Background
First launched in 1996, the Porsche Boxster redefined what was possible – and even desirable – in your bargain basement sports car. And, while the Boxster languished a little as a result of its undeserved reputation as a bit of a hairdressers’ car - a moniker it shared with the Mazda MX-5, another sports car that placed the emphasis more on handling than outright performance – it is up there as one of the best, if not the best, handling cars of all time.
Mid-engined and sporting only two seats, the first Boxster (model number 986) was powered by a 2.5-litre, normally aspirated flat-six engine. The engine size and power output rose over the years, with the base model gaining a 2.7-litre and the sportier ‘S’ gaining a 3.2-litre in 2000.
The second-generation model (designation ‘987’) you see here built upon the success of its predecessor, with a radical redesign that included a more conventional front end. Mechanically, it stayed true to the original recipe – why fix it if it ain’t broken? - offering a 3.2-litre engine for the S model, carried over from the 986 before it was upgraded to a 3.4-litre engine from 2007 onwards.
Performance is strong, even with the 3.2-litre tucked away out of sight – but then it does have 276bhp, enough to propel the Boxster to a top speed of 167mph after passing 62mph in 5.5 seconds.
Inside, the cabin was entirely redesigned and brought up-to-date, with standardized HVAC controls, optional PCM (Porsche communications module, a nifty bit of kit that incorporated the sat-nav, phone, and audio systems) and a more modern look, which means the cabin still looks remarkably fresh to this day.
