Porsche Cayenne Diesel 958.2 vs Porsche Boxster 981: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Boxster hits 100 km/h in 5.60 s versus 7.11 s for the Cayenne Diesel. At this point, the Boxster leads by 1.51 s and sits roughly 7 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Boxster is doing 134 km/h against 118 km/h for the Cayenne Diesel. The gap is 0.72 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Boxster crosses the line in 13.86 s versus 15.22 s. The 1.36 s gap represents roughly 54 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the Boxster continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 185 km/h versus 163 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Boxster finishes in 25.21 s versus 28.17 s, with a 2.97 s lead.

The Cayenne Diesel features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Boxster’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Cayenne Diesel is capped at 217 km/h, the Boxster at 262 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (8.05 kg/hp vs 5.15 kg/hp) and transmission (Unknown vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 11.83 seconds. The 1.51 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.