Porsche BOXSTER RANGE (NEW)
Porsches Boxster Is Back, Sharpened, Fettled And, Despite The Evolutionary Styling, Markedly Different. Andy Enright Takes A Look At Whats On Offer
The eyes have it. Like the 911 before it, Porsches latest shape Boxster has abandoned the smeared-on runny egg headlamps in favour of a purer oval shape. Aside from that, the car looks very little different to its immediate predecessor, making one wonder what the brouhaha surrounding this car is all about. This, after all, was the roadster that was supposed to knock upstart pretenders like the Mercedes SLK and the
BMW Z4 for six.
Porsches confidence is infectious, however, and the realisation that beneath those lookalike body panels is something quite special doesnt take long to coalesce.
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Eight years is a very long time for any car to spend at the top of the tree. First shown at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show and launched to rapturous acclaim in 1996, the Boxster has undergone a number of revisions since, upping its power from 204bhp to 220bhp in 1997 by the simple expedient of giving it a bigger engine 2.7-litres as opposed to 2.5.
They also introduced the range-topping S derivative with its 252bhp 3.2-litre engine. A subsequent revision saw the base models engine given a mild tune, lifting peak power to 228bhp, and a set of subtle nips and tucks to the styling. The latest model takes a more fundamental reappraisal of the Boxster theme with almost 80 per cent of its componentry being either new or heavily revised.
Every single body panel is different with larger air ducts at the front and a sleeker look to the front bumper area. The indicators are still integrated into the headlamp assemblies but this time round, the effect is neater, giving the Boxster a far more classic
Porsche look. The wheelarches reprise the styling of the original 1993 show car with a more pronounced Coke bottle profile. The doors are reshaped with better quality handles and the tail lamps are that little bit more angular, spread across the cars haunches.
"Dont be fooled by the subtle styling. Porsche have blown the budget on the Boxster."
Two models are offered, the standard 240bhp 2.7-litre car and the rorty 280bhp Boxster S, identifiable by its twin exhausts. Both engines have been heavily massaged compared to their predecessors, with revised intake manifolds, combustion chambers and exhaust assemblies that together add power and comply with EuroIV and LEV (low Emissions Vehicle) regulations. The 2.
7-litre engine gets a 12bhp power pep-up with torque swelling to 199lb/ft. Opt as most British customers will for the Boxster S and youll get 236lb/ft of torque kicking in at 4,700rpm. Deploying power to the road is a beefier five-speed transmission in the Boxster and a six-speed Getrag box in the S. A DSG twin-clutch gearbox similar to that pioneered by
Audi is also expected to make an appearance in the future, but for the time being, the rather less high-tech ZF Tiptronic five-speed automatic is offered as an option for those who dont do clutch pedals.
Of course, added power usually equals better performance and the Boxster models are no exception. Weight has crept up slightly by 20kg and 25kg for the Boxster and Boxster S respectively but the power to weight ratios are incrementally improved. Even the standard car will notch off the sprint to 60mph in six seconds flat on the way to a top speed of 159mph. Plump for the S and youre getting a genuinely quick car, its 5.
5-second showing to 60mph and 167mph top end marking it down as a genuine junior supercar performer. Although the basic shape has remained the same, dimensions are up a little on the old car, being 9mm longer, 20mm wider and 5mm higher. The underbody has come in for some special attention with a flat tray covering much of the floor, helping to drop the drag coefficient from 0.31 to a very slippery 0.
29. Lift has also been reduced and the electrically powered rear spoiler is now a tad bigger and more aerodynamically effective. The interior is where the most obvious changes have been wrought. Even the most ardent Porschephiles couldnt really defend the old Boxsters levels of fit and finish compared with the latest Mercedes and
BMW models.
Tap the top of the instrument binnacle on the old car and it felt as if the tachometer reset switch was about to drop into your lap. Porsche promise no such repeat performance this time round, the cabin being styled in the same vein as the 997-series 911. A multi-function multi-adjustable steering wheel, expensively slush-moulded fascia and the option of a colour LCD display imbue the cabin with a more upmarket feel and the seats have been redesigned to offer more comfort for larger drivers. Safety has also been improved, with the debut of door-mounted airbags that work in conjunction with thorax bags to reduce the effects of a side impact.
Twin front airbags are standard, as is the latest version of Boschs four-channel anti-lock braking system and Porsches PSM stability control system. It should take quite some physics to test the PSM unduly but the Boxster looks capable of generating some serious g-forces. Bigger wheels and tyres have allowed Porsche to fit bigger brakes, the S getting the option of the hideously expensive but massively powerful Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes. The steering has been modified to offer a smoother gradation in the amount of assistance it offers.
Wider tracks and a reworked front suspension layout also promise to endow the Boxster with even better roadholding than before. Porsche insiders claim that with race ace Walter Rohrl at the helm, the Boxster S can lap Germanys Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in 8minutes and 18 seconds a massive nine seconds quicker than its predecessor and within shouting distance of Porsches 911 Carrera 2 which will trip the stopwatch at 8 minutes and 15 seconds. Still built by Valmet in Sweden, the Boxster looks set to once again stamp its authority on the sports roadster segment. A coupe version is set to follow but for the time being, the open top car looks mighty hard to resist.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Porsche Boxster range
PRICE: £32,320 - £38,720 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 19-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 248g/km
PERFORMANCE: (S) 0-60mph 5.5s / Max Speed 167mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: Average 28mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and door airbags / ABS / PSM
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4329/1801/1295mm
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