Porsche Boxster
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The Boxster's name plays on the words 'boxer' (after its horizontally-opposed engine configuration, also called the boxer engine) and 'roadster'. Boxster production began at the former Porsche 928 facility at Stuttgart after the 928 was discontinued due to poor sales. Boxsters are also manufactured in Uusikaupunki, Finland by Valmet under contract to Porsche.
A unique styling feature on both the 986 and 987 is the automatically extending rear spoiler that extends at 75mph and retracts at 56mph, pushing down on the back end to increase steering control and stability. With styling reminiscent of the larger 911 (to the point where buyers of the 911 complained that their car looked too similar to the Boxster), the car has been popular both with car industry journalists and with buyers. It was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in model year 1997 until the company introduced the Cayenne SUV in model year 2003.
986
The styling of the Boxster is owed to former "Style Porsche" department head Harm Lagaay. His Boxster design study and the production Boxster stimulated a commercial turnaround for Porsche after several difficult years of falling sales. The first generation of the Boxster (internally known as the 986) whose visual appearance was heavily inspired by the Porsche Spyder and Speedster. The Boxster features two models; the standard model with a 200 bhp (149 kW), 2.5 L flat six cylinder engine (enlarged to 2.7 L and 225 bhp (168 kW) in later model years), and the model Boxster S with an enlarged 3.2 L engine producing 258 bhp (192 kW).
987
The second generation of the Boxster (internally known as the 987) made its debut at the 2004 Paris Motor Show alongside the new 911 (997). The car became available for model year 2005.The appearance of the car remains very similar to the previous generation. The most obvious styling change is the headlights which moved towards a more classic round style, much like the current generation 911. There has also been a significant update to the intake vents on the sides of the car, which are now larger. Overall, the styling of the car has been updated to match that of its hard top stable mate, the Cayman. The base engine is a 2.7 L 176 kW (240 hp) flat-6, with the Boxster S getting a 3.2 L 206 kW (280 hp) engine. The Cayman series is based off the 987.
For the 2007 model year the Boxster will receive a 5 hp boost (245 hp; the same as the Cayman) and the Boxster S will receive 15 more hp (295 hp; the same as the Cayman S). This upgrade makes the Boxster series and the Cayman series equivalent in terms of horsepower.
Awards
In 1998, after a year of marketplace acceptance in the United States, the original Boxster was the recipient of many awards, including those listed:
Car & Driver / One of the 10 Best Cars of 1997
Automobile / Automobile of the Year
Motor / 1997 Performance Car of the Year
Autocar / Best Roadster in the World
Motorweek / 1997 Drivers Choice for Best Sports Car
Philadelphia Inquirer / Best Sports Car of the Decade
Newsweek / One of the Best New Products of 1997
Business Week / One of the Best New Products of 1997
American Marketing Association / Best New Product of 1997
Automobile Journalists of Canada / 1997 Car of the Year
Automobile Journalists of Canada / Best Design of 1997
The Boxster has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list seven times, from 1998 through 2003 and in 2006.
The Boxster S (986s) was rated as one of the top ten Porsches of all time by Excellence magazine.
References
- "Into the Sunshine: 2005 Porsche Boxster Revealed", an article in the "News" section on page four of the 10 May 2004 issue of AutoWeek
External links
- [Official Porsche website]
- *[Boxster models at official Porsche website]
- **[Boxster at official Porsche website]
- **[Boxster S at official Porsche website]
- *[Boxster models official minisite]
- [AutoGuideWiki.com]
- [Porsche Boxster FAQ]
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Recent/Current/Future:
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Historic:
1940s-1950s: 356 | 550 Spyder | 718 RS / F2 / F1 1960s-1970s: 356 | 804 F1 | 904 | 906 | 907 | 908 | 909 | 910 | 911 | 912 | 914 | 917 | 924 | 928 | 934 | 935 | 936 1980s-1990s: 911/964/993/996 | 944 | 953 | 956 | 959 | 962 | 968 | 989 | Boxster | ||
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