818 or Boxster: GO!

LuxInterior wrote: Boxster S. 818 = "Blank sheet of paper and you made it look like THAT?.. on purpose?!" Also no fan of the Suby sound track.

Couldn't agree more. The 818 looks like it was designed by a committee.

If they would have just taken the good from FD RX7, Opel GT, and maybe some Karmann Ghia I would have risked a divorce by now.....

LuxInterior wrote: Boxster S. 818 = "Blank sheet of paper and you made it look like THAT?.. on purpose?!" Also no fan of the Suby sound track.

Precisely. I had a donor vehicle and was in their showroom with checkbook in hand when they presented that abomination. No sale.

The saddest part is that they were thrilled with their own design.

The 818 looks cool. I'd like it a lot better if it had a roof and roll up windows.

I would buy a Boxster S over the 818 because it was engineered to be a DD droptop. For an auto-x/track car/weekend car, I would buy the 818R.

LuxInterior wrote: Boxster S. 818 = "Blank sheet of paper and you made it look like THAT?.. on purpose?!" Also no fan of the Suby sound track.

That was my exact thought after seeing the preliminary and then the final...

Boxster S. More practical to live with and subie engines sound like lawn tractors. For a track toy I think I'd rather give a shot at a locost or exocet.

I love the concept of the 818 but the execution falls short. If it had (much) better looks and decent weather protection I'd consider it as a 3rd car but right now the Boxster beats it hands down, even for a stripped out bare bones track only car.

They really missed the mark on styling

I know the 818 was much, much faster around the track, so if the question was track only, then I would say 818. But I have a Boxster that I did not have to build, and I paid less for it used than the price of an 818 kit.

818, because modding and maintaining a Boxster would rend my wallet in twain, and I think the 818 might actually be better looking, and would certainly not carry the same...perceptional baggage as a Boxster.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

Yeah dude, the 818 is homely, but so is the Boxster. (and so is the Exocet)

This isn't even a choice to me.

Boxter.

If I'm going through the effort to build a kit car, it sure as hell wouldn't be an 818. Especially since it lacks a top at this time. If building a dedicated roadster, I'd want a Galek J15.

I like the 60's sports racers and Can Am cars. I'm hoping to be well enough soon to work on my car projects. While sitting at home I was cruising the internet for old fiberglass bodies and came across a complete set of molds for one of my favorite looking cars of all time. I bought them and they are being shipped to me right now. It's mid engine and I would want a car with this body over anything else that I've seen.

The molds were pulled from an original Abarath SP1000. I realize that it doesn't represent something modern. But, to me it's stunningly beautiful.

[URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/fiatabarathside1000greatpic_zpsb6ca17ed.jpg.html][/URL]

Boxster S. But I'd flip my vote in a heartbeat if the FF Roadster was offered instead of the FF 818 - the Cobra is one of my bucket list cars.

Boxster S, as it would be a very good wife on the weekend vehicle as well as a DD.

I stated my choice and reasons previously but I will jump on the minor thread jacking, going on here.

The 818 is ugly. I don't remember the concept design in the competition looking this bad. I never thought this was the best idea out of everything offered, either, so maybe I am biased in my opinion here.

The classic representations below seem nice, you also have the Smyth G3F, which looks exponentially better than the 818. I have never driven either kit car, (I have seat time in the Boxster) and I say for them to compete they are going to have to be better than 99% of the kits out there. The Boxster is a very capable machine.

Boxster S. It isn't powered by Subaru and I think it looks better. It'd be usable in more situations.

In reply to jmc14:

Now THAT is what I would want a wildly impractical mid-engined toy to look like!!

Boxter. If I'm going with build-it-myself, no roof awesomeness, its going to look more like this:

Although, I really like that abarth 1000 too. Can I come to you and help you make two copies?

Driven5 wrote: In reply to jmc14: Now THAT is what I would want a wildly impractical mid-engined toy to look like!!

Yeah pretty much. Rather sexy!

Boxster, because I don't have a garage, am not sure I would trust something I have to put together myself, and because I already want one anyway.

I'll go 818 every time. For dd and track duty because finding subie parts is easy on the wallet and plentiful on Craigslist

I have no desire for either of them. But would seriously consider the red or green ones shown above.

In reply to jmc14:

I think you just found yourself a bunch of new "BFF's"

I'd love one of those with a 1000cc MC engine providing motivation.

Are we assuming a Boxster new enough to not have the risk of the unforeseeable and catastrophic IMS bearing failure?

PS: I vote Exocet as well. :)

In reply to Ian:

That's my plan. Hyabusa connected by to a 1:1 rear diff that has a built in reverse. This unit is used in off road buggies. There are a lot of engine/transaxle combos though. Passat/Audi engine and transaxle, Ecotec to the Passat/Audi transaxle, Ecotec to built VW bus transaxle (used off road a lot), or a front engine combo mounted in the back. But, I'm thinking the Hyabusa combo would be way cool. And the sound.....:) The original car weighed a little over 1100lbs. I think I can come in at that. We will see. I'm meeting with my chassis builder on Thursday to get that started. I can't work on it but I can over see it.

In reply to underwater: I'm putting my Cobra tribute up for sale. :)
Dedicated space frame, LS6 engine to Tremec 6 speed, 3:42 Vette aluminum diff, C5 Vette aluminum suspension. [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/cobra34rearatwaterstreet_zps57dfffa6.jpg.html][/URL]

a couple of other pics of the [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/fiatabarathsp1000interior_zps09a7eb2e.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/fiatabarath154from34rear_zps6294d269.jpg.html][/URL]

jmc14 wrote: In reply to Ian: That's my plan. Hyabusa connected by to a 1:1 rear diff that has a built in reverse. This unit is used in off road buggies. There are a lot of engine/transaxle combos though. Passat/Audi engine and transaxle, Ecotec to the Passat/Audi transaxle, Ecotec to built VW bus transaxle (used off road a lot), or a front engine combo mounted in the back. But, I'm thinking the Hyabusa combo would be way cool. And the sound.....:) The original car weighed a little over 1100lbs. I think I can come in at that. We will see. I'm meeting with my chassis builder on Thursday to get that started. I can't work on it but I can over see it.

Please keep us posted. If you're still in upstate NY, that's not terribly far away. I think I remember seeing you and the car in your avatar pic at the Watkins Glen Vintage Festival a few years ago. Can you post more info about that 1:1 diff w/ reverse?