With a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds, the Porsche Boxster S is “fast” roadster thanks to the 260bhp on tap from its 3.2 litre engine. The 2.7 litre standard car doesn’t hang about either, producing 228bhp which in the 5 speed manual version gives a 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds. Originally launched in 1997 with a 2.5 litre engine, Porsche enthusiasts demanded more power, and they got it, but to be honest, every Boxster ever produced is a masterpiece of engineering.
There are people who wonder how these little Porsche’s can cost as much as they do, but we reckon those people have never driven one. Both the standard car and the S are so much more than their component parts, adding up to an unbeatable package. Drive one, and you'll want one - it’s as simple as that.
Sit in any Boxster and your immediate impression is that it’s a quality car. We’ve heard some drivers describe it as aging, but we prefer to think of the cabin, which is shared with its big brother the 911, as classic. Everything is to hand, the typically Porsche instrument console is shielded by the trademark eyebrow, and the seating is comfortable and supportive. The quality of fittings is good, and switchgear feels just right, though some would say that it's not quite up to the standard of the latest offerings of other high end manufacturers. The sculpted, leather sports seats are supportive and you get a feeling of being snugly held in a solid, tactile environment; and if you’ve opted for one of the many combinations of leather trim, that feeling of quality is enhanced further.
But adjust your driving position, perform your pre-ignition checks, and turn that key. The sound is simply beautiful. Depending on whether the roof is up or down, you get a different experience. Roof down, you're out in the open air, and the predominant noise is that of the deep throated exhaust expelling the gasses from the large flat six engine. With the top up, the engine itself makes more of an impact, with the exhaust noises underlining the sounds from the incredibly complex power-plant that sits just behind the front seats. But either way the sound is just fantastic; Porsche engineers have created an amazing experience for owners even before first gear is engaged; and those we’ve talked to never tire of the engine’s note, and many rarely use their stereos lest they detract from the music playing behind them. We’re left wondering whether all this is just a side effect of the engine's location in front of the rear wheels, or a carefully tuned symphony that took thousands of engineering hours to perfect. Knowing the precision of Porsche, it’s probably the latter.
But it wasn’t made for sitting on the drive, so engage first gear and set off to find out how it goes. Immediately you notice the weight of the controls – the clutch takes a little more pressure than most cars, and the steering requires some effort because the power steering is set at a level that allows you to feel the feedback from the road. When it’s time to brake the pedal needs a firm press, despite the large six pot red callipers and drilled disks fitted all round on our S. The gear lever is tactile, and requires some pressure to move it from point to point. But it's precise so there’s no worry of selecting the wrong cog, even on the six speed box. The travel is quite long on the standard car, and we found that some drivers didn’t actually move the lever back far enough when making a lazy shift from first to second, resulting in horrible screams from the rear mounted gearbox. It’s no surprise that many owners fit short shifters on the box, and somewhat of a surprise that such a feature isn’t standard; the brilliant move of turning round the 911 layout to put the engine’s weight in the centre of the car unfortunately means that the gearbox is right at the back of the vehicle, some distance from the gear lever. There’s no doubt this has a negative effect on the selection process.
But we digress. As we move on to the open, road second gear is quickly selected (without incident) and as we press the accelerator hard, the car literally surges up to 70 mph which it reaches just before the redline in second. You can feel the push in your back, hear the exhaust note increase to a rage, and watch the scenery rush past. Breathtaking. In third gear it’s a similar story, and there are three more gears to go. By this point the driver’s got a huge grin and is just loving the whole experience – the quality surroundings, the feel from the road that's coming back through the wheel and the seat, and the sounds that are emanating from the rear of the vehicle. Third gear is in fact the optimum one for most open road conditions. The Boxster S’s big 3.2 litre engine has enough torque and flexibility to perform well in third at any speed between 30 and 90, so we find ourselves only changing down for tight low speed corners, or going up to fourth on long straights; fifth and sixth gears are reserved purely for motorway work, where the longest gear will let you cruise all day long at legal speeds, with the engine simply ticking over at about 3000rpm.
