Porsche Boxster 2005 Review

What we liked
>> More useable performance
>> Hugs the road like a bear
>> Unruffled roof-down motoring

Not so much
>> Wind deflector rattles
>> 17in tyres look like balloons
>> We'll never afford one

OVERVIEW
Give thanks to the Boxster, because without it there would be no Porsche. Okay, that's stretching the truth a little, but even Porsche's CEO Wendelin Weideking admits the Boxster cemented Porsche's independence in the merger-riddled last two decades of the 20th century.

Back then, Porsche's backbone, the 911, continued to underwrite the business, while ventures into a second model - 924, 944, 968 - failed to bear fruit. To top it off, Porsche stopped building the 928, which still has the strongest loyalty rating with owners of any Porsche model. Ever.

Mazda's MX-5 rejuvenated the roadster market wwhen it launched in 1989, and it took a few years for the German prestige brands to catch on. But they soon did, and the BMW Z3, Mercedes-Benz SLk and Porsche Boxster flowed from the factories.

Porsche's position at the top of the roadster performance chain has held from day one with the superior driving dynamics of the 1997 Boxster with a 2.5-litre flat six-cylinder engine. Since then Boxster's gone through two more 'series', including an engine upgrade to 2.7 litres in 2000, and a performance hike in 2003. A second Boxster model, the 3.2-litre S, was added to the line-up in 2000 and refined further in 2003.

February 2005 sees the arrival of the Series 4 Boxster in Australia. It's the first major mechanical redesign of the mid-engine roadster since 1997, though at first glance you may not pick it. Look closer and every panel's new, the door handles and wing mirrors have changed, there's even a hint of the million dollar Carrera GT in front and rear styling. Changes beneath the skin are equally evolutionary. so it remains unmistakably Boxster, and undeniably a Porsche and all that entails.

FEATURES
Porsche's goal when developing the second generation Boxster was to improve its prowess and dynamism while remaining true to the pure two-seat performance roadster ethic. That means the Boxster retains its mid-engine, rear-drive layout - unique in the German two-seat roadster world.

Eighty-percent of the new Boxster's parts are new, even though you'd not pick it from the outside. Visual similarities to the superseded model were retained to ensure a clear lineage, while styling cues from the 911 and Carrera GT keep the family feel about the baby Porsche.

Two models are offered in Australia, namely the 2.7-litre Boxster and more powerful 3.2-litre Boxster S. Both models are available with manual or optional tiptronic automatic transmissions, and feature an electric-folding soft-top which can be raised and lowered at vehicle speeds below 50km/h.

Pricing has dropped on the new Boxster, partly due to import tariff reductions which came into effect on January 1, 2005. The sticker price difference of between $600-$1100 is only one measure; Porsche claims the new Boxster carries nearly $10,000 more value than the previous model -- and that's before taking unquantifiable improvements in dynamics, performance and engineering into account.

All Boxster models come with climate control air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, CD stacker, cruise control and electric seat recline. Porsche is loathe to add features like televisions which do nothing for the driving experience.

COMFORT
Changes to Boxster's interior are immediately obvious, from the redesigned dashboard with circular air vents to the curved instrument binnacle with more widely spaced dials. Much of the cabin layout and equipment comes from the 997-generation 911, with which the Boxster shares 30 per cent of all parts.

Significant steps have been taken to improve Boxster's ergonomic offering also. The cabin is now wider and roomier than before. The seats sit lower in the cabin to free up headroom (when the roof's closed), and the steering wheel now adjusts for tilt and reach.

The driver's seat slides fore and aft, raises via an alloy lever on the right, and the backrest tilts electrically. The wing mirror adjuster has been relocated to the bottom of the A-pillar, and can be adjusted without moving from your driving position.

Cabin storage options are limited to two useful door pockets, a central bin behind the park brake, the glove box and a small letterbox beneath the new centre stack.

Occupant comfort in the cabin with the roof down is unrivalled even at high speed. Cruising Sydney's F3 freeway at 110km/h with the windows up and rear wind deflector (small Perspex pane between the rear seat headrests) in place, it's almost possible to build a house of cards in the spare seat. Almost, because you should really be watching the road.

