Boxster 986  Jan 1997/ Oct 1999

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PORSCHE was facing ruin in the early 1990s, after the heady days of the 1980s boom times busted spectacularly.
Fuelling a need to replace the rapidly ageing range – 944/968, 911, 928. The youngest was a 1977 vintage vehicle.
After much backroom disagreements and managerial changes, Porsche decided to abandon development of sports sedans and coupes and instead go back to its roots.
The plan was set for a relatively affordable open two-seater that was to be spun-off the 996 911 replacement, with as many parts commonality as possible in order to not go bankrupt developing these crucial new models.
And the result was the 986 Boxster, based on the retro-meets-techno 1993 show car of the same name.
As the company's rival to BMW's 2.8 Z3, the Mercedes SLK and Audi's TT, it also happened to be the cheapest new Porsche in years.
It was also the German company's first mid-engine production car since the forgotten 914/916 of the late 1960s.
Sharing almost half of its componentry with the rear-engine 996 series 911, the Boxster Series 1’s engine is a horizontally opposed 2.5-litre flat six with

quad camshafts and four overhead valves per cylinder. 
It produces 150kW of power and 245Nm of torque.
Helped by its mid-engine layout, the Boxster's handling was class-leading and the road holding tenacious. 
But many critics believed the car to feel underpowered, since the extremely highly engineered chassis could clearly handle more power.
Nevertheless the Boxster was just the hit the ailing Porsche needed to get back on its corporate feet.

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Boxster 986 series 2   Oct 1999 / Jan 2005

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For its first update Porsche silenced critics who called on for a more powerful engine than the 150kW 2.5 by offering a larger 2.7 as well as a 3.2-litre Boxster S.
Boosting power and torque to 162kW and 260Nm, and using the same five-speed manual or five-speed Tiptronic automatic, increased the Porsche’s performance usefully.
Better still, the S brought a new level of sub-supercar thrills.
At its heart is a bored version of that six-cylinder engine, offering 185kW at 6250rpm and 252Nm at 4500rpm, with only a 45kg kerb weight penalty.
With a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds and 0-400 metres in just 14.2, we are talking junior supercar pace here.
Variably timed double overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder are a standard part of Boxster engine kit, but the S is unique in having a two-stage resonance intake manifold which aids power delivery and flexibility.
A new six-speed manual gearbox – a donation from the 996 911 Carrera – while the five-speed "Tiptronic S" gained steering wheel shifting paddles.
The chassis and suspension have also come in for attention.
The reinforced lightweight steel body is lowered 10mm and there are firmer shock absorbers, springs and stabiliser bars all-round, while the rear suspension features longer rear axle control arms to increase toe-in stiffness. Other changes include revised wheel mounts, larger wheel bearings and larger wheels.
Completing the performance upgrade are larger, and cross-drilled, disc brakes.
In August ’02 the Boxster’s 2.7 engine gained a slight power rise, to 168kW, while the S’s 3.2 rose to 191kW and 310Nm.
A special limited edition model – the 986 Boxster S 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary – was released in September ’04, featuring a 196kW/310Nm version of the 3179cc ‘six’.

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Boxster 987  Feb 2005 / Jun 2012

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Porsche’s best-case sales scenario for the Boxster before its 1997 launch was 15,000 per annum; some years the 30,000 mark was approached.
With such widespread appeal, Porsche was left with the dilemma of how to freshen the Boxster without changing its essence. So, although similar, 80 per cent is new.
In response to customer criticism, there’s also wider differentiation between the Boxster and the 911 – albeit with the two cars having a 50 per cent parts commonality.
Changes underneath have wrought more power, improved dynamics, better safety and greater efficiencies.
The 987 Boxster has bigger side windows, deeper bumpers, redesigned side air inlets, pull out door handles and a 0.02 aerodynamic improvement (2.7: 0.29Cd; S: 0.28Cd).
A new 911-style welding and bonding process, plus extra reinforcing between the lower bulkhead crossbar and the A-pillar, improves passenger safety and increases torsional stiffness nine per cent and flexural rigidity 14 per cent.
Revised versions of Porsche’s 2.7-litre DOHC flat six and its larger 3.2 S sibling mean that peak power rises 8kW to 176kW at 6400rpm, and 15kW to 206kW at 6200rpm respectively.
A new exhaust combines with greater air filter surface and a double-chamber induction system to pump out peak torque by 10Nm at lower revs. Boxster now makes 270Nm at 4700rpm, with 320Nm now on offer in the S at the same 4700rpm.
Shorter final drive ratios (to suit the larger wheels) drop the 0-100km/h sprint times to 6.2 seconds (5.5 seconds for the S), while top speed also rises to 256 and 268km/h respectively.
There are also reductions in gearshift travel and fuel consumption, the latter averaging a 0.1L/100km drop to 9.6L (S: 10.4).
Inside reveals the biggest visual changes, with more quality materials and space for occupants over 190cm tall.

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Boxster 981      Jun 2012 -

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PORSCHE’S third generation Boxster roadster arrived mid 2012, lighter, faster and more fuel efficient than ever before. 

The muscular-looking Boxster was designed to appeal to a younger, broader audience and was built using a combination of steel and aluminium, with 46 per cent of the shell made up of aluminium to shave between 25 and 35kg off the weight of the vehicle. 
The Boxster was powered by a choice of two mid-mounted six cylinder boxer engines – a 2.7-litre version for the Boxster and a 3.4-litre for the Boxster S.
Power was slightly up for both engines, with the smaller engine pumping out 195kW and the 3.4 capable of 232kW, up by 4kW over the previous model.
Sprinting to 100km/h was 5.5 seconds in the Boxster and 4.8 seconds in the top-spec Boxster S.