Boxster Beat

ON THE EVE OF THE NEW BOXSTER'S UNVEILING WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE MODELS THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE.

1997 -1999

The original, sadly isn't the best. Launched to the world's press and Porsche dealers in 1996 the first Boxster models are classed as 1997 model year cars and for the first two years of production nothing much changed. The 204hp flat-six and five-speed manual gearbox were beautifully engineered (even if the earliest cars came equipped with a gear knob 944 and 964 owners might recognise) and are a joy to use.

There's a compactness to the original Boxster that was soon lost with the first updates. The cockpit is sparse by today's standards, and while the flush-moulded plastics for the dash and doorcards haven't aged well there is a hint of classic when you get behind the wheel of the original.

If Porsche motoring on a budget is your criteria a GBP5000 Boxster 2.5 is a brilliant starting point. Look at it as a long term project and with a bit of money set aside each year for running costs and some TLC and you might just be a founding farther of the classic Boxster club.

The saviour. The car that put Porsche back on the map. The Porsche that saved Porsche. The Boxster cliches are as inevitable as much as they are predictable, and it is a story that doesn't need telling verbatim here again. lf you are reading this article, you know it was the make or break car. The new entry-level Porsche that would kick start sales, breath new life into a company and lay the foundations of how Porsche would build cars in the future ... if it was to have one, that is.

The hype started with the 1993 Detroit motor show car that hinted at Porsche's brave new world, one that left stuffy front-engined coupes consigned to the history books and portrayed Porsche as a company that was prepared to come out of its shell and take on more volume competition from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Porsche was to build a car that would finally allow its customers to compete against their neighbours with a bang-up-to-date car.

The final production Boxster arrived three years later and left more than a few deflated because many of the '93 show car's neat details hadn't made it onto the final production car. What Porsche had built, however, was nothing short of sensational.

A mid-engined, 2.5-litre flat-six, rear-whee! drive roadster with an electric power roof, a new Porsche look and a badge to die for. Okay, the original 2.5-litre cars didn't quite man age to deliver the straight-line performance expected from a Porsche (204hp and 181lb ft was never going to challenge the quarter-mile timing gear), and the 6.9-second 0-62mph time was on par with the first generation of four-wheel drive rally replicas dominating the sales charts, while the 149mph top speed was acceptable. Just. But what the Boxster offered was a direct hit of Porsche greatness from the behind the wheel.

The steering was full of feel, communicating every move from the tread blocks beneath. The chassis controlled body roll like no other, the damping capable of soaking up the poorest surfaces one moment, controlling body roll the next. And that mid-engined layout bought a new meaning to the term balance. Delicate and precise, when you wound the Boxster up on a challenging road, you would need something very quick indeed to pass it on anything but a long straight. The only downside with the sublime chassis was it highlighted the Boxster's straight-line performance inadequacies.

Understandably the Boxster was an instant hit, Porsche unable to keep up with demand for the first years of production and, as time went by, the range was enhanced with a more powerful S model and the base model gained cubic capacity and horsepower over the years. Special Editions marked the end of one production cycle as the Boxster evolved and today, on the eve of its replacement being announced, in the Boxster Spyder Porsche has one of the all-time great road cars.

Over the following pages we'll guide you through the Boxster models Porsche produced, the spec highlights and the ones to buy.

2000-2002

Two years in to Boxster life and Porsche doubled the Boxster line-up. Joining the Boxster - which also received a engine capacity increase to 2.7 -litres resulting in 220hp and 192 Ib ft of torque - was the 3.2- litre Boxster S.

With 252hp and 2251b ft of torque the Boxster had finally grown some teeth, and the 1295kg roadster (20kg heavier than today's Spyder) was now capable of delivering a genuine Porsche performance. 0-62mph was dismissed in 5.9-seconds and 162mph was now possible.

The S not only gained more power, but was equipped with lower and stiffer suspension and larger brake discs and callipers from the 996 Carrera 2. And the five-speed manual gained an extra cog in the S (the 2.7 still only came with five speeds)

The extra power may have lagged behind some of its rivals, but the S offered a more rounded, focused package that was there for the driver to exploit. It gave us an even greater taste of just what this Porsche could offer and soon became a contender for one of the finest sports cars you could buy. Sound familiar?

Other changes during this model year included a new hood with improved sound deadening and tweaks to the interior details to further widen the appeal of the Boxster.



2003-2005

A final update for the original 986 series Boxster was introduced for the 2003 model year. Power increases were modest to say the least, both the 2.7 and 3.2 S receiving an 8hp boost following the introduction of a new Motronic ME 7.8 ECU, but there were a number of changes to the car's look with new front and rear bumper designs, reshaped side inlets ahead of the rear wheels, and a modified rear spoiler. Even the exhaust tailpipes were redesigned. The fabric hood was also reshaped, to doser mimic the lines of the optional hardtop that had always been available for the Boxster. And the rear window was now glass and contained heating elements, too. The interior was further tweaked, with more creature comforts being added such as a glovebox and cup holders.

With the Boxster having established itself as the mainstay of Porsche's sales, it was soon to get its first major overhaul.

2004

Before the 986 Boxster was replaced, the fist Boxster special edition emerged from Stuttgart. Wearing the snappy title of '50 years of the 550 Spyder' it was based on the Boxster S, with an extra 6hp extracted from its 3.2 litres.

