Porsche Boxster S Luanched

Beautiful Package
by Jim McCauley (08 Feb 09)
The 911 has given the world the impression that Porsche only build rear-engined sportscars, but while that model range and its derivatives have had more than their fair share of competitive success, the mid-engined cars, with their power unit inboard of the rear axle have also done their bit to fill the trophy cabinet.

Benefiting from the competition successes are the road cars and the current mid-engined offering is the Boxster, introduced in 1996 and revised in 2004. Now the latest development follows the company's slow evolutionary path and refines rather than radicalises the design of the original, keeping the significant advancements to the powertrain underneath.

And that is where it is in the Boxster – underneath – as the compact packaging of the model means that the engine unit is completely encapsulated in the bodywork with the only access being to the fluid levels through a panel in the rear luggage compartment. The excellence of the packaging can only be appreciated by viewing a longitudinally-sectioned car which Porsche had on display at its recent European launch.

The immediate visual appeal is "Ah, that looks better," with some soul searching as to what the actual modifications are. Main focus of the remake are the nose and tail sections, where the softer organic curves of the original are squared up to give a more aggressive and purposeful presence. Twin round light units add to the new image while LED running lights and tail light units are introduced.

But the styling tweaks are merely the hallmarks of the precious metal underneath. While the standard Boxster receives an increase in capacity to 2.9 litres (up from 2.7), the Boxster S retains its 3.4-litre flat-six but with increases in both horsepower and torque, now 310bhp at 6400rpm and 265lb/ft at 5500rpm. The end result benefits performance, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Although a six-speed manual gearbox is standard provision in the S, the launch models all featured Porsche's PDK (Dopplekupplungsgetriebe) transmission with steering wheel shift paddles and digital gear indicator in the instrument cluster.

Launch venue was a nostalgic trip for Porsche – back to the roads of Sicily where their compact mid-engined Spyders often outperformed larger and more powerful cars in the gruelling Targa Florio races. While the venue may have promised an opportunity to at least enjoy a spell with the hood down, a rain-soaked island offered only additional challenges on flooded roads smeared with freshly eroded soil.

Despite the engineering advancements and additional refinement, the deep exhaust note is retained, burbling into the cockpit under throttle, and adding to the experience. A lined hood provides near to hardtop quietness and the feeling of quality is present from the outset.

In raw terms, the Boxster S manages its 0-62mph sprint in 5.2 seconds while 100mph from rest can be achieved in 18.2 seconds en route to a potential maximum of 169mph. But it is the smoothness of its progress that impresses most with the seven-speed PDK transmission paring tenths of a second off the times that can be achieved with the manual gearbox. Using twin clutches – one for the odd-numbered gears and one for the even-numbered – the gears are almost instantaneously changed, but smoothly rather than abruptly. Manual override can be selected on the gearshift lever or the steering wheel paddles which offer downshifts on the rear of the spokes and upshifts on the front facing segments.

New suspension settings and nicely weighted steering enhance the quality of driving while electronic handling packages allow for some rear end movement when the car is pushed but safely restrain it, in what is a very communicative and enjoyable package, beautifully balanced on twisty roads and rock solid at speed.

A sprinting edge can be gained with the Launch Control feature which is part of the optional Sports Chrono Package and is essentially a trackday extra. The settings can be further honed by the Sports Plus package.

Like any model in the Porsche ranges, the Boxster S can be personalised with a range of additional features from wheel and braking upgrades to sound and communication options. But in the current climate, even a performance car has to have environmental sympathy and the new Boxster S with the PDK gearbox offers 16% better fuel economy than its equivalent predecessor, achieving 30.7mpg on the combined cycle while emissions are down to 221g/km.

Overall, the new Porsche Boxster S is more appealing visually than the outgoing model and its more aggressive styling hints at the potency of its performance. It delivers superbly and to explore its limits, customers can avail themselves of the expert tuition at the new Porsche Driving Experience Centre at Silverstone.

The new Boxster S goes on sale alongside the standard Boxster on February 21, priced at £41,250.

Source: CarKeys UK