The original Porsche Boxster was a huge success, opening up the marque to a host of new customers, so when the second-generation version arrived in late 2004 it wasn’t a surprise that it followed a similar formula. While the 987 Boxster retained only 20 per cent of the 986’s DNA, it looked…
The original Porsche Boxster was a huge success, opening up the marque to a host of new customers, so when the second-generation version arrived in late 2004 it wasn’t a surprise that it followed a similar formula. While the 987 Boxster retained only 20 per cent of the 986’s DNA, it looked similar, even despite the new car’s exterior being influenced by the recently launched Carrera GT.
The entry-level 987 carried over the 2.7-litre flat-six from the 986, but with power increased to 237bhp and torque to 199lb ft (up 13bhp and 7lb ft respectively); 0-62mph took 6.2sec – 0.2sec quicker – and there was a more prominent soundtrack, too. For the Boxster S the 3179cc flat-six was retained but now had 276bhp and 236lb ft (up 20bhp and 7lb ft), making it good for 0-62mph in 5.5sec. These figures were with the standard manual gearbox (five- speed for the non-S, six-speed for the S and optional on the 2.7), but a five-speed Tiptronic was available on both models.