2008 Porsche Boxster Expert Review: Autoblog
Autoblog
Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Porsche Boxster RS 60
Our colleague Chris Tutor recently took the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder for a few quick turns around Barber Motorsports. A tad more powerful than the Boxster S, and filled with red leather, he discovered it was plenty of car on the closed circuit. We recently had a chance to get the special edition RS 60 off the track and onto the back roads of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and got to see what the car could do on twisting country lanes – and unexpectedly, in the rain. The likewise unexpected result: damn near perfection. Follow the jump to find out how,and check out the gallery of hi-res and sometimes very damp images below.
All Second Drive gallery photos Copyright ©2008 Sergio Jurado / Weblogs, Inc.
The Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder we drove costs $59,065. For that money, you do not get navigation. You do not get power seats. You do not get an iPod hookup, nor a manual trunk release, nor an 'Auto' setting for the headlights (which, along with that trunk release, will be a factor later on in our story). At times, the Plexiglass windscreen between the seats squeaks. When the aluminum-backed seats are pushed all the way back against the carpeted rear bulkhead, they might squeak as well. The red and metallic dash is almost constantly reflected in the steeply raked windshield. 
And then there's the matter of purity. This particular blogger had a thing about Porsches: you either had a 911, or you had... whatever it is you had. We owned a 993 for a while, and simply could not understand how anyone could leave the Porsche dealership with anything other than The Icon. We didn't look down on Boxster drivers... we simply didn't quite... get it.
Now we do.
Porsche can charge you $59,065 for the Boxster RS 60 Spyder because, for all it doesn't come with, it comes with one thing worth every red pfennig: deliciously coordinated delivery of sublimely engaging driving sensations you will not find anywhere else outside of Porsche. It's been said ad infinitum. I will say it again: no other automaker has distilled the thrill of driving as perfectly as Porsche.
The steering wheel is the perfect size, in the perfect place. There are no buttons on its spokes for cruise control or volume or the dash information display. It says, "I am not a universal remote. I am for driving."
The seats – gasp -- leave one plenty of room in the cabin, something I couldn't entirely say of the last 911 I drove. The sports recliners also hug perfectly -- even during those Over-the-Road hauls -- in a way that keeps your lower back, kidneys, and rump far too busy being comfortable to bother you. 
There is a Terminator-esque gearshift, a proper 6-speed snickity-snick dealy-o, that begs you to rest your hand on it. And when it's time to shift... egads... thank you, mother, can I have another?
There's that exhaust note. Like that third bowl of porridge, it is just right. It never goes away, but it never drones. And when you invite it into the cabin through the subtle flexing of your right calf, it fills the interior, fills your ears, fills the spaces between your solar plexus and coccyx with a magnificent resonance.
Everything we've discussed so far you can enjoy standing still. When it's time to move... ah yes, there's that aerospace precision we have come to expect from Porsche, the 1:1 ratio of driving input to engine and vehicular output. There are driver's cars that are more visceral, more luxurious, more thrilling. We've driven most of them. Not a one provides the same we-could-do-this-all-day driving experience.
What about that English bulldog sniffing around Porsche's marked territory, the V8 Vantage? We drove the '08 Vantage for two weeks all over Europe, and it is an undeniably terrific car. But in its luxurious leanings, it is just a hair less taut than the Porsche, less tight by one iota when it comes to the asphalt equivalent of Chutes and Ladders. Our colleague Damon Lavrinc recently tested the 2009 Vantage and came to the same conclusion. Which is no slight at all to the Vantage. But Porsche created this game. And still rules it.
Yet believe it or not, we came not to gush over the RS 60. We are simply forced to praise it.
The wet, green summertime woods of New England, threaded with an intertwined mess of 2-lane roads, were perfect for the car. At a stubby 14 feet, a little over 3,000 pounds, with 303 hp, 251 ft-lb, and a beautifully sorted suspension, cornering is done as it's meant to be. That is, a human being in charge of steering, throttle, and shifting, with no worries about The Walloping Weight Shift somewhere around turn-in, or heaven forbid, exit. 
Hit the gas and the car goes... but it doesn't GO! And it's not supposed to, so as not to upset its jealous bigger brother. The RS 60 has just enough power for you to really get on it, exploit it around turns and down straights. It's plenty, especially if you appreciate the driving investment. Get on a 911 Turbo the same way, and the only things you'll be exploiting are the limits of your insurance premiums, both health and auto. For B-road fun, the Boxster is everything it needs to be.
