Porsche Boxster (2005-) Review

Overview

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After its introduction in 1996, the Boxster helped a struggling Porsche back on the long road to recovery with over 160,000 units sold to date. Now, with the launch of the second generation Boxster, the company is booming. Since 1996, its share price has increased a huge 858 percent (not a typo, by the way). And for the first time, Porsche has recorded a pre-tax profit in excess of one billion Euros.

So why should you care unless you happen to be a stock holder? Well, under its breath Porsche admits that with its vastly improved financial position, it has spent a very great deal more money developing this second-generation Boxster than it did on the first. So even though a quick glance might convince you that nothing much has changed, there isn't a single body panel carried over from the old car. Not even the windscreen is the same, and overall, 80 percent of the parts and components that make up a Boxster are new.

The idea was to 'butch up' the styling by swelling the wings, which are larger to accommodate a wider track. The nose has been restyled, too, with individual units for the headlights and larger, more aggressive air intakes. Also, the doors lose their concave surface, opting instead for a more filled-out, muscular look. Even the sideglass has been elongated to improve visibility out with the roof up.

This approach is meant to mirror what the company has achieved over 40 years with the 911. That is to say, a timeless design that has been updated in the gentlest, evolutionary fashion. So we better get used to the way this Boxster looks, as Porsche reckons it is as timeless as the 911. It will be with us for a very long time.

The engines - a 240bhp 2.7 and 280bhp 3.2 for the 'S' - gain more power and low-rev torque response, too. The basic Boxster costs £32,320 and the 'S' £38,720.