The Porsche 718 Boxster serves as the benchmark for affordable sports cars. Of late though, it has been facing a lot of heat from its german nemesis, the Audi TT and the old warhorse Nissan 370Z.
The Audi TT is priced at $43,950 for the coupe and $47,450 for the convertible trims.
The Nissan 370Z is available in 4 trims, namely Base, Sport, Sport Touring, and Nismo. It is priced between $29,990 – $47,090.
The Porsche 718 Boxster, the most modern sports car of all three is priced between $57,400 – $81,900 and is available in 3 trims, namely Base, S and GTS. Such a wide price bracket ensures that there is a Boxster of almost everybody.
All the three cars offer good performance, but who will come out on top? Read further to find out.
Performance
Starting off with the heart(s) of the matter here, the Audi TT is available with a single powertrain, a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cyl. engine, which produces 220 hp of power and 258 lb-ft of torque, which is mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Power figures surely don’t highlight the capabilities of this vehicle, as most of the power and torque is available lower down the rev-band, which translates into brilliant driveability.
The dual-clutch gearbox is lightning fast with shifts with no lag whatsoever. What’s most impressive though, is the ride and handling balance of this car. Steering is well calibrated, which offers lot of feedback and the pliant suspension ensures the car doesn’t feel unstable or subdued around corners. Icing on the cake is the AWD system, which literally makes it your ‘take anywhere’ sports car.
In this era of downsized 4 cyl. engines, the Nissan 370Z, on the other hand uses a 3.7-liter V6 motor, which produces 350hp of power and 276 lb-ft of torque. The car can be had with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic transmission. While the manual gearbox is a joy to operate, the automatic gearbox too offers quick shifts without any delay. Power figures are surreal, and suspension is a bit firm, which translates into a brilliant ride quality. What lets the car down though, is the lifeless steering, which just fails to weight up as you gather pace. Straight line stability is good for the most part, but the car feels very subdued around the corners, because of the steering. This motor and gearbox combo is superb, its the steering which bogs its performance down!
The Porsche 718 Boxster is available with two engine options, a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cyl. engine, which makes 300 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. The other engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cyl. engine, which is further available in 2 states of tunes, in 350hp and 365 hp. The top of the line trim is available with the 365 hp tune engine, which produces 317 lb-ft of torque, and is mated to either 6-speed manual gearbox or a dual-clutch automatic transmission. Power is highest amongst its rivals, and the car feels sprightly right from the word go! Gear shifts are quick, and brakes are simply fantastic. What shines in this car the most is its steering and suspension setup, which make it a corner craver. Body roll is negligible, and ride quality is brilliant. Overall, this German trumps both its rivals in the performance department.
Design
All the cars here look like typical supercars, but its the 370Z which looks extremely dull and dated. Exterior design is nothing to write home about, and same is the case with interiors. The only saving brace are those alloy wheels, which give it a sporty and planted stance.
The Audi TT appears as the most understated, and its boxy design actually works to give it a very robust and bold look. The most pleasing looking of the lot though, is the 718 Boxster here, which looks like a proper ‘supercar’ from each and every angle.
Safety
The Audi TT ratings for safety are pretty good in comparison other cars. The car has the maximum safety features of all, and major automotive portals like CarHP have given it very good ratings as well. Standard safety features include multiple airbags, a rearview camera, and front and rear park assist, collision brake assist, blind-spot monitors and active lane control. Features like forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking are not available, which is disappointing.
As dated as the 370Z, it lacks almost all the modern safety equipment that competition offers. Standard equipment includes a rearview camera, but features such as blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control aren’t available.
The Porsche 718 Boxster, in comparison is available with better safety tech.Standard equiment includes multiple airbags are standard, smart traction and stability control, a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors. Automatic emergency braking and other advanced safety features such as blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control etc. are conspicuous by their absence.
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for raw performance, then choosing the Porsche 718 Boxster is a no-brainer. With its mouth watering performance and driving dynamics, it is that ‘proper’ supercar which fulfils all your enthusiastic needs.
The Audi TT offers pure driving pleasure, albeit with a compromise on the practicality front. It is also the most feature loaded supercar of all, and is an extremely value-for-money proposition.
The Nissan 370Z is the most affordable of all the three, but looks dull and dated, inside out! What works in its favour though is the naturally aspirated V6 motor, which offers enough performance to please maximum enthusiasts.