And now to the issue of those non-Auto lights and no-manual trunk release. The only blight we endured from the special edition Boxster was what was required when the battery went dead, as it did when a valet left the lights on. Pay close attention:
You can't remove the key from the ignition when the battery is dead. To do so, you pull the cover off the fuse box in the driver's footwell. You remove the 6-inch long sliver of a metal rod with a bend at one end. You place the bend inside a tiny hole in the plastic ignition lock surround, and pull out a frighteningly tiny sliver of plastic. Turn the key to the left, then place the other end of that metal rod inside a hole in the ignition lock, and that releases the key. If you've managed not to lose that Lilliputian piece of plastic, you replace it in its housing.
So you've got your key back. But you still can't get to the battery. Since there's no manual hood release, you have to go back to the fuse box, extending a specially marked red fuse. Place the positive jumper cable on that fuse, the negative cable on the door hinge, but don't pull the automatic hood release, because that still doesn't work. You have to press the hood release on the key. Then the hood pops open.
Then you cart the charge box to the front of the car and hook it to the battery. Then you get back in the car and it starts, and lights up like the Sydney Harbor Bridge at New Year's since the low voltage has thrown things out of whack.
Then you drive. And all is, yes, forgiven.
Our verdict: personally, we'd still take a 911, but not for puritanical reasons. We happen to like the 911 better, and we wouldn't mind the extra power for the straights. But after seven hours, two hundred miles, a Woodstock Burger, and two enormous scoops of ice cream in the RS 60, we have just one thing to say about it: We-Li-Kit.
All Second Drive gallery photos Copyright ©2008 Sergio Jurado / Weblogs, Inc.
On paper, the Boxster RS 60 Spyder might seem nothing more than a limited-edition Boxster with some interior upgrades, a slight horsepower bump over the S model and a name picked from the company's rich racing history.
Let's first take a look at the car's historic name. In 1960, Porsche's mid-engined 718 RS 60 won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Targa Florio. Historic pictures show it as a silver car with a red leather interior, much like the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder I took around Barber Motorsports this week.
Continue reading after the jump and visit our high-res gallery.
Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.
On the street it won't be easy to distinguish one of the 1,960 RS 60s from its more common Boxster S siblings. RS 60s wear revised front spoilers, 19" SportDesign wheels with 5 mm spacers and all-red taillights. The really observant might notice the Boxster S script on the rear deck is chromed instead of matte silver and so are the roll hoop covers. The car's standard sport exhaust is also noticeable because of its two round tips instead of oval outlets. Inside, the stainless steel door sill plates are emblazoned with the RS 60 Spyder logo, and there's an authenticating plaque below the passenger airbag.
The interior gets Porsche's "full leather" package, which includes Carrera Red leather on the door panels, dash, center console and sport steering wheel. The Boxter S gauges are topped with a crescent hood while the RS 60 loses the cover, and, in my opinion, gains a nice retro touch. Gauge faces also get the car's GT Silver Metallic paint to coordinate with silver seatbelts and seat backs.
On a track, though, you're more likely to hear that sport exhaust before you see it. On the car's first lap around Barber, everyone's attention was focused on seeing what car was lapping. At speed, the Porsche's pipes open up and the sound changes from refined sports car to snarling Germanic wail. Tim Cupp, Porsche's product manager for sports cars, says the sport exhaust is available on other Boxsters, but only raises the volume. On the RS 60, it helps the car take advantage of a re-worked engine management system, which adds eight horsepower.
On paper, that's not worth the extra $9,200 you pay for a Boxster RS 60 instead of an S. Not even if the RS does have a luxurious-looking digital/analog timer atop the center of the dash. But in the right hands on a track, the GT Silver Metallic drop-top comes to life and quickly proves that red interior bits on a Boxster S an RS 60 does not make. At least that's what the Porsche guys told me.
So I eagerly jumped behind the wheel of a regular 2008 Boxster S with accomplished racer David Murry in the passenger seat and did three very quick laps around Barber's nicely landscaped 16 turns. The track, as usual, was beautiful. My driving, as usual, wasn't. I missed apexes, turned too early, braked too soon, but kept it out of the rough. The acceleration from the S's 295-horse 6-cylinder was phenomenal. The handling was way beyond anything I was capable of exploring. The S's Porsche Stability Management System usually took a nap during my laps.
