I’m going to get it out of the way and just say it upfront. Porsche’s new Boxster is the business.
You know those cars that you sometimes drive that feel like they’ve been tailored just for you, that make driving on the whole that bit more enjoyable. This is one of those. It’s not over the top in terms of speed or spoilers, but it’s like every bolt and nut – the very DNA of the car – was put together with driver feel in mind.
As you’d expect, the third-generation Boxster is bigger, wider, more spacious and more powerful than its forerunners, with a host of design tweaks. The body is lighter than the previous Boxster’s and the chassis too has been given the once-over.
On the styling front it’s very Sex and the City with that new nose and headlights, and different side intakes. More telling though is the spoiler-like ridgeline (very Carrera GT) which runs through the tail lights, almost concealing that pop-up rear spoiler.
MID-MOUNTED FLAT SIX
On test here is the flagship Boxster S, powered by a 3436cc flat-six boxer engine making 232kW and 360Nm. As is the tradition, the two-seater sports-car’s engine is mid-mounted, keeping the car’s major weight between the front and rear axles. And here’s an interesting piece of trivia; join Boxer engine and Roadster design and you get the name Boxster, clever hey?
So thankfully, after the rather unusual bout of recent snow, things warmed up nicely and I got to play with the roadster’s soft top - which in the fastest-roof-dropping Olympics surely has to be a podium contender at nine seconds flat. Really drop-of-the-hat stuff happening here (at driving speeds of up to 50km/h nogal). And like most of the car the roof design has changed, no longer needing a compartment lid for storage when down.
SMOOTH AND ABSOLUTELY REFINED
Power reaches the rear wheels through a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission (PDK is standard, six-speed manual is a no cost option), which, like we’ve said before, has to be one of the best executions of this technology out there. It is smooth and absolutely refined, with gear changes when cruising almost imperceptible. It’s like a gearbox with an obsessive compulsive disorder, trying to be clinical in its behaviour – and making the paddle shifts that much more enjoyable to play with.
It’s also happy with a bit of aggression and bangs into the next gear faster than you can blink (I checked), startling the rest of the car, and you, with the forward thrust it forces from the engine at the rev limiter.
Sure, that naturally-aspirated flat six at the reef is no 911 Turbo, but it still managed a very respectable 5.2 second 0-100km/h sprint time (the carmaker claims five flat) before crossing the quarter-mile in 13.4 (things should be even more interesting at sea level where the Boxster will breathe better).
And in this respect I tip my hat to Stuttgart’s launch-control system.
It’s one of the easiest to use I’ve come across and, unlike some other German competitors it does it over, and over, and over again. But there is a catch; launch control forms part of Porsche’s optional Sports Chrono package which costs about twenty-six grand. Where this roadster truly comes into its own is when things get twisty – which is not all that common for a car lacking a solid roof.
That said my rear-view mirror never shook once indicating bits of scuttle shake, and I had to remind myself that there was in fact a soft top at play – such was the level of roof insulation.
There’s a definite sense of balance in the setup of the Boxster. That mid-mounted engine keeps excessive weight from being bandied about, while that engine seems to put out just enough power to keep everything soaking and bumping and rolling along nicely. And you know Porsche are proud of their handling when you scroll through the menus and find a pukka G-Force meter, which not only does what it says but keeps an ongoing record of the best G-Forces you’ve managed – almost taunting you to do better.
The new electro-mechanical power steering is sorted, with alive and meaty feedback, and the 10.2l/100km average consumption astounding – considering the way in which we were driving.
Things I would change?
The engine howls on the limit (especially with Sport-plus holding gears to that very last rev), but otherwise is a bit tinny and won’t scare the odd cat out of a life or two. This makes the thirty-grand sports exhaust system another consideration. The interior is roomier than before, and really offers a perfect driving position – but after recently driving the new 911 I feel the interiors are far too similar overall.
VERDICT
The new Boxster S may have a soft top, but that’s where the softness ends. Under the skin lies a real driver’s car, with balance and aggression that makes the R749 000 price tag well worth the offering.
I’d take it over competitors with similar price tags and power outputs, such as like Merc’s SLK 350, the BMW Z4 35i and Audi’s TT-RS roadster.
It really is that good. - Star Motoring
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