7 Reasons Why the Boxster is Worth Another Look
1. It's Underrated
The Boxster has been maligned as being watered down. What many don't understand is that many in the motoring press enjoy driving this car as well as the Mazda MX5, another convertible that gets a bad wrap. The car handles well, is rather quick in S form, and the newest iteration in the form of the 718 is pretty damn sexy.
2. Driving Prowess
Sure sure, I know that early models were low on power output and that kind of puts a cap on the experience, but if you live in a big city, where will you be speeding off to anyway? Instead, enjoy it for what it is: a spunky little brother that can take corners and maneuver around exceptionally well. The Boxster, especially the S marker, is plenty fun.
3. It's Gone Turbo
Because of strict emissions and fuel standards, Porsche has had no choice but to outfit the whole stable with turbos. For those who are salivating at the thought of the six-cylinder, Boxster, now suited with boost, will have to take those desires over to a 911. The engine bay size cannot house the boosted six but will gladly accept a blown four with open arms.
4. It's a Savior
This little wonder of a car saved Porsche from the brink of no more. It came about when the market segment for roadsters was growing more and more with the Mercedes SLK and the BMW Z3, for a great time for Porsche to toss its hat into the ring. Toyota stepped in to help Porsche eliminate production inconsistencies and lower costs with the model to push each unit out from 120 hours to 72 with errors dropping by 50%.
5. It Only Gets Better
The 2nd gen of the Boxster, known as the 987, was shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2004 and was upgraded over the previous iteration in every way. It had upgrades in power, handling, and looks that included fender lines borrowed from the Carrera GT supercar. Unfortunately, the M96 engine that was also in the 996 and later the 997 Carrera had the same IMS bearings problem that plagued owners. The Cayman coupe that would give those who are interested in a more cost friendly Porsche but want a roof is derived from the 987 model.
6. It Offers Variety
Porsche produced four variations of the Boxster during the first phase of life with the 987, with some more limited than others. There was the RS60 Spyder, Design Edition 2, Limited Edition, and the Boxster Spyder.
The RS60 was made to commemorate the 1960 win that Porsche achieved at the 12 Hours of Sebring. True to the year, only 1,960 of these were produced with a numbering of the lot on the dash. The model was only offered in two colors but had a bevy of performance mods to up the output to 299 horsepower.
The Design Edition 2 came in a Carrera White paint with matching paint for the wheels and an ear-pleasing better-flowing exhaust system. Only 500 of these were made for the world.
With the Limited Edition Boxster, Porsche took a note from the page of the 2007 911 GT3 RS and produced 250 of these cars, painted in "look at me orange" and black wheels. The car has lots of goodies sourced from the big brother Carrera but sadly no engine upgrades.
The last of the Boxster variations was the Boxster Spyder. This car sits above the Boxster S and was the lightest Porsche on the market at the time of its debut. To achieve this marker, the vehicle had to drop some creature comforts in the name of performance like the soft top, air conditioning, and radio among other things. The car boasts 320 horsepower, which is 20 more ponies than in the Boxster S, and came with a manual but could be had with optional PDK.
7. It Continues to Evolve
In 2012, the third iteration of the Boxster hit the scene as the 981. Sporting all new chassis changes, engines, and interior. One of those engines is the turbo four-cylinder that paid homage to the four-cylinder 718 from the 1950's and 60's. This Porsche was designated differently as the 718 Boxster model.
The base Boxster that was the 981 came with a 2.7 liter flat six-cylinder engine. The Boxster S, on the other hand, had a 3.4-liter engine under the bonnet. Both of these vehicles would get you either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed PDK.
In 2014, The GTS model was introduced and brought with it 15 more horsepower and alternative front and rear bumpers.
In 2015, the Boxster received a facelift and, along with it, the 982 designation. The look was mostly unchanged, but in places there were subtle smoothing and some shared styling with the more aggressive sibling, the Cayman GT4. This make of the Boxster has the most powerful engine, pushing out 385 brake horsepower. It is also the lightest mass-produced model, tipping the scales at 2,899 pounds.
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