steel tow bar. No, sir. Instead, it firmly clasps the aircraft’s front tires, then lifts the whole nose gear right off the ground. At which point it can carry a passenger-packed DC-10 forward, backward, in circles, through a slalom, and up to a velocity of 22 mph. In a straight clean-and-jerk vertical lift, the TBL-280 can hoist 77,162 pounds. The larger TBL-400 can lift 99,209 pounds or, if it feels like it, two dozen Cadillac DeVilles.
“Course, I’d never be at max speed with a ’10’ [DC-10] or a ‘triple seven’ [Boeing 777] on my back [clasped by the supertug],” says 30-year-old Donald Thomas, who is Continental’s manager of supertug operations and a former Navy jet-fighter mechanic. “The port authority has cops out there. You could get a speeding ticket.”
Cop: “What’s your hurry, son?”
Donald: “I was rushing to catch a plane, sir.”
Cop: “Looks like you already caught one. On your bumper there, son. Isn’t that an extremely large Boeing product?”
Among domestic carriers right now, only Continental operates this $5 million fleet of British-built supertugs. But that will soon change, because supertugs save money.
“Every time you move an aircraft under its own power,” explains Thomas, “you cycle its engines, which decreases the time between tear-downs. If the plane takes 15 minutes to warm up, 20 minutes to taxi to another terminal, and 10 minutes to shut down, then that’s 45 minutes off its air life. Also, if you let, say, a 747 move itself— even if it’s only 50 yards to an adjacent gate—the fuel it’ll burn would probably pay my salary for a week.”
There are other economic persuaders at work. Aircraft that are taxiing under their own power must be steered by pilots or specially licensed mechanics, all of whom earn more than supertug drivers. And large aircraft under tow often move more rapidly than under their own power, “because we know the taxiways better than the pilots do,” says Thomas, “especially the foreign pilots who have trouble with English.”
At Newark, the supertugs act as roll-on/ roll-off flatbeds, picking up dead or idle planes and moving them anywhere on the property. This movement of aircraft is a 24-hour process, starting at 5 a.m., when Thomas arrives. “First thing we do is make sure the RONs are in place,” he says, referring to the 50 or so aircraft that “remain overnight” and are the first to depart. After that, the supertugs fetch aircraft from remote locations—those in hangars, for instance, or at U.S. Customs, where planes disgorge passengers but cannot be serviced or reloaded. Thomas tows those aircraft to a terminal a half-mile distant. And finally, the supertugs are used to move aircraft that are broken: “A failed engine, a loss of hydraulics in a steering gear, a flat tire on an active runway—we’ll tow those out of the way to get fixed.” It is usually only for the latter breakdowns that Thomas and his 50-man supertug crew tow “live craft”—airplanes full of kicking and screaming passengers.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
Douglas-Kalmar TBL-280 Tugmaster
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 1-door towbarless aircraft handling tractor
PRICE AS TESTED $481,898 (base price: $481,898)
ENGINE TYPE Deutz BF6M1013CP turbocharged and intercooled pushrod 24-valve diesel 6-in-line, iron block and head, mechanical engine-control system with direct fuel injectionDisplacement 436 in3, 7145 cm3Power 255 bhp @ 2300 rpmTorque 698 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm
TRANSMISSION 3-speed manually shifted automatic
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 161.5 inLength: 319.0 inCurb weight: 35,000 lb
Fuel capacity: 71.3 galSteering: front-wheel, rear-wheel, 4-wheel, crabTires: Michelin X; F: 445/65R 22.5, R: 7.50R 15 XZR
MANUFACTURER’S PERFORMANCE RATINGSZero to 20 mph: slow enough not to slosh the champagneTop speed (unladen): 22 mphTop speed (towing a 140-ton aircraft): 15 mphBraking, 20-0 mph: (see “Zero to 20”)Roadholding: Oh, sure, more than 56 tons’ worthLifting capacity: 77,162 pounds
C/D-observed sex-o-meter quotient, unladen: 0.1%C/D-observed sex-o-meter quotient, towing: Air FranceConcorde with wine and meals in readiness: 92.8%

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Rock-hopper SUVs—Hummer H3, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Xterra, Toyota FJ Cruiser—on Mengel Pass, over hill, over dale, over Carl’s grave. More

From the July 2009 issue of Car and Driver.

