The baby Porsche has grown up. Faster, more powerful and with far greater agility, the new Boxster is not only closer to the 911, yet delivers a driving experience all its own. But
does it deliver enough of Porsche's unique essence?

PORSCHE BOXSTER S
List price (ex-showroom,
Mumbai) Rs 52-60 lakh
Top speed 260kph
0-60kph 3.53sec
0-100kph 7.31sec
Kpl 6.0 (overall)
For Super agility, thoroughbred handling, usability
Against Price, average looks

Ever wonder why train drivers never smile? Driving a vehicle that unfailingly follows a predetermined path that delivers only limited amounts of sensory pleasure. And it's the same with cars. Drive a car that grips and corners well but doesn't invite you into the driving experience, and you're unlikely to be thrilled. Not every fast car is a sports car.
There has never been a market for sports cars in India. A lack of decent roads, non-availability of cars and precious few imports mean that sports car sightings are extremely rare. But Mercedes-Benz changed all this when it launched the SL500 in 2003, kick-starting a trend that today sees brands like Porsche making a beeline for India. Thanks, Merc.
Porsche's new Boxster may sit at the bottom of the sportscar makers' pile, but that doesn't mean it lacks any of the marque's historical character or single-minded approach. Its predecessor, the original Boxster, was literally the car that saved the company from bankruptcy. Built on a tight budget, it was the first production mid-engined car from Porsche. Fast, affordable and a genuine hoot to drive, it redrew the boundaries of the 'budget' sportscar. This is part two, or as Porsche would see it, a car that is simply better in every single way.
Unless you're truly into Porsches it's difficult to differentiate between the old and the new car. As with the new 911, Porsche has refined the lines of the new Boxster, distilled them down so that it’s more about the overall silhouette than the details. The amphibian nose looks more Porsche, with cleaner lines, tough but with just the right amount of muscle for that lithe, athletic look. The bumper is totally integrated into the bodywork, the air-dam has a couple of scoops and the pontoon wings flow into a narrow waist. The rear too has a muscular feline grace about it, especially the protruding 'shoulders' that flank the boot and the tight rear section. It's not gorgeous, not like the similarly freshened 911, but you can't deny it has a certain presence.

