The Boxer Market

328 or Boxer? Apples and Oranges. The 328 is a tossable around-town "beater", that you can drive every day, park at the mall or the office, and live with in town. The Boxer is Ferrari's "muscle car": it doesn't like tight spaces (other than the interior) and needs room to run. You might like to look at the supermodel, but trying to live with one is another matter.

Personally, I think the Boxer in red, and especially in two-tone red/black, looks so dated as to be silly. In black, they're sharp cars ... but they'll be mistaken by some for a 308. (But you'll know the difference.) Again, from a personal perspective, I got the 328 because I didn't much like the interior of the 308 (shared with the Boxer). If I had an urge to go for an "exotic", I think my preferences for appearance and interior would likely point me more towards a 288GTO than a Boxer -- but there's a bit of a price difference there.

But to put things in perspective: While I'd be tempted by a black BBi, the knowledge that a 550 is going to be in the same price range soon would deter me a bit.

So I think the question that we're approaching here would be:

Boxer or Maranello?

Discuss among yourselves.

 

I still say that IF you were to show up with your 930 I would whup you with my Boxer, and you can have a head start. Again, this is meant as a friendly challenge, so either accept it and let's have a fun track event, or stop saying so many negative things about Boxers on what is certainly a Boxer thread. If you have purchased a Boxer since the start of this thread, then bring the Boxer and I'll give you a head start in that too. Regardless, let's have a track event !
Note, nothing in this post is meant to be "mean spirited", the intent is to get together at a track and have some fun.

 

According to the specs the BB512i is the fastest from 0-62mph out of the three Boxer models. That may be due to it's lower 1st gear.

 

Franklin, are you challenging me to a race ? Fine, lets go 0-62 then !
Hey, I'm in Georgia too. what kind of car do you have ? I'm new to the forum .

 

I have a 1982 BB512i s/n 42213. I live in the Cumming area. I drive my Boxer at least once a week, usually on Saturday afternoon. While I don't want to fry my clutch with dead-stop runs, I'll be happy to have a go from 10mph or so. Give me a call if you want to go on a N.Ga.mountain ride together one Saturday(770.317.8836). And, FYI the Boxer will be a handfull around that tight motorcycle track you have rented. In fact, the first time I drove a Boxer was at that track, John Apen's 365GT4/BB and it was a butt-puckering experience. The Boxer is a great GT, but it ain't no track car...at least not in stock configuration.

 

Yes, I understand that a common problem with Ferrari ownership is failure to adequately budget for repairs , but just be careful and you should be OK.
I have not driven a Boxer, never even seen one except once at a car wash. I have a certain idea in my head about what the car will be like that I feel is fairly accurate. I expect the engine to be out of the car more than it is in the car. We might put the engine in another car and see how it works with a hewland. The car is to have fun with.
I'm glad you like Boxers now.
I still think you should consider coming to our track event. Close to the beach and the 4th of July, what more could you ask for.

 

Thank you

 

I also love the Boxers!

For those of you questioning the 328 0-60 times, here they are for the 328. I have all these magazines:

May '86 Road and Track: 6.0
August '89 Automobile: 6.6
Oct '89 Road & Track Special Series: 5.9
August '86 Road & Track: 6.0
Sept '86 Motor Trend: 6.47
May '86 Car & Driver: 5.6
Mar '89 Road & Track Sports & GT Cars: 5.9

5.6 to 6.6... pretty big gap, huh?

 

Franklin

with all due respect,you are peddling the same myths again regarding the acceleration of a 512bbi versus earlier models. The 365bb is lighter and more powerful and faster according to the specs, but then again I am as biased as you are!

 

That's not uncommon - the system is flawed.

Too much depends on launch technique from rest (& how mechanically sympathetic the driver is!). What we REALLY want to know is how fast it accellerates at full-throttle & with fast gear-changing from say 10mph/15kph onward. Clutch-dumping techniques shouldn't figure, but they do, hence the big spreads IMO.

 

My Boxer is the fastest. I can get it out of my garage in under 5.0 seconds!

 

Wana garage race?

 

drop the 328 and buy the boxer. you will not look back.

 

You're on... but you can't use a garage opener.

 

The ride height comment, I don't believe that Boxers in Europe sit as high as USA destined cars as their bumper laws are not same as ours. They don't have that fenderwell gap we see on US cars.

 

No Boxers were ever sold by the factory for the US market. When Boxers were imported on a "grey-market" basis, they were modified to be in compliance with US laws. However, I have never heard of anyone raising the height of a Boxer in order to comply with the US rules.

 

Boxers tend to have a large gap at the rear. However some boxers have way to large a gap. Apparently the suspension or shocks must be left loose after a shock change and car must settle for 24 hours before tightening whatever bolts are ivolved otherwise some rubber sponthing or other gets twisted and the rear sits higher than intended.

Sorry cant be more technical but I didnt understand the whole explanation when it was done on my car, two sperate techs have told me the same thing over 10 years. I can say that my car seems ton it sit right, and I haqve seen other boxer with jacked up rear ends, boxers neeed boxer specialists.