My first two laps in the RS 60 Spyder were just as timid and badly done, but I could feel more low-end torque. I could also tell that the car's suspension had even more body-roll-controlling ability of which I wasn't taking advantage. I think. On the third lap, Murry invited me to take the tach past 5,000 at least once. No, not invite, gently prodded. He's a very patient man, by the way. He prodded me, in fact, to exceed 6,000 RPM to see just what happens in the engine's sweet spot. Inside, things got loud. Outside, they were blurry. And the yellow "BRAKE" sign trackside got closer much quicker than on the last lap. My grin, I'm sure, was wider than turn 7, which we were in, and for which I, again, braked too soon.
I obviously needed a pro to tell me the difference in the two cars. Murry was more than happy to trade seats and give me his opinion. The Boxster S, he said as he shifted from third to second to accelerate out of Barber's tight turn 5, had a mostly linear power band. He then proceeded, in third gear now, to tell me as he demonstrated that the RS 60's power spikes between 6,000 and 7,200 RPM. That must have been what the tach was indicating at that point because I couldn't hear a word he was saying over that sport exhaust three feet behind us. He braked exactly when he needed to for turn 7, showed turn 8 who's boss and rocketed down the back straight almost exactly how I did not.
For a track car, Murry says he'd choose the RS 60 over the more common S. The choice is even easier with the RS60's Porsche Active Suspension Management system, which makes a big difference in the car's handling by allowing greater slip angles, stiffens the dampers and gives more dynamic accelerator pedal response. And the RS 60 is still a Boxster that gets 26 mpg highway, has enormous trunk space for a convertible and can be used as a daily driver.
P.S. As the cars were being loaded onto the trailer to go home, the RS 60 belched out a big cloud of gray smoke. No one seemed too concerned, so I asked around what might be the problem. Apparently, the RS 60 was barely broken in with just over 3,300 miles on it. After being the most popular car all day, it had sat while I took photos of it and oil had gotten in places it didn't belong. One of the fleet managers asked that we suggest to new Boxster owners to be careful not to overfill their cars with oil and there won't be a problem. Consider yourself warned. Before you go crying foul play, we checked with a few Porschephile friends who say that it's perfectly normal for flat engines to do this upon startup for a brief second.
Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.
New Car Test Drive
A modern classic gets more power.
Introduction
The Porsche Boxster is a sweet sports car that feels right at home on a race track, yet it's comfortable enough for daily use. Drop the top, listen to the engine as you accelerate down a winding road and you'll know what we mean by sweet. That classic Porsche sound, the balanced handling from the mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, and fantastic brakes are among the elements that add up to an absolute delight for driving enthusiasts.
The 2007 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S are quicker than last year's models, benefiting from additional power.
The headliner is the Boxster S, which gets a bigger engine. The 3.4-liter engine produces 295 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, 15 more in each case than the 3.2-liter engine it replaces.
Meanwhile, the standard Boxster's 2.7-liter engine gains 5 horsepower for the 2007 model year, now outputting 245 horsepower and 201 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are now equipped with Porsche's VarioCam Plus setup, which provides variable valve intake timing and lift control, resulting in an impressive combination of power and fuel efficiency. With these changes, 0-60 mph acceleration performance has improved for 2007.
Both 2007 Boxster and Boxster S models models are available with an updated version of the Tiptronic S automatic transmission. This new version features improved responsiveness due to new hydraulics and electronics, and also provides variable shift programs, all of which makes the already compelling automatic even more so. That said, we still prefer the manual.
Besides being thrilling to drive, the Boxster is a comfortable sports car with ergonomically superior seating contours and a steering wheel that can be adjusted for both reach and rake. The taller driver, not always welcome in the two-seater world, is thoughtfully accommodated by a relatively low seating position and placement of the drilled aluminum pedals closer to the firewall.
Driver control is improved over previous Boxster models with the latest generation of Porsche Stability Management, which comes standard. Drivers wanting the ultimate in ride control and electronic handling assist should get the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management, which allows the driver to select Normal and Sport suspension calibrations. This active suspension system is a wonder, fulfilling its task of enhancing the driving experience by maintaining chassis equilibrium in all conditions.