It was finished in GT Silver metallic paint with a Cocoa dark brown hood, matching leather interior, and 18-inch Seal grey Carrera alloy wheels. The ride height was dropped 1Omm, a short-shift kit was fitted as standard and the wheels were pushed further out from the arches thanks to 5mm spacers. 1953 examples were built to mark the year the original 550 Spyder was revealed, the car this Boxster was built to pay homage too.

2005-2009

Whereas the original Boxster showcased Porsche's future design strategy when it hit the headlines in 1996, when it came to the 987 series, revealed at the tail-end of 2004, the new Boxster had to wait until after the launch of the 997 Carrera earlier in the year, the 911 now clearly back to leading the company's product strategy.

For the Boxster there was an 80 per cent new look that included new front wings and headlamps, as well as a new bonnet line, a new front and rear bumper design, new wing mirrors, and the fabric roof design was tweaked once more to improve both aerodynamics and the car's look.

The roof still electric, could now be opened or closed in 12 seconds at up to speeds of 31mph. The car's track was also widened by 35mm to give the Boxster a meatier, tougher stance and the retractable rear spoiler was also new, featuring a larger surface area to improve high-speed stability.

Inside the 987 Boxster got an all-new interior with a dash layout similar to that of the recently introduced 997 Carrera, and a centre console that could now be had with a Porsche Communication Management
system complete with sat nav.

The 987 retained the same 2.7 and 3.2 displacements for the flat-six motor but power increased 12hp in the 2.7 to 240hp and peak torque finally reached the 200lb ft barrier. The 3.2-litre engine fitted to the S gained an extra 20hp, taking peak power to 280hp and a further 37lb ft of torque gave the S a peak torque figure of 237lb ft. This meant that the Boxster S could now reach 62mph from a standstill in 5.5 seconds and go on to 168mph, the 2.7 completing the same sprint in 6.2 seeonds and topping out at 160mph.

The 2.7 retained the five-speed manual gearbox, although it could now be had with the new six-speed manual developed from the 997's gearbox and fitted as standard to the S. The Tiptronic S was still a five speeder. A new variable rate steering rack was fitted to the 987 and PASM was available on both models as a cost option.

In 2006 both Boxster models received the engines from the recently launched Cayman, complete with VarioCam Plus, with the entry-level car now powered by a 245hp 2.7-litre, the S by a 3.4-litre with 295hp and the Tiptronic S software was also recalibrated.

2008

The end of the Gen-1 987 was marked with a final special edition, the RS 60 Spyder. Based on a 3.4 S, this run-out model was limited to 718 examples and was to mark the Type 7l8's victory at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring.

A SportDesign front bumper complete with bottom edge winglets and SportDesign 19-inch wheels were the most obvious visual changes. It featured a blaek windscreen surround and painted roll over hoops, which were finished in GTSilver - the same colour as the car itself. The Carrera red interior was accompanied by an identically coloured roof. The door sills had stainless steel kick plates and the textured leather interior paekage extended to the steering wheel, gear and handbrake lever, and the doorcards. Mechanical upgrades included the standard fitment of PASM and a sports exhaust system that helped liberate a further 10hp to give the 3.4-litre motor a 310hp peak power output.

2009-2012

Just as the 997 underwent a mid-life face-lift and came out the other side known as the Gen-2, so to did the Boxster. Both flat-six engines were replaced with lighter, more efficient units complete with the troublesome intermediate shaft removed. The 2.9-litre now produced 255hp and 214lb ft of torque, the 3.4 litre S more than healthy 310hp and 265lb ft of torque. It was also equipped with direct fuel injection, too. A six-speed manual gearbox was now standard across the range and Porsche's recently introduced seven-speed PDK double dutch gearbox replaced the ageing Tiptronc S. Of interest to the keenest of Boxster drivers was that a limited-slip differential could now be
ordered as a factory fit cost option.

The Gen-2 Boxster 987 also enjoyed the same specification updates as the Gen-2 997 did, with a new PCM touch-screen, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity. There were also new front and rear bumper designs, with the front units now incorporating the obligatory LED daytime running lights.

In 2010 the most eagerly awaited Boxster model in the car's 14-year history finally drove off the production line: the Boxster Spyder. Lighter by 80 kilos than the S it was based on, the Spyder is a no holds barred roadster. The roof is a simple cover that offers adequate protection from the elernents and stows neatiy on top of the engine, the doors and front bonnet are made from aluminium and the engine cover and rear bootlid are now one item and bespoke to the Spyder. The interior harks back to the days of less is more, with no air-con, radio, cup holders, door bins or handles, and the standard fit seats are hip-hugging buckets. Although naturally, being a modern Porsche, all this stuff can be put back in.

Mechanically the Spyder enjoys an ECU remap to bring its peak power into line with the Cayman S, resulting in 320hp and 273lb ft of torque. A six-speed manual is standard, PDK optional, so too is an LSD, and with lighter alloy wheels, a lower ride height and recalibrated dampers the 1295kg Spyder is not only Porsche's lightest production car, but it is truly one of its best



Story: Stuart Gallagher
gtpurelyporsche dot com

September 26, 2012, 1:59 pm