Featured Drool Worthy Nissan 2-Seater is Unveiled

I was using the GTS model that has the 4L flat 6 but with the manual transmission, which weighs 3,156 lbs according to porsche, 130 lbs more than the turbo 2L flat 4 with and equipment in the base model. The corvette has the automatic transmission, if you put that in the boxter the difference will be less than 500 lbs but still much less than the corvette. Both are mid engined 2 seaters that you can add expensive and sometimes heavy equipment to them. The Corvette has more expensive material and manufacturing technique but porsche on other things shaves weight.

looking at it you would think the corvette would cost a lot more to produce, but porsche charges more. I am guessing that extra price is all profit. The example is to show that good use of high strength steel with some aluminum can be very light. With the electric boxster coming out in a few years, I expect that this will be the last naturally aspirated, manual transmission true sports car.

 

I owned 3 mid engine Porsches. First I added a ski rack. Second put 4 CDs into the changer and carried a jumper cable and a car cover in the frunk. Third carried car cover and jumpers. Followed 6 forums for 20 years and never heard of anything adding significant weight to a Boxster. (Ah, a hardtop. 5% use those and most come off in the spring or sit in garages. Required for some track events which makes them super expensive.) Most owners want to remove weight especially unsprung weight. . Yes there are Audi and 'vette engine conversions in a very very few Boxsters but they don't add weight. By far the bulk of Porsches nowdays are semi-automatic transmissions (PDK). Very few manuals.

The 914 of '70 compared to the 718 of today was ~30% lighter. But the 718 is so much safer. Lots mandated by safety regulations.

I don't follow the 'vette mods.

 

My point was that in spite of using a conventional steel and aluminum body the boxster is much lighter than the carbon fiber, plastic, and aluminum corvette convertable. The other stuff is lighter than in the Chevrolet.

I did use the boxter gts that adds weight with a heavier 4L flat 6 engine and heavier weight in the 20" wheels and tires versus the base with 2L turbo flat 4 and 18" wheels and tires. I did not add the pdk transmission or the active suspension that both add weight.

The biggest weight gain you can add to the corvette is a hybrid system which adds 300 lbs and a motor on the front wheels. Different suspensions, wheels, and tires can add weight, but the base is 19" in front and 20" in the rear.