Porsche Boxster 2009 review

Boxster is the purest sportscar in the Porsche range. That’s because it has its engine sitting within the wheelbase rather than behind the back wheels as is the case in the iconic Porsche 911. The Boxster's mid-engined layout gives excellent chassis balance, high cornering speeds and provides great driver control and on-road appeal.

Yet it comes as no surprise that the unconventional Porsche 911, with its engine hanging out behind the rear wheels retains top spot in the hearts of Porsche purists. Long live this triumph of emotion over commonsense in the automotive world!

But the subject of this week’s road test is the latest Porsche Boxster S. It has received a major upgrade for 2009. In a very German manner the changes are mainly under the engine cover, though there are also adjustments to the appearance and equipment levels.

The Porsche flat-six engine in the Boxster S retains its previous capacity of 3.4 litres, but now features direct fuel injection, complemented by numerous other changes. Power has been raised to 228 kW, 310 horsepower in sports car terms. Even more importantly, peak torque is an impressive 360 Nm. Though ‘peak’ is hardly the right word in this context, ‘plateau’ would be a more accurate description, because that 360 Newton metres of grunt is available all the way from 4400 rpm to 5500 revs. Furthermore, the torque graph sits high on either side of these numbers.

This engine is at its best from 3000 rpm upwards and its note rises to a wonderfully metallic howl as it goes through 5000 rpm on its way to a redline of 7500. Whenever possible during our road test of this latest Boxster we powered the top down just for the pleasure of listening to the engine rises and falls through the gears.

Throttle response is as near to instantaneous as we have ever felt in a road car; thus showing the biggest advantage of using a naturally-aspirated engine over one with a turbocharger. Simply hit the Porsche pedal and the car leaps up in speed in a manner that makes it immensely safe and satisfying when overtaking, or just having a good driving time for the sake of it.

This pure German sports model is strictly a two-seater with a folding roof that’s one of the simplest in the business.

Then there's the middle pedal and the even more impressive results it achieves. Powerful ventilated brake discs are installed. If you think going from zero to 100km/h in only 5.3 seconds feels sensational, just wait until you experience 100 to zero in only 2.5 seconds.

Porsche Boxster is a brilliant machine to push along hard and fast. It takes a lot of provocation to get the tail out of line, and if it does start to slide the Boxster remains controllable up to a point. As with all full-on sports cars with a mid-mounted engine, if the tail gets out too far you'll need quick reflexes to correct it. An advanced driving course makes a lot of sense if you really want to get the best from your Boxster.

Comfort remains good on all but the roughest of Australian backroads, and even then this no-nonsense sports model has a better ride than some passenger sedans from the European continent.

This pure German sports model is strictly a two-seater with a folding roof that’s one of the simplest in the business; just look at the way the top of the roof doubles as its own cover when it’s powered down. Brilliant!

Boxster’s seats are supportive and comfortable and legroom and shoulder space are plentiful with the two occupants well insulated from buffeting with the roof down and the side windows up. Even with the windows down for the maximum of open air enjoyment the windrush isn't overpowering.

A bonus of the mid-engined layout is that it’s surprisingly practical for a sportscar, with luggage compartments front and rear. The boots do suffer from lack of height so carrying bulky items is not possible. But there's plenty of luggage space for a long holiday trip if you take care in packing.

Porsche Boxster is sold only as a convertible; however, a coupe version, called the Porsche Cayman is also on offer. Cayman has received similar mechanical upgrades to the Boxster and we will try to get our hands on one soon and bring you a full report on it.

The Boxster S is priced at $140,400, you can also buy a smaller engined, at 2.9 litres, model at a very reasonably $113,000, a great price for a full-on sports car from one of the best known of all the world’s marques. Note that these prices do not include government or dealer charges.

Model Range

Porsche Boxster 2.9-litre two-door convertible: $113,000 (manual), $118,500 (automatic)
Porsche Boxster S 3.4-litre two-door convertible: $140,400 (manual), $145,900 (automatic)
(Note: Prices are recommended retail and do not include dealer or government charges)