Porsche Boxster arrives as stunning and swift new roadster
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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SKULL VALLEY, Ariz. --
In this backwater village overlooking the Weaver Mountains southwest of Prescott, where farm machines outnumber street vehicles and racy sports cars rarely venture, heads turn and eyes stare in wonder as the slick silver roadster purrs along Arizona 96.
With its wide track and low stance in roly-poly shape that ripples over wheelwells and exaggerates a slinky nose and bulging tail, this two-seat convertible looks like it can cheat the wind and run circles around any challenger.
Chances are it can do precisely that because the speedster ripping around those Arizona hills happens to be the long-awaited new Porsche sensation, Boxster.
As the first entirely new product to flow from the fabled German automaker in 19 years, Boxster finally reaches the North American market after three years of teasing from prototype snapshots, promises of wily handling attributes and, rare for a Porsche, relatively affordable price points.
Boxster comes with a pedigree of Porsche's prowess in mid-engine racers which traces back four decades to the 550 Spyder, and its shape even evokes faint images of Spyder.
But Boxster becomes its own entity, an entirely new product that behaves like a thoroughbred sports car and delivers innovations in mechanics and stylish design. To explain the contraction of its name, Boxster combines the concept of a smooth and efficient boxer engine, whereby one piston stands in direct opposition to another like a boxer, with the two-seat excitement of a racy roadster.
The boxer engine, a 2.5-liter six with chain-driven camshafts, tucks in front of rear axle for ideal balance.
By shifting the engine's weight off of the front steering wheels, response time for turning improves. Add a rigid chassis with light-weight aluminum suspension components plus a track that's wider in back, and in Boxster these systems produce a car of uncanny agility.
This fact was confirmed during a series of Arizona road tests in some of the first Boxsters to reach our shores. Seat experience included a 300-mile dash across deserts and through curvy mountain traces of the Prescott National Forest, as well as fast-paced track time at Phoenix International Raceway with more than a little coaching from skilled Porsche race drivers.
These tests verified what was already suspected: Boxster amounts to a dream car that's attainable -- at least in price, although with imports limited to a mere 800 or so each month, the good news about Boxster's arrival has already provoked a waiting list of prospective buyers.
What can you get in a Porsche for $40,000?
You get avant-garde styling, superlative handling attributes, a nice power curve for snappy acceleration and, for those curbside witnesses who may watch you zip past in a Boxster, a lot of automotive envy expended.
As with any sporty roadster, Boxster requires certain concessions, starting with space, since there are seats for just two people and only a small amount of on-board storage available in front and rear trunks.
Further, Boxster's ride quality feels firm on the hard-edged side of sporty, and the quickness of steering and suspension systems demands a hands-on and attentive driving style from a devoted sports car fan.
But, oh, what rewards await when you buckle up, turn on that purring powerplant and slip Boxster's short stick shifter into action.
Boxster's entire performance experience may be summarized by combining only two words: Speed control.
The first of these, speed, stems from Porsche's lively new aluminum powerplant, the horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder engine which produces as much as 201 horsepower at 6000 rpm. Boxer sixes have long been a mainstay for Porsche, both on and off of race tracks, but this new design scores as the first production engine by Porsche to use liquid, rather than air, for engine cooling.
The boxer generates excellent torque in lower gears to enhance Boxster's quick run up to speed -- it reaches 60 mph in less than seven seconds and tops out at 149 mph.
And with major components cast or forged from aluminum, engine mass pares drastically in relation to power output.
To control Boxster's speed, a number of dynamic mechanical systems drawn from Porsche's racing experience have been applied to the firm chassis, whose major components also have been formed from aluminum for weight efficiency. The long wheelbase and wide track set up a stable platform balanced with mid-engine placement.
Independent suspension elements include modified MacPherson-style strut in spring coil with transverse aluminum control arms plus longitudinal arms and wheel supports. Stabilizer bars increase stability.
Then Boxster's front wheels exert negative toe when stressed with high lateral forces, while the rear ones oppose in positive toe. This contributes significantly to the platform's overall stability and reduces oversteer potential for more control in tackling hard corners.
And it's that eerie ability to rip through the tightest curve while maintaining speed that makes the magic.
Big race-inspired aluminum disc brakes work their own magic to rein Boxster's speed, and a number of features for active safety show up, including the quick rack and pinion steering system, 4-wheel anti-lock braking control and even the fast-to-accelerate throttle -- all designs working with the alert driver to keep Boxster clear of harm's way.
Inside Boxster's cozy cockpit, designers went wild.
Sensual curves apply to every detail, from graphics of crisp white-on-black analog instruments to the slinky shape of door handles and toggle switches.
Seats feel like they were sculpted strictly for your own body, due to firm bolsters and customized tuning with power tilt adjustments and easy-to-move manual controls to fine-tune vertical and forward position
s.
Boxster's power-folding convertible top stows behind the rear seat without cheating space in the rear trunk. One dashboard button and a single latch initiate this act. An optional wind guard snaps in place between seatbacks to block wind buffeting when zooming along with the top down.
Other options include Porsche's 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with manual shifting features, a sport suspension and 17-inch performance tires.
Still, you can build a wild dream on a base Boxster.
1997 PORSCHE BOXSTER
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| 1997 PORSCHE BOXSTER VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact roadster |
| Model Options: |
Compact roadster |
| Wheelbase: |
95.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
171.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.5-L H6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/5 Tiptronic |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 19/27 mpg
A/5: 17/26 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 39,980 to $ 49,000 |
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