B5BAR
03-18-2005, 10:11 AM
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4173.sized.jpg
I recently was able to experience the newest offering from Porsche, the all new 2005 Boxster. While it is an entry level model, don’t let the phrase take away from what this car truly is. Unlike many other automakers that are bringing back old names for new, bland or otherwise uninspiring models. Porsche has decided to bring back the essence, not the name, of one of the more legendary cars from it’s unique history.
The Boxster is the only true successor to the 356, and the more recent 550 Spider which was made famous by deceased actor James Dean. The 550 was unique and legendary for the time, and has a legendary racing history. The 550 was unstoppable on the race circuit, and had the power to weight ratio second to none. The Boxster’s design, while new in features, and lines, best relates to the classic 550 as opposed to the current or any past 911.
Porsche has been in the Sports car business for years, The most memorable models are the cars that have participated and won sporting events, Le Mans races, and even Road Rally events. They have a rich heritage, and offer something that many enthusiasts hold dear, that being exclusive focus on sports cars. No other long standing German automaker has the history and dedication into making sports cars as does Porsche. That is all they do, and frankly they do it well.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4210.thumb.jpg http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4190.thumb.jpghttp://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4214.thumb.jpg http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4186.thumb.jpg
The Boxster is not intended to be the modern equivalent of the 550, in terms of it’s speed and power, to go there you would need to look at cars like the Carrera GT, or twin turbo 911. Instead the Boxster is after the essence of the 550 by being small, nimble, all while being safe and having features we take for granted on newer cars.
The Experience,
I was fortunate to have the car on one of the warmest February days in History. With the thermometer inching close to 60 degrees, we were able to fully “Experience” what Boxster ownership is all about. The top was only up during our quick trip through Carousel’s carwash, and for a few quick top up shots. Besides those few moments we were enjoying the unusually warm February sunshine.
The new Boxster looks much more aggressive then the previous model, It is Longer, Lower, and Wider looking. It also offers a more powerful presence then the previous model. Interior bits look as well detailed ,and assembled out in the sunlight, as they did at the Detroit Auto Show. Nothing in this current Boxster screams “entry level model”. Luxury is more of the theme of this interior, but it also retains the familiar Porsche analog gages, and dash layout. You sit low, with the door sill nice and high, giving you a secure feel while still giving you plenty of peripheral visibility.
Enough on the looks, we had precious little time remaining to spend photographing, and test driving this car. Heading out to our first Photo location, the first thing I noticed about this new Boxster, is how much more of the beautiful flat 6 you hear inside the car. Having owned a VR6 Volkswagen, driven multiple BMWs, and Mercedes, I can honestly say I still love the sound of the Porsche Flat 6 over all. Since the engine was still cold, I didn’t dare romp on it too much, instead I familiarized myself with the controls, and the feeling of the clutch and shifter. The gearbox is much more precise feeling then the previous generation Boxster, offering great short throws to change between gears.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4202.sized.jpg
Power was smooth and consistent throughout the rev range. Porsche’s own valve technology is a good contributor to the extremely broad torque curve that offers 199 lb/ft of torque from 4,700 – 6,000 RPMs. Owning a Volkswagen 1.8t Engine, I totally appreciate the flat torque curve, and like the Audi / VW 1.8t engine, there is no need to shift down to gain passing power. However, shifting down in a Boxster gives you a great volume of flat 6 sound, something a 1.8t will never offer. I often found myself staying in 4th or even 3rd gear at highway speeds just to listen to the engine.
The new standard 2.7L Boxster engine is only 18hp shy of the previous generation Boxster S, at a respectable 240 ponies. This definitely gives this Boxster an edge over the outgoing base model, and makes me personally wonder, how much more fun is the new S? I will have to wait to find that out, as there were none available for me to test from Porsche, or Carousel at the time of this Article.
As you can expect, handling and braking on this model were improved over the previous models exceptional brake and suspension systems. The Boxster was able to slow down from 80 to 55 much faster then I expected, which actually came in handy. I found this out when someone decided to merge onto the highway and go directly from the onramp over 3 lanes into the left lane in front of me. I was also happy that the suspension took to the speed change well, as stability wasn’t an issue during the high rate of weight transfer to the front wheels. While cold winter pavement is not optimal for testing grip, or handling characteristics in any car, it didn’t seem to bother this Boxster one bit. Driving back to Carousel I was able to hit the onramps at speeds I normally only go in my own cars, while still feeling that I wasn’t even close to this Boxsters limit.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4178.sized.jpg
The thing everyone needs to remember when Driving a Porsche, is the fact that the engine is almost always behind you. Granted there are exceptions, as seen in cars like the Cayenne SUV, 944, 944 Turbo (951), and even the 928, but a majority of Porsche models on the road are rear engine equipped. Balance isn’t really an issue on new Porsche models, but many have been surprised by these cars tendency to over steer, and sometimes even perform surprise 180, or 360 degree spins. I had this in my mind the entire time I was driving this Boxster, but I can happily report that I didn’t even notice any chassis instability.
The new Boxster is on my list of cars I would personally consider taking ownership of. It is well balanced, offers great amenities, power and of course, Porsche prestige. With the base Boxster priced at $43,800, and the S starting off at $53,100, they aren’t exactly cheap to purchase, but considering what you are buying, and it’s current competition, it is not that much to ask for.