The model Porsche will import into India is the Boxster S; the 'base' 2.7-litre Boxster would need to be homologated as its price falls below the $40,000 floor for cars that can be directly imported. Recognisable by the badge, the twin exhaust pipes at the rear and an additional slat-like intake in the front air-dam, the S is the faster, better-specified version.
Climb inside the two-seater cabin and you notice the searchlight-like tachometer first, directly in front of the driver. Legible even at the briefest glance, its clear markings look great, done in that sporty but subtle style Porsche seems to have mastered. Not only does the Boxster look like the younger brother of the 911 on the outside, the resemblance is carried over inside too. The three-spoke steering wheel looks very similar, the central console and the buttons are shared, with even details like the door handles common. Reasonably well crafted, of good quality materials — save for silvered plastics that look cheap — the Boxster also pampers with features like powered seats, windows, climate control and optional Bose surround-sound system and of course the snug powered hood. The latter opens and closes in a span of just 15 seconds and can be operated on the move, till 50kph. You can also go in for an optional hardtop. There is more room for the driver than in the SLK350, and seat comfort is also miles ahead of the flat, hard seats on the Merc.
The layout of the Boxster is an enthusiast's delight. The motor, the heaviest part, goes exactly where it should, behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle. Its central location makes for perfect weight distribution, low polar movement and is the reason all Formula 1 cars are mid- engined. Porsche has another advantage too, its flat-six motor makes for a lower centre of gravity than say if they had a V or in-line motor.
With the weight in the right place, a chassis that Porsche claims is more rigid by a good margin, lightweight boot lids and hood-frames (aluminum and magnesium), and dampers that can be adjusted by the driver (Porsche Active Suspension Management or PASM), the Boxster S has everything you need in a sports car.
The Boxster is suspended by coil springs, variable rate at the front, a maze of aluminium suspension arms and using variable-ratio rack and pinion steering, it appears Porsche has spent the maximum amount of time getting the suspension right.
The 3.2-litre horizontally-opposed or 'flat-six' motor is pure Porsche beef. Now water-cooled as against the traditional air-cooled units, the motor emits a deep but hard-edged bark that, to some degree, can be felt through the floor and against the backrest of the seat. It makes the Boxster feel alive, eager and ready for action. Running a high compression ratio of 11:1 and putting out a very impressive 280bhp to the wide 265/35 rear tyres, this motor has primarily been designed to make lots of power and be driven hard. Snap open the throttle and the motor responds immediately, the tachometer needle jumping to attention. The motor has no real weak area, but the bottom end is relatively meek. Still, even at 2500rpm the Boxster pulls strongly enough to press you gently back in the seat, acceleration rapid and immediate.
But to really get the Boxster S motoring, you need to spin the motor faster than 4500rpm, as it is after this point that the torque peaks out. Now acceleration borders on brutal as the boxer motor pulls with a snarl stirred in with a little bit of yowl, the relatively light weight of the chassis allowing the motor to slingshot the car forward.
Forged crankshafts, infinitely variable valve timing (VarioCam), one ignition coil and knock sensor per cylinder and variable-length inlet manifolds all play their part. The five-speed automatic gearbox manages to kept the motor spinning in the meat of its powerband, close to 6500rpm and performance is very enthusiastic. The motor is also exceptionally smooth towards its redline, uncanny as most motors deliver some kind of aural protest or strain at these speeds. Our test revealed that the Boxster hit the 100 kilometres an hour mark in 7.31 seconds, 150 coming up in 14.37 seconds and 200 in 28.69 seconds. The Mercedes SLK350 is actually faster, but this is marginal, a second here, half a second there. Unless you're used to supercar performance, the bursts of acceleration that can be unleashed by the Boxster S are deeply gratifying and as addictive as they come. Top speed is 260kph.
And what makes driving the Boxster even sweeter is the way it positively revels in being driven hard. Few cars are designed and set up specifically to be driven flat-out like this one, and it shows. It takes some time to get used to the balance and stance of the mid-engined layout, the numb on-centre feel of the steering and the less-than-revealing brakes, but invest the time the Porsche asks, stay on the learning curve and the rewards are so sweet, so spot-on, you wonder if you're experiencing a mild form of motoring nirvana.
The steering wakes up once you're going quicker and get in some lock, prod the brake pedal harder and the feel improves, and the Boxster stitches steering, accelerator and brake so beautifully together the corners seem to get easier the faster you go, especially when the 'active' dampers are hardened in sport mode. Get onto the brakes early, as hard as you like as the Boxster pitches very little, turn exactly where you want to — not early because there is almost no understeer — and the deft and incredibly precise steering places the car perfectly, not a foot to the right or the left. And this is even when the tyres are howling in protest. The steering may not drown you with feel or feedback but its breathtaking accuracy and the military obedience mean you exit each corner thinking, "That could have been done quicker." Get on the power smoothly as you approach the apex of the corner, the Boxster incredibly composed and placing just the right amount of weight on each wheel, and you'll rocket out of the corner, all four contact patches scrambling equally for grip. Push harder and the tail will step out progressively, even with the PSM (Porsche's ESP) on. Wilder angles can be achieved with the system turned off, and this is really fun, but getting the car to straighten up without a wag needs more concentration and skill now. Once you're used to them, the fiddly push-button Tiptronic gears that are mounted on the steering wheel also add to the driving experience. Easier to access and use than those on the SLK's seven-speed auto 'box, gearshifts are reasonably quick and there is no sense of frustration normally associated with auto 'boxes on sports cars. But heavy downshifts do seem to get the rear to twitch and marginally upset the balance of the car .
What about the problems associated with driving such a high-strung car on a daily basis? Let's start with the ride quality. The car we tested rode on optional 35-section low-profile tyres and 19-inch rims, but the active dampers meant that ride quality was pretty impressive. It does thud through holes and dips, but the ride is not bone-jarring like on many supercars, and more importantly, the Boxster doesn't get tossed around. Ground clearance is a contentious issue: the Boxster squats to 95mm when the dampers are put in sport mode. The short wheelbase and the hard springs help, but you do have to crawl over large speedbreakers. And not seeing one until the last moment, something that happens often with the unmarked type we often encounter, is like asking for bent or damaged parts. Then there is the fact that Porsche's service and support structure isn't fully operational yet or that fuel of a higher octane is only available at select outlets, or the fact that the canvas top may not be as perfectly watertight a few years from now. None of these problems, thankfully, are terminal.
And anyway, no right-minded person buys a car like the Boxster for practical reasons. Open roof, two seats, high-output six-cylinder motor housed in a light chassis. This is not a car designed with mere transport in mind. Its overriding design objective is not merely to carry you in speed and comfort — countless fast saloons achieve that — it's designed to positively thrill you in the process of getting there.
Built to go ballistic at the snap of your fingers, assault corners like hell-hounds are on your tail and put a smile the width of Africa on your mug, this is driving pleasure at its uncompromising best.
If you seek that, the Boxster is what you are looking for. The SLK350 is faster, sounds infinitely better and has Mercedes-Benz service to back it up, but it isn't half as fun to drive, and the currency we're trading here starts with a capital F.