[Robert]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/03/t...oxster-spyder/

Although they've already increased the output of the flat-six to 321 horsepower with a few ECU tweaks, the planned turbo upgrade will boost the power to 470 hp... at the wheels. In a 2,811-pound roadster.

This car is going to be sick. 470hp @ wheel for 2811lbs, plus the car is mid-engined. This is the M3 BMW should have built. I only wish its AWD.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by shift@red

This car is the complete opposite of nearly everything any M car stands for. Its a bare bones, no frills, not for the faint of heart people who really care about the thrill of driving and having a very capable weapon for track days and just nice weather in general. The feel, natural balance and sublime chasis of a boxster S, let alone the spyder is something bmw just cant compete with.

Taking out the radio and roof hardly makes it a spartan, purpose built track weapon. That would be an Exige, which is also 600-700lbs lighter.

[gonzo]

The balance of the car is what I wondered about. The owner Mike had this to say. Italics copy.

$80,000, $16,000 on top of your purchase, seems like a bit much but the car is going to shred the "big boys" at the track. The hp figure is WHP!!!

I think Spyder's are cool too.

It might seem then, that TPC is taking a balanced car and turning it into something more of a one-trick pony. Mike Levitas assures us it won’t end up that way, that it isn’t how he goes about building cars. “You have to love what you build. That’s how we gauge success.” And that’s why he won’t sell the turbocharger kit by itself. Everything is sold as a package with suspension upgrades, because everything at TPC is about creating a balanced package. To that end, he’s working on springs and sway bars that are dialed in for the Spyder, which Mike does admit will take less work than some other cars. He’s even developing a controller that takes the stock car’s two-mode shock adjustment (normal and sport) and instead makes them infinitely adjustable. This is all part of the hunt to balance ride comfort and track performance. “No downsides,” Mike says, “It’ll deliver everything that you’d get from a car right of the dealer lot.”

[graider]

Originally Posted by shift@red

This car is the complete opposite of nearly everything any M car stands for. Its a bare bones, no frills, not for the faint of heart people who really care about the thrill of driving and having a very capable weapon for track days and just nice weather in general. The feel, natural balance and sublime chasis of a boxster S, let alone the spyder is something bmw just cant compete with.

i wouldn't go as far to say bmw can't compete, more like bmw doesn't see a need to compete in this niche market.

[Robert]

I don't understand why BMW can't compete. If a Japanese manufacturer like Nissan can build a car going toe-to-toe with Porsche BMW can as well.

[DougLikesBMW]

Ooooh. I really like that Boxster.

[graider]

Originally Posted by shift@red

They tried to compete with the Z4M and didnt do well at all.

that is totally objective by what you mean by better. performance...probably because the cayman is the smaller dimension of the two..hence lighter.

but the z4m is loved by many. here is a good read...http://www.topgear.com/content/featu...ries/06/4.html

this quote below sums it up pretty well. maybe the porsche is better in your opinion, but to others the z4m is a better car. and it is cheaper than the cayman s I think.

"It's not to say that the Porsche doesn't flow - far from it - but the Cayman prefers an economical steady-state, let's-make-progress kind of driving, where the BMW is happy being flung about like a loon.

So there we have it. Putting the thorny issue of aesthetics to one side for a moment, here are two cars that are totally different in character. The BMW is instantly more fun. It reminds you why you like driving, but is also capable of taking a road apart in a monstrous fashion.

The Porsche rewards precision and commitment rather than show-boating, but always feels like a car designed right from the outset to be a missile. You will, ultimately, be faster in the more nimble Cayman S.

It's a better performance car. But you will have more fun in the Z4 because it's the more exciting driver's car. Head says Porsche, heart says Z4 M Coupe. Wallet says neither."

[jose330i]

The BMW Z4m was a great car. I don't know why it didn't sell very well.