There are most likely many reasons that we see so many previous generation Boxsters in Minnesota, I hope those reasons hold true for this generation, as it is a beautiful car to watch going down the road, and is a blast to drive.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4226.sized.jpg
Matt Wellumson
Freelance car nut
I recently was able to experience the newest offering from Porsche, the all new 2005 Boxster. While it is an entry level model, don’t let the phrase take away from what this car truly is. Unlike many other automakers that are bringing back old names for new, bland or otherwise uninspiring models. Porsche has decided to bring back the essence, not the name, of one of the more legendary cars from it’s unique history.
The Boxster is the only true successor to the 356, and the more recent 550 Spider which was made famous by deceased actor James Dean. The 550 was unique and legendary for the time, and has a legendary racing history. The 550 was unstoppable on the race circuit, and had the power to weight ratio second to none. The Boxster’s design, while new in features, and lines, best relates to the classic 550 as opposed to the current or any past 911.
Porsche has been in the Sports car business for years, The most memorable models are the cars that have participated and won sporting events, Le Mans races, and even Road Rally events. They have a rich heritage, and offer something that many enthusiasts hold dear, that being exclusive focus on sports cars. No other long standing German automaker has the history and dedication into making sports cars as does Porsche. That is all they do, and frankly they do it well.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4210.thumb.jpg http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4190.thumb.jpghttp://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4214.thumb.jpg http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4186.thumb.jpg
The Boxster is not intended to be the modern equivalent of the 550, in terms of it’s speed and power, to go there you would need to look at cars like the Carrera GT, or twin turbo 911. Instead the Boxster is after the essence of the 550 by being small, nimble, all while being safe and having features we take for granted on newer cars.
The Experience,
I was fortunate to have the car on one of the warmest February days in History. With the thermometer inching close to 60 degrees, we were able to fully “Experience” what Boxster ownership is all about. The top was only up during our quick trip through Carousel’s carwash, and for a few quick top up shots. Besides those few moments we were enjoying the unusually warm February sunshine.
The new Boxster looks much more aggressive then the previous model, It is Longer, Lower, and Wider looking. It also offers a more powerful presence then the previous model. Interior bits look as well detailed ,and assembled out in the sunlight, as they did at the Detroit Auto Show. Nothing in this current Boxster screams “entry level model”. Luxury is more of the theme of this interior, but it also retains the familiar Porsche analog gages, and dash layout. You sit low, with the door sill nice and high, giving you a secure feel while still giving you plenty of peripheral visibility.
Enough on the looks, we had precious little time remaining to spend photographing, and test driving this car. Heading out to our first Photo location, the first thing I noticed about this new Boxster, is how much more of the beautiful flat 6 you hear inside the car. Having owned a VR6 Volkswagen, driven multiple BMWs, and Mercedes, I can honestly say I still love the sound of the Porsche Flat 6 over all. Since the engine was still cold, I didn’t dare romp on it too much, instead I familiarized myself with the controls, and the feeling of the clutch and shifter. The gearbox is much more precise feeling then the previous generation Boxster, offering great short throws to change between gears.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4202.sized.jpg
Power was smooth and consistent throughout the rev range. Porsche’s own valve technology is a good contributor to the extremely broad torque curve that offers 199 lb/ft of torque from 4,700 – 6,000 RPMs. Owning a Volkswagen 1.8t Engine, I totally appreciate the flat torque curve, and like the Audi / VW 1.8t engine, there is no need to shift down to gain passing power. However, shifting down in a Boxster gives you a great volume of flat 6 sound, something a 1.8t will never offer. I often found myself staying in 4th or even 3rd gear at highway speeds just to listen to the engine.
The new standard 2.7L Boxster engine is only 18hp shy of the previous generation Boxster S, at a respectable 240 ponies. This definitely gives this Boxster an edge over the outgoing base model, and makes me personally wonder, how much more fun is the new S? I will have to wait to find that out, as there were none available for me to test from Porsche, or Carousel at the time of this Article.
As you can expect, handling and braking on this model were improved over the previous models exceptional brake and suspension systems. The Boxster was able to slow down from 80 to 55 much faster then I expected, which actually came in handy. I found this out when someone decided to merge onto the highway and go directly from the onramp over 3 lanes into the left lane in front of me. I was also happy that the suspension took to the speed change well, as stability wasn’t an issue during the high rate of weight transfer to the front wheels. While cold winter pavement is not optimal for testing grip, or handling characteristics in any car, it didn’t seem to bother this Boxster one bit. Driving back to Carousel I was able to hit the onramps at speeds I normally only go in my own cars, while still feeling that I wasn’t even close to this Boxsters limit.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4178.sized.jpg
The thing everyone needs to remember when Driving a Porsche, is the fact that the engine is almost always behind you. Granted there are exceptions, as seen in cars like the Cayenne SUV, 944, 944 Turbo (951), and even the 928, but a majority of Porsche models on the road are rear engine equipped. Balance isn’t really an issue on new Porsche models, but many have been surprised by these cars tendency to over steer, and sometimes even perform surprise 180, or 360 degree spins. I had this in my mind the entire time I was driving this Boxster, but I can happily report that I didn’t even notice any chassis instability.
The new Boxster is on my list of cars I would personally consider taking ownership of. It is well balanced, offers great amenities, power and of course, Porsche prestige. With the base Boxster priced at $43,800, and the S starting off at $53,100, they aren’t exactly cheap to purchase, but considering what you are buying, and it’s current competition, it is not that much to ask for.
There are most likely many reasons that we see so many previous generation Boxsters in Minnesota, I hope those reasons hold true for this generation, as it is a beautiful car to watch going down the road, and is a blast to drive.
http://www.neuwerks.com/albums/05boxster/IMG_4226.sized.jpg
Matt Wellumson
Freelance car nut