SECTOR Sports PRICE £37,589 – £45,384 FUEL 36.7mpg CO2 180g/km
For the lucky few, it might just be time to opt out. For the new Porsche Boxster offers up an intoxicating brew of agility, performance, luxury and surprising robustness.
The new version – priced from £37,589 for the standard car, and from £45,384 for the Boxster S – has an altogether more ergonomic and comfortable cabin, made of very high quality materials, while it looks sharper and more masculine on the outside too, with lines taken from the GT supercar of a few years ago.
It’s also up to 35kg lower in weight, with a 60mm longer wheelbase, widened track on the front and rear axles, and larger wheels and tyres which significantly enhance the performance of the new car by notably increasing its stability and agility.
The new Porsche Boxster is also powered by a choice of charismatic flat-six engines with direct petrol injection. Mid-mounted, the unit fitted in the Boxster delivers 265bhp from 2.7-litres – 10 hp more than its larger capacity 2.9-litre predecessor – while the 3.4-litre engine of the Boxster S pounds out 315bhp, 5 hp more than before, but both are more torquey.
Both models feature a manual six-speed gearbox as standard, with the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK available as an option, and both are a delight to drive. The standard Boxster doesn’t actually feel that fast, and certainly not low down in the rev range if you are used to big diesel engines pulling hard from a standstill, but they sing at the top end, where the beautifully weighted controls and precise gearbox make driving a delight. Remember that feeling?
Of course, with the Boxster you should get rock-solid residual values. The early old ones have started to weaken at last as volume eventually takes it toll but this is a wonderful two seater for those with the freedom, and budget for sporty, top down business motoring.