New for 2007: Porsche's Tire Pressure Monitoring System comes standard on all models. Also, serviceability is improved in the 2007 Boxster, with coolant and engine-oil filler caps now nestled behind an easily accessible flap, moving out of the way in the rear trunk.
Lineup
The Porsche Boxster comes in two models. The base Boxster ($45,600) sports a newly bolstered 245-hp, 2.7-liter flat six that mates to a five-speed manual transmission. The Boxster S ($55,500) is aggressively fitted with a 295-hp, 3.4-liter flat six and a six-speed gearbox.
For those who prefer automatic transmissions, Porsche's newly improved five-speed automatic Tiptronic S ($3,210) is an option for either model. The six-speed gearbox used in the Boxster S can be ordered for the standard Boxster as part of a Sports Package ($2,680) that includes Porsche's Active Suspension.
Standard features include automatic climate control, AM/FM/CD, a power top, power mirrors and power windows, with leather trim on the steering wheel rim, shift lever, handbrake lever and door handles. The list of options is seemingly endless.
A wide range of seating options is available: six-way adjustable seats are standard; the first of three options is full 12-way power-adjustable seats with pneumatic lumbar support; second is sports seats based on the standard seats but with more side support; and third is adaptive sport seats with full electric adjustment, plus individual adjustment of the various side supports ($3,050). Heated seats also are available ($480). A full leather interior ($2,095) is optional along with several other upholstery trim packages.
A three-spoke steering wheel comes standard, but it can be supplanted with a smaller-diameter sport wheel or a multi-function wheel fitted in conjunction with the optional Porsche Communication Management system ($2,640). The optional Bose Surround Sound system is available for the Boxster ($1,665) and Boxster S ($950) along with a six-disc changer for the front trunk ($650). Night vision can be enhanced by a bi-xenon headlamp option ($990), and fitting into tight spaces made easier by Park Assist ($530). Custom paint colors are available ($4,315).
The Sport Chrono Package Plus ($920) includes a gauge atop the dashboard that charts sprints and lap times. It also interacts with the engine management system, PSM, PASM, and Tiptronic S (if those are fitted) to provide a sportier driving experience through quicker throttle response, faster shifts and higher limits to the anti-spin control thresholds.
Standard running gear for the Boxster is 6.5x17-inch wheels up front and 8x17 in back, mounted with 205/55R17 and 235/50R17 performance radials, front and rear. The S gets 8x18s at the nose and 9x18s under the tail, wrapped by 235/50s and 265/40s, fore and aft. Boxsters also can be ordered with the 18-inch S wheels ($1,235).
New in 2007 is the availability of 19-inch, forged ally, two-tone wheels. Also available are 19-inch wheels for the Boxster ($2,785) and Boxster S ($1,550), including a 10-spoke Carrera Sport wheel. These big units measure 8x19 in front and 9.5x19 in back and roll on ultra-low-profile tires. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes ($8,150) are a pricey option, but they improve braking performance and reduce unsprung mass by almost 35 pounds.
Safety features on all models include a unique head airbag protection system. Frontal and side-impact airbags come standard. Safety for taller drivers has improved in recent years for Boxster models, now with a taller safety bar and higher headrests. The side windows have been enlarged to raise the height of the roof. Antilock brakes (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (ABD), electronic stability control (PSM), and traction control (ASR) come standard on all Boxsters.
New for 2007, Porsche's Tire Pressure Monitoring System continuously monitors the air pressure in each tire and offers not only extra safety but also the reduced risk of tire damage (including monitoring for the gradual loss of pressure in tires). This feature also helps prevent inconsistent or unequal tire wear and excessive fuel consumption via its warning function.
Walkaround
The Boxster has a quiet look that speaks volumes about Porsche design philosophy. There are no extraneous ducts or style-influenced bulges to be seen. Yet it's modern in the details that first made their way into the Porsche styling idiom through the high-powered Carrera GT (note the mirrors) and the current 911.
The headlight treatment has greatly improved on Boxster in recent years, separating the main driving lamp from the foglamp and turn signal cluster. This not only gives the Boxster nose a more traditional Porsche look, it also allows the foglamps to be placed further toward the car's corners for a better spread of light.
The frontal area and grille openings are large, the track is wide, and the enlarged running gear is covered by wide wheel arches, but aero-science helped fashion body panels, A-pillars, rear spoiler, door handles, and a fully covered undertray to create a more slippery profile with less lift and increased downforce; all good things when speed needs to fight the air.