With all the doom and gloom out there—evaporating 401k plans, exploding mortgages, pay cuts, Paula Abdul—this might seem like a bad time to buy a roadster. Two seats, flashy looks, extrovert performance, and a voracious fuel appetite are bound to anger your foreclosed neighbors faster than the Senate Finance Committee can bully you into returning your annual bonus. But if you haven’t already spent your ill-advised home-equity loan, now is the time to reward yourself with an automotive indulgence. If you are someone who still has a positive net worth, you can jump-start this knocked-down economy just by spending. And we’re here to help you make the best choice.
[editoriallinks id=’0d5f4331-8518-49ab-b7ce-11f4814bec2b’ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]

The idea was to round up a group of 50-something-thousand-dollar roadsters, but like the TARP plan, we blew through that ceiling almost immediately. The most egregious example is the Boxster S, which Porsche sent loaded with almost $20,000 worth of options—including the automaker’s new $3420 PDK dual-clutch transmission—for an overindulged as-tested price of $76,625. For 2009, the Boxster S comes with a revised 3.4-liter flat-six engine and freshened front and rear styling. It’s mostly direct injection that boosts the output 15 horsepower, for a total of 310.

Our second-most-pricey car is the new BMW Z4. The 300-hp sDrive35i starts at a not unreasonable $52,475, but a Sport package (which includes an adjustable suspension), a premium stereo, and a navigation system catapulted the sticker price to $65,345.

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To paraphrase sputtering congressman Barney Frank, there are people who, for economic circumstances, must accept the inevitability of not being able to own. In that case, you can do what we did when Chevy couldn’t find a Corvette for our test—rent one for a few days. But we had to make do with a year-old 2008 model. If you ignore the 15,000 miles on its odometer, the rental is mechanically identical to an ’09, which would cost $62,720 new.

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The only car that kept within our 50-something ballpark was the Audi TTS. It might even have arrived under that figure, but about seven grand worth of options put the as-tested price at $55,550, and that included $3000 for the Premium Plus package (the cheapest way to get a power softtop). The TTS comes with an upgraded 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 265 horsepower. In roadster form, the TTS folds its cloth roof into the rear seating area found in the coupe version.

