REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Pure driving fun

Boxster’s true inspiration is the famed 550 Spyder. Park the two side-by-side and the lineage is obvious. The way the fenders curve over the wheels, the prominence of the headlamps, the tight, muscular silhouette — these cars may be 48 years apart in technology, but Ferdinand Porsche would recognize the Boxster immediately.On the inside, the S is a traditional Boxster, with all the gauges recognizable to anyone who’s driven a Porsche in the last few years. A notable departure, though, is the increased use of aluminum trim, a la Audi TT. Porsche claims that it’s "titanium colored" but it just looks like matte- finished brushed aluminum to me. Nontheless, the effect is attractive.Like the 550, the Boxster S relies on guile rather than overwhelming force to dominate its foes, complete with 250 horsepower thanks to a much enlarged 3.2 litre engine. (The base Boxster gets a more modest boost to 217 hp via a 2.7 litre version.)

More important than those horsepower numbers is the way the Boxster S’s engine reacts to the helm’s demands for more power. There’s no more waiting for the engine to spool up.

No matter the speed, the Boxster S lunges forward immediately. The transmission, now a six-speed, doesn’t require the constant rowing of the previous model. Its zero- to-100 km/h time dips below six seconds for the first time (earlier versions required 6.9 seconds for the same feat).

Best of all, it’s still accompanied by some of the most enticing exhaust music in motoring. As the Variocam variable valve timing starts to kick in over 4,000 rpm, the Boxster begins a haunting moan that continues all the way to 7,000 rpm, or until you let off the gas. It’s as unique to Porsche as the wail of a V12 is to Ferrari. And it ’ s every bit as enticing.

Other changes, minor in comparison to the engine, but still significant, are the liberation of the 911’s ‘monoblock’ 4- piston brake calipers and the upgrade to 17-inch tires and rims compared with the 16 inch version of last year’s model.

The S model now wears 205/50ZR17 front tires (versus 205/55ZR16 for the base model) and 255/40ZR17 rears (225/50ZR16 base). The earlier Boxster steers a tad lighter and seems to turn in quicker. The differences are minute, however, and the Boxster, in any guise, is one of the best handling sports cars on the market.

PROS
Acceleration Braking
Thrue sportscar

CONS
Interior room
Luggage space

2003 Germany

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