JFScheck

Click here to view the pictures of the 987...

GaryN

Looks very similar to the current one, except for the flaired wheel arches, minor front head light changes and the side mirrors. Interior looks like a 997.
I was under the impression that the new Boxster would have had a metal folding roof!! seen that they own the company that designes them for Merc, Peogot and Renault....

Cheers
Gary '00 Boxster S
'91 C2 Coupe (Sold)

craigg

Metal roof= Bad!! Have you ever seen how much trunk space a new SL 500 or Lexus SC430 has? None! One of the many endearing features of the Boxster is that it has TWO useful trunks.

I had to chuckle at some of the comments made about the "new" look on the other thread. Seems like not too many of them liked Boxsters in the first place, let alone the new one. I guess when you like the look of your Trabant, it is hard to accept anything else.

HKE46Boy

I dont see any difference!

How about this

Doug&Julie

Not to mention it would elevate the costs... The Boxster needs to be maintained as Porsches entry level car. So it'll be a coupe and soft top convertible.

I need to see these cars in person. The 997 interior is growing on me, but I'm still very undecided. It all just seems a little boring. Maybe I'll change my mind when I can actually see them? I do appreciate that one of the big reasons for the change is to improve fit and finish and the appearance of quality. Let's hope they at least do that...

I'm dying to see an actual Boxster coupe.

BostonMarkC

Although there is lots of disguising on the car, I think it's going to look incredible...here's what I think is under there:

CGT-shaped headlights (the ones in the pics are tape)
993-style turn signals in the bumper (partially covered in the pics)
Flared rear fenders (you can see those)
Large side vents (the ones on the pics are covered)
Bigger rims
Nice interior

If it looks anything like I hope, it's going to be sweet.

Doug&Julie

Here's my quick photoshop take on the car. Hardcore Doug&Julie fans will note that I've also put my head in the passenger seat.

GaryN

Hi Doug,

Your comment does not make sense to me as if a Merc SLK, Peogot 307cc and a "cheap" Renault Megane Cabriolet can all have hard tops (cars which are all less expensive and much less prestigious than a Porsche), and the hard top roof design is by a company that Porsche own, then surely Porsche can use their own design guys (at this 3rd party company) to design them a hard top roof for their own cars.
I appreciate the fact that it does make the boot smaller BUT it gives the car a much more expensive look and feel than canvas, which when faded after a couple of years looks terrible. Not to mention a hard top is much more secure.

Just my thoughts...

Have a good day

Gary
'00 Boxster S
'91 C2 Coupe (Sold)

Vampyre

Well, I am not too sure about all your comments, I have a 1997 Boxster with about 78,000 miles and my Black Canvas top looks fine. You just need to take care of your car, and wash the canvas top with a mild soap every couple of months.

As for a metal top, I think the Boxster would look sharp with hard top. But the cloth gives it a classic look from the past...

Ray H

Cool! LOL

Doug&Julie

A couple of points...the Merc was designed from the get-go as a folding metal top car (were the others as well?). So engineering one now for the Boxster would add significant costs to that end.

Also (and correct me if I'm wrong as we don't have the Peugot or Renault here...but I've seen a story on TV about the Peugot and I think I know what the Renault looks like) all of these cars are front engine which gives them room to fold a hard top without interfering with mechanicals.

By sticking with the soft top, the Boxster can maintain it's smooth mid-engine lines and efficient packaging. I think the room needed to make a folding hard top Boxster would give it an unsightly bulge. (But I don't think it would eat into trunk space...it would just have to sit on top of the motor much like the soft top now.)

Also, being a "pure" sports car (as much as one can be these days) the extra weight of the folding hard top would be too much for purists to bear. That's a lot of weight at all the wrong spots on a sports car!

I do agree with you that as an image of quality point, a folding hard top seems to be the way to go these days. But personally I think there's also a sporting image of the soft top, and I think that's more the image that Porsche wants to maintain. I could be wrong!

Maybe when Porsche comes out with it's new "coupe" we've been hearing so much about there will be less focus on ultimate performance and more on the luxury end so Porsche could justify a folding hard top for a convertible version of that? I could see it making sense there...

BostonMarkC

I think the soft top should stay...most people don't drive the cars in bad enough weather to justify the weight of a metal roof.

Thank goodness they went to a glass window though...

camcayenne

when the metal roofed SLK came out merc were saying that a metal roof cost 30% less than canvas to produce - hence why so many are coming on board - the difficulty is that the standard metal style roof would not work with a mid-engined - you would have to probably have a vertical rear screen that dropped down (like the 6 series BMW) and then separate side pillars and a sliding top section, all of which would be very expensive to produce, difficult to ensure wind and rain proofing and most importantly would weigh ++
Stick with the canvas.

Sean

Personally, I like the canvas.

Below is a patent Porsche filed in Germany a couple of years ago. There was speculation this design might crop up in the 987/997 generation.

Turboflyer

Hard top convertable boxster....now your talking.