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Fourth Place: Chevrolet Corvette
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A dead-duck fourth-place finish would seem contrary to the Corvette’s recent history of strong finishes in our comparison tests. But removing its roof results in less structural rigidity than the newer competition has. And don’t blame it all on the thrashing this car took in its life as a rental sled, evidenced by a few rattles in the dash and squeaky brakes.
The Corvette’s stock suspension and tires deserve some blame for the lackluster 0.83 g on the skidpad. We usually test Corvettes with either the Z51 handling package or the MagnaRide adjustable suspension, and both of those come with sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar run-flat tires in lieu of the longer-lasting Eagle F1 GS-2s. A slop-free steering rack drew praise, but the Vette’s handling is compromised by an abrupt limit in tire grip that left us shying away from exploring the edge of adhesion. Boasting the longest and widest overall dimensions of the group, with a wheelbase more than 10 inches longer than the Boxster’s, the Chevy felt unwieldy on California’s tight coastal roads. The suspension handles minor bumps without upset, but the residual vibrations can be felt through the whole car.
HIGHS: Glorious engine, straight-line speed, nifty head-up display.LOWS: Chassis flex, slow-reacting slushbox, rental-car interior.
Where the Corvette does impress is in a straight line. It tied for quickest in the 0-to-60-mph sprint and just ran away in the quarter-mile. That was expected, with the second-lightest curb weight and 430 horsepower—120 more than the Porsche. The small-block V-8 repeatedly surprised us with its soulful rumble and the way it makes power throughout the rev range.
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That said, this rental Vette had a slow-shifting automatic transmission that insisted on choosing high gears even in sport mode. Manual shifts provide a way to work around this problem, but they must be done well ahead of turning into a corner, lest a delayed reaction causes the gear­change to occur midway through the curve. Plus, the tall gearing in first severely limits burnout potential, and what’s a Corvette that can’t smoke its rear tires on command? Our advice is to stick with the stick shift and save $1250.
Previous comparison tests have pitted the Corvette against more expensive competition, which allowed us to forgive the cheap plastic and dated readouts of this car’s interior. But the price excuse vanishes when the Corvette is pitted against cars with similar window stickers. Our test Vette came with the $6550 3LT package, which includes a power top and a heads-up display, but at this price, we expect more than manual-reclining seats. GM has nicer interiors in lesser-priced cars, and the Corvette needs to do better. When this generation was new, we praised Chevy for improving the Vette’s cabin materials, but it still has a long way to go before it earns any unqualified compliments.
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THE VERDICT: A sledgehammer among ice picks.
As noted, this softtop is not a ZR1, and four years into its product cycle, the convertible version of one of our favorite sports cars is very noticeably aged.
2009 Chevrolet Corvette430-hp V-8, 6-speed automatic, 3300 lbTrunk volume, top up/down: 10/7 cu ftRoof down/up: 17/20 secBase/as-tested price: $54,170/$62,720C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 4.3 sec100 mph: 9.6 sec1/4 mile: 12.6 @ 116 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 171 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 gC/D observed fuel economy: 15 mpg
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Third Place: Audi TTS
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We fully expected the Audi’s three competitors to smoke the TTS, and they did—in a straight line. The Audi has the second-highest curb weight—180 pounds more than the Boxster S—and the lowest power output of this gang, which is a recipe for slow acceleration. All-wheel drive and a quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission make the best of the situation, but the TTS’s 0-to-60 time of 5.6 seconds (0.8 second behind the TTS coupe’s) is still well off the pace.
When we left the highway and started bombing down back roads, however, the TTS not only kept up with the others, it did so with relative ease. The way the engine responds willingly above 5000 rpm belies its on-paper performance, but the Audi’s real advantage is its handling. Second-best skidpad and braking figures—0.93 g and 160 feet from 70 mph—only tell part of the story. Surprisingly neutral handling and brakes that refuse to fade make the TTS both fast and forgiving. Even in sport mode, the magnetic shocks offer the best combination of ride and handling: always firm and never harsh. That said, the car’s short wheelbase means it occasionally bobs over some stretches of wavy highway concrete.
Our other complaint is the transmission’s slow response from rest. Press the gas, wait for the clutch to engage, and then wait for the turbo to spool up. The process leaves plenty of time to contemplate your mortality while attempting to pull out into traffic. And there are no aural delights to be found in the subdued engine note, unless you find the occasional psshh from the turbo-blowoff valve particularly appealing.
The TTS is comfortable, with a spacious cabin, the largest trunk with the top down (the Porsche’s greater cargo volume is split between two compartments), and a power wind blocker. But the windowsills and the dashboard feel like they’re at neck level. You sit in the TTS as if in a bathtub, though large side mirrors aid in outward visibility. And a note to Audi designers: We don’t all drink Red Bull, so please allow both cup holders to accommodate a 20-ounce soda bottle.
The power deficit in the TTS will be answered by the 340-hp TT RS (as yet, an uncertain import here) and its significant price premium. After driving the TTS, we’re not sure much improvement is necessary.
2009 Audi TTS265-hp inline-4, 6-speed automatic, 3400 lbTrunk volume, top up/down: 9/9 cu ftRoof down/up: 10/12 secBase/as-tested price: $48,325/$55,550C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 5.6 sec100 mph: 14.5 sec1/4 mile: 14.2 @ 99 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 160 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.93 gC/D observed fuel economy: 16 mpg
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Second Place: BMW Z4