Luggage space has been improved slightly up front (engine's behind the seats, remember?), with a capacity of 150 litres up from 130 litres. The boot remains relatively unchanged with 130 litre capacity. The Boxster does not have a spare tyre of any kind, or a jack, instead unlucky drivers will make do with a can of tyre foam. Porsche says dropping the spare tyre saved 10kg.

SAFETY
Dynamic safety is an important part of any car's hazard avoidance repertoire. Boxster's skills start with its sublimely responsive handling and phenomenal road grip, and extend to a suite of electronic gizmos intended to keep the driver in control whenever possible.

Traction control is standard as part of the PSM Porsche Stability Management software which also includes ABS anti-lock brakes, ASC anti-spin control and ABD automatic brake differential.

Boxster's braking system has been upgraded with bigger discs on the rear of both, and cross-drilled discs now standard on the basic model. PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are optional on Boxster S and promise faster stopping response and increased fade resistance, though they're unlikely to last any longer than the standard discs.

Boxster's passive safety is improved, with no less than three airbags for each occupant - front, side (or thorax) and head. Porsche claims the latter is a world first in a roadster. The windscreen frame has been strengthened and the headrests extended by 50mm to increase occupant safety cell in a rollover.

MECHANICAL
Second generation Boxster retains its rear-drive, mid-engine layout, but picks up a number of mechanical changes aimed at improving the driving experience. For starters there's a new variable ratio steering rack inherited from the 911 (997), wider front and rear track, bigger wheels on both models and larger brakes.

Minor modifications to the front and rear suspension geometry enhance stability and safety, while recalibrated springs, dampers and anti-roll bars finesse the compromise between ride and handling.

Engine capacities remain at 2.7 litres (Boxster) and 3.2 litres (Boxster S), but outputs increase slightly to 176kW/270Nm and 206kW/320Nm respectively. The basic Boxster comes standard with the previous model's five-speed manual gearbox -- but with ratios revised to match the car's bigger wheels. The lever's throw has been shortened also to make for snappier shifts.

Boxster S gets an all-new six-speed Getrag manual transmission with new ratios on all gears - again matched to the bigger rolling diameter of the new wheels. This gearbox is optional on standard Boxster.

Both models can be optioned with a five-speed tiptronic automatic transmission, which seamlessly adapts to your driving style. It's a significant improvement on before, and much better at holding gears on gradients and part throttle, but still no match for Porsche's impossibly sweet manual gearboxes.

(Interesting to note that whether your Boxster wears 17, 18 or 19 inch wheels and tyres, the tyres' external circumference are identical.)

Boxster S is available with optional PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management, which modifies damping characteristics and allows the driver to choose from two different modes via a dash-mounted button. For the record the standard setting is marginally softer, more compliant than standard Boxster S suspension, but the second setting is significantly firmer. We'd restrict PASM usage to racetracks and European roads, because ill-surfaced Aussie roads will rattle your teeth and send your kidneys into your toes.

COMPETITORS
Boxster's rivals for the consumer dollar include the BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK roadsters -- the latter with its folding hardtop roof. Include also the Nissan 350Z Roadster with has plenty of performance at a cheaper price.

Audi's due to replace the stunning but ageing TT roadster in a year or two, while Honda's impressive S2000 roadster seems content to slide quietly into oblivion with no replacement in sight.

ON THE ROAD
It's hard to imagine how Porsche could improve on the already embarrassingly proficient first generation Boxster, and yet it has… significantly. Everything about the new model is sharper, faster, harder and more incisive than before. The only thing wider and sloppier is the grin on my face.

The connection between driver and car is now lightning quick through the throttle and the engine barks more deeply behind your head. Pedal positions are spot on and tailor-made for heel-toeing, the gearshift action even quicker and more fluid than before.

Porsche's new variable ratio steering rack, which increases the rate of turn exponentially away from centre, feels somewhat slower and less direct initially, but has lost none of its accuracy. Once beyond the 'slow zone' it's quick and well weighted and communicative without letting road bumps upset the flow.

Grip levels are truly amazing. Bigger tyres all round increase tyre contact with the ground and result in higher corner speeds, more rear-wheel grip under acceleration and serious internal organ damage under brakes.

Interestingly, the Boxster's also more civilised at low speeds, where the initially less reactive new steering comes into its own. Low speed manoeuvrability and parking are much easier with around two turns lock to lock. Improvements in torque delivery make the Boxster's drivetrain more robust and amenable to low rev acceleration.