porsche boxster/boxster s
Is this the greatest roadster ever built?
Our expectations for the new Porsche Boxster couldn't have been higher.
We've put the Boxster on our 10Best list 13 times since the model's
introduction in 1996. Well, hello number 14. To say that this
stem-to-stern reworking for 2013 exceeds expectations is to engage in an
almost British level of understatement. The new car is roomier, thanks
to a longer wheelbase, but lighter than the car it replaces. A slinky
new body makes the Boxster look less like the 911's little brother and
more like an exotic. It will generate 1.0 g on the skidpad. It can stop
from 70 mph in a shorter distance than the McLaren 12C. According to our
testing, the Boxster S accelerates as quickly as a standard 911. But
the Boxster is not really about generating big performance figures.
Driving it is a holistic sports-car experience, an exercise in
interactivity. The standard 265-hp 2.7-liter flat-six sounds as
thrilling as the 315-hp 3.4-liter in the S model. The steering is
genius. Utterly unperturbed by broken or wavy pavement, this car
remains steadfastly on the line you've chosen. A redesigned Cayman (the
Boxster's hardtop brother) is not yet available, so it doesn't share the
award this time. But something tells us we'll end up liking that one as
well.
specifications
vehicle type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
base price: $50,450–$61,850
engines: DOHC 24-valve 2.7-liter flat-6, 265 hp, 206 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.4-liter flat-6, 315 hp, 266 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 97.4 in
length: 172.2 in
width: 70.9 in height: 50.0–50.1 in
curb weight: 2900–3000 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 20–22/28–32 mpg
