1998 Porsche Boxster Review (continued)
Add your own review or comments

Walkaround

Although it's not quite as drop-dead gorgeous as the Boxster show car of 1993, the production version is clean, purposeful and distinctively Porsche.

From the front, the Boxster design is reminiscent of the evergreen 911, particularly some of the 911 special appearance packages. But from the rear, it suggests a blend of a couple of '50s ancestors, specifically Porsche's 356 Speedster and the 550 Spyder.

Naturally, the proportions are a little different. This is a mid-engine car, as distinct from the rear-engined 356 and the 911, which means the engine is mounted ahead of the rear axle rather than over or behind it.

This configuration yields excellent weight distribution, and just as significant, puts most of the car's mass between the front and rear axles, a big asset in the department of rapid maneuvers. Which, of course, is what cars like this are all about.

Riding a 95.1-inch wheelbase and almost 170 inches long, the Boxster is about 10 inches longer than the BMW Z3 and Mercedes-Benz SLK, its Teutonic rivals. It's also a tad wider, with a wider rear track. However, the extra dimensions don't translate as a weight penalty. The basic Boxster scales in a tad over 2800 pounds, which is a little lighter than its competitors.

Propelling this tidy package is an update on a classic Porsche design--the opposed or boxter" six. With their cylinders opposed 180 degrees to one another, boxter designs offer packaging advantages, because they lie flat. And because they lie flat, they also help designers keep the car's center of gravity low.

At a glance, the new engine is classic Porsche, with roots that date to Ferdinand Porsche's early work in the 1930s. But there's a key contemporary difference. The Boxster's flat-six is liquid-cooled, eliminating the old 911 cooling fans and lending a distinctly new sound to its power delivery.

As you'd expect of a Porsche, the new engine is mechanically au courant, with twin overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and variable cam timing. And as you'd also expect, peak power--201 horsepower from 2.5 liters--is plentiful, though both the Z3 2.8 and supercharged SLK are a little more robust in the torque department.

Two transmissions are offered--the standard five-speed manual and Porsche's Tiptronic automatic, also with five speeds. The Tiptronic offers its operator the choice of full automatic operation or fingertip pushbutton self-shifting, similar in concept to a Formula One racing car. It's the best compromise between stick and automatic on the market, but at $3150 it's also the most expensive and the manual gearbox provides better performance.

Braking, with oversize vented discs on all four wheels plus Porsche's latest antilock system, is superb.

Our basic Boxster was equipped with the standard wheel/tire package--P205/55ZR front, P225/50ZR rear, on handsome 16-inch aluminum wheels. Optional 17-inch wheels add a bit more grip at the rear of the car, but also add $1450 to the bottom line.

Other chassis/performance related goodies on the option list include a $3235 Sport package (17-inch wheel/tire combination, wind deflector, cruise control, alarm system and in-dash CD player) and a Technic Sport package (stiffer suspension components, 17-inch wheels and tires, automatic brake differential and traction control) for $1901.

The traction control system, which includes the automatic brake proportioning system, is also available as a separate option for $847."

Interior Features

Consistent with virtually every Porsche ever made, the Boxster is all business inside, with plenty of room for two (we don't have specific measurements) highly supportive leather-surfaced bucket seats, contemporary amenities and excellent control placement.

However, the instruments do represent something of a departure from Porsche tradition. Three round pods are siamesed together, with the speedo on the left, coolant temp and fuel on the right and a big tachometer dominating in the center.

The speedo and tach are analog, of course, but there are smaller digital readouts at the bottom of each pod--odometer incoporated in the speedo, clock in the secondary readouts and a digital speedo at the bottom of the big tach. It's an attractive and effective blend of classic with contemporary.

A pair of steel tube hoops, mounted behind the seats and extending above the seatbacks, provide extra protection for drivers unlucky enough to find themselves upside-down, and of course there are the usual passive safety features--twin airbags, three-point seatbelts and side impact protection.

Unlike the BMW Z3, the Boxster's standard convertible top is power-operated. When the top is down, you can stretch a wind deflector between the upper seatbacks to minimize interior buffeting. It's a $360 option that we recommend. Porsche also offers a removable hardtop option, which includes a rear window defogger, for $2249.

Other optional amenities: a trip computer ($440), alarm system ($600), upgrades sound package (six speakers, four-channel amp, $590), headlight washers ($224), metallic paint ($789) and cruise control ($550). Although the seats in the basic car have leather inserts, you can spread more cowhide around the interior with the leather interior package for $1951.

All of the foregoing makes it clear to us that option shopping is something to approach carefully with this new car.

Luggage space is apportioned between fore and aft compartments, and is surprisingly good for a small two-seater. Getting at the engine, however, is another story. Although you can get to fluid reservoirs readily enough, all access to the engine itself comes from below. Unless you have your own hydraulic hoist, getting to the engine means a visit to your Porsche dealer, which is rarely cheap.