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It’s hard to stop looking at the Z4. It’s a pretty car, and the mixture of creases and curves resolves pleasingly with the roof in place or folded down. The BMW has the only folding hardtop in the group and, as a result, the quietest cabin. The penalty is extra curb weight—it’s the heaviest, at 3520 pounds—and a cargo hold that is mostly used up by the stowed top. The heft is compensated for by BMW’s familiar 300-hp, twin-turbo inline-six, and just like the 1- and 3-series cars, the Z4 offers right-now responsiveness. It also tied the Porsche for the best observed fuel economy over our 550-mile test, equaling its EPA city rating of 17 mpg. Its smooth-shifting manual transmission testifies to why we will always love changing gears with three limbs, even if the procedure isn’t as idiot-proof as with the dual-clutch boxes in the Audi and the Porsche.
HIGHS: Gorgeous styling inside and out, twin-turbo six continues to impress.LOWS: Vague steering and odd suspension tuning are more suited to semi-relaxed driving.
The BMW’s smart exterior looks are matched inside, especially with the $2050 Ivory White Extended Leather package. Surfaces that are not leather are finished in high-quality plastics. Even the high-resolution, widescreen LCD for the navigation system gives off high-end vibes. BMW’s latest iDrive controller comes bundled with the nav package; non-nav versions have a storage bin in place of the LCD. The cosseting cabin comes at a price: $2500 for the Premium package (includes power seats), another $500 for heated seats, $2000 for premium sound, and $1900 for the Sport package.
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The Sport package adds high-performance tires, sport seats, and the M adaptive suspension, which varies the shock absorbers among three settings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t add enough sport to the Z4. In the most comfortable setting, “normal,” the Z4 rides like it has taffy for dampers. Highway cruising is supremely comfortable, but cornering requires the stiffer “sport” or “sport plus” modes. In any situation, the Z4 has an abundance of body roll, and the steering supplements its artificial weight with a lack of feedback. In tight corners, the Z4 starts to understeer before the front end finally bites, requiring a steering correction. On curvier roads, the Z4 takes more effort to drive as quickly as the Audi and the Porsche but returns less enjoyment. This car’s electric parking brake shows BMW’s true intentions here. Our beloved “hand-brake revectoring” is simply not in the game plan. There’s plenty of luxury, but we found ourselves wishing for a little more sport.
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THE VERDICT: A luxury convertible with sporting pretensions.
2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i300-hp inline-6, 6-speed manual, 3520 lbRoof down/up: 22/20 secTrunk volume, top up/down: 11/6 cu ftBase/as-tested price: $52,475/$65,345C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 4.8 sec100 mph: 11.7 sec1/4 mile: 13.5 @ 106 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 161 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 gC/D observed fuel economy: 17 mpg
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First Place: Porsche Boxster
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Evidence of why Porsche is the world’s most profitable automaker can be found in this Boxster S’s sticker. Piled onto the $57,495 base price—highest in this test—is an outlandish list of options that translates into pure gravy for Porsche. Luxury items that are usually standard elsewhere at this high base price include bixenon headlights for $1560, power seats for $1550, heated seats for $500, and automatic climate control for $550. Considering these price tags, the $190 heated steering wheel seems a bargain. Performance parts alone on our test car total $6960: $3420 for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, $1990 for the dynamic shocks, and $1550 for 19-inch wheels and tires. But the floor mats cost just $90, and, surprisingly, the paint is a no-charge item.
HIGHS: God’s own steering response, glorious engine note, excellent transmission.LOWS: Infuriating steering-wheel shift buttons, track-stiff ride, ridiculous option pricing.
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We simply cannot resist the Boxster S, hurtful prices and all, because it’s a benchmark for responsive handling. The chassis reacts so directly to steering inputs that it makes its competitors seem plodding. Give the wheel a twitch, and the Porsche will move a 10th of an inch closer to the apex. Best-in-test braking (155 feet from 70 mph) and skidpad grip (0.94 g) back up subjective impressions.
The engine is equally responsive, revving freely up to the 7400-rpm redline. With the help of launch control and shorter gearing in the first few ratios (compared with the previous six-speed manual), the Boxster S clobbers 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, equaling the Corvette’s run and bettering by 0.6 second the quickest manual Boxster S we’ve tested. Stomp the throttle at launch, or even from a slow roll, and the revs jump to about 5000 rpm while the transmission slips the clutch. The result is instant power without any wheel hop or excessive tire spin.
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Price is not our only gripe. The transmission is controlled by a highly annoying pair of buttons on the steering wheel. Push the front of either button to upshift and pull the backside to downshift instead of the more natural left-upshift, right-downshift paddles in other cars. The Corvette uses a similar scheme, but the Porsche’s buttons are clunkier. Also, the ride is stiff enough to make the car buck over rough surfaces, and that’s in the more comfortable of the two suspension settings. A couple of drivers in our group thought the seats too stiff as well, and the bolsters too narrow.
THE VERDICT: So inherently good that we’re willing to justify paying through the nose for one.
But none of us would argue that the Boxster S is not absolutely thrilling to drive, even at a price that would leave us in need of a federal bailout.
2009 Porsche Boxster S310-hp flat-6, 7-speed automatic, 3220 lbRoof down/up: 12/12 secTrunk volume, top up/down: 10/10 cu ftBase/as-tested price: $57,495/$76,625C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 4.3 sec100 mph: 10.7 sec1/4 mile: 12.9 @ 109 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 155 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.94 gC/D observed fuel economy: 17 mpg
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