Category: Roadsters 
Price Range: £33,375 to £45,400
A sensational driving experience in a surprisingly practical 'every-day-use' package.
Chassis could handle a lot more power, some may think it looks too much like the old car
Porsche spent a lot of cash on this second-generation Boxster and it shows. Why spend another £30K on a 911?
With a more rigid structure that allows the suspension to do its best work, combined with a wider track, the Boxster is even more accomplished on the road. The chassis balance is beautifully neutral, so that fast cornering feels secure and predictable - you never get the feeling that either the front or rear of the car will let go. And then there are the tremendous levels of grip left in reserve - the entry-level Boxster gains bigger wheels, up to 17 inches from 16. And in the interests of driver involvement, Porsche has raised the intervention level of its Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system. This means that the driver can slide the car around more, or set it up for a corner with the brakes, without the PSM laying a heavy hand on the car's dynamic behaviour.
The Boxster S is also available with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which offers a very sporting suspension setting that lowers the car 10mm and stiffens things up for serious track day outings. 'Normal' mode allows you to survive regular road journeys with fillings intact.
For the first time, the Boxster is offered with variable-rate rack and pinion power steering. The variable function means that at a constant straight-line cruise, the steering is less immediately direct, eliminating the 'sneeze factor'. When you press on over a twisting road with big steering inputs, the system becomes more direct for a high degree of steering precision. It works brilliantly and is so subtle than most drivers will never be aware of it.
This is a bit of a dilemma for Porsche - if it created a very powerful Boxster, the end result might be fewer 911 sales for the Stuttgart firm. Performance from the standard 240bhp Boxster is stronger than before, though, with 0-62mph in 6.2secs, which is half a second faster. The Boxster S shaves a couple of tenths off, too, with 0-62mph in 5.5secs. Top speeds are 159 and 166mph, respectively. But the most significant change here is with revisions to the engine intake manifolds that improve torque response - subjectively, the Boxster feels a good deal quicker because you need fewer downshifts to access the performance. And while the standard car is available with a five-speed manual, we'd highly recommend going for the optional six-speed box, with its lovely, mechanically precise, short-throw action. You can also specify your Boxster with a Tiptronic automatic with sequential shift buttons mounted on the steering wheel. It is a clumsy, slow reacting device that does a dis-service to these marvellous engines. Get one only if you're more interested in the pose than the drive.
It's worth noting that Porsche's optional Sports Chrono Package offers, along with a silly looking chronometer sitting on top of the dash, a program that gives more aggressive throttle response and a more abrupt rev limit cut-out. For those times when you're coming over all Schumacher.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Porsche Boxster
wrote on 15 03 2008