Even where the eye can't see, the attention to crucial detail contributes to the durability and sportiness of the Boxster. To cite just two examples: small spoilers on the front longitudinal suspension arms that direct airflow to the front brakes to help keep them cool; and small, flexible blades attached to the undertray that steer airflow toward the transmission for the same effect.
To save weight, the Boxster does not come with a spare tire; instead, an air compressor and tire sealant will have to do. However, the addition of Porsche's new tire-pressure monitor should help warn drivers before a situation becomes dire and leaves one wishing for a spare.
Boxster S models are easily distinguished from 2.7-liter Boxsters by their twin oval exhaust tips.
Interior
When it first appeared, the Porsche Boxster impressed us with its classic roadster look and road manners, but the interior styling and materials looked cheap and plasticky, and there lacked a general coherence to the switchgear and gauges.
That's all changed. The genuine leather now is complemented by very nice faux leather and authentic-looking faux aluminum trim, the plastic looks expensive, and the layout is as pleasing to look at as it is a rational display of data.
The tachometer takes center stage in the three-gauge instrument cluster. The instruments are black-faced in the Boxster and a light gray in the Boxster S. Data from the Sports Chrono system are displayed in the lower third of the tachometer's dial.
A spiffy console integrates audio and climate controls. Music lovers can upgrade to the Porsche Sound Package Plus, which somehow manages to fit seven speakers; an external analog amplifier, two tweeters, a subwoofer in the instrument panel, and door-mounted woofers and subwoofers on each side. If that isn't enough to pound your eardrums into submission, consider the 11-speaker Bose surround sound system, which includes a seven-channel amplifier. Top-down enjoyment of your tunes will never be too badly compromised.
The navigation system, called Porsche Communication Management, is a useful feature, sporting an electronic logbook that automatically records mileage, journey length, time and date, and other factors for every trip made. In addition, an extended navigation option that can help you find your way back to your starting point, even on roads that don't appear on the navigation system's map, is available. The system is DVD-based via a separate module in the front trunk, which frees up the dash-mounted CD drive for music discs.
Notice we said front trunk. One of the Boxster's delights is stowage both fore and aft, with no compromise to the rear trunk's 4.6 cubic feet even when the top is stowed away. Unlike many two-seat sports cars, the Boxster can haul enough luggage for an extended road trip for two.
Top-down motoring is comfortable. Wind noise becomes detrimental to the experience only above extra-legal speeds. The air deflector does a good job of redirecting the air blasts, but our sense of style often precludes us from using, as it mars the svelte profile of this handsome roadster. The soft top can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 31 mph. Much better than the top on previous models, the current Boxster's top uses a light synthetic fleece fiber to better insulate against rain, cold and noise, and it includes an electrically heated rear glass window. The optional hardtop is made of aluminum and adds 51 pounds.
Driving Impression
The Porsche Boxster feels all grown-up, self-assured and solid in purpose, as though it no longer has to lag in the shadow of the 911 Carrera.
Turn the key and the Boxster's flat six burbles to life; there's no mistaking it for anything but a sports car engine. Both engines are more powerful on the 2007 models, and it shows. Porsche claims the Boxster can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, while the Boxster S can perform this feat in 5.1 seconds. Top speeds are 162 mph for Boxster, and 169 mph for Boxster S. It's worth noting that Porsche's factory performance numbers are generally on the conservative side. Both cars are quite fast enough to satisfy any delinquent desires.
Proper sports cars, it has long been contended, have three pedals on the floor, and so it is with the Boxster. At their very best, sports car drivers are one-person jazz combos, juggling the interplay of shifter, steering wheel and pedals in a polyrhythmic balance of manual dexterity. Remove the clutch and it just isn't the same. Porsche does manual shifting as well as anyone, and there's no reason to fear the clutch. In short, we recommend going for the manual.
However, the latest Tiptronic S is so good that electronic de-clutching should no longer be considered shameful. There's certainly no shame driving a Boxster with Tiptronic S, which is good for an automatic and would be the logical choice if your Boxster is condemned to a life of urban crawl. The Tiptronic S was revised for 2007 with new electronics and hydraulics resulting in improved responsiveness. If a Boxster fell out of the sky and it was equipped with Tiptronic S instead of our preferred manual, we would no doubt find a way to be content with our good fortune.
At the heart of all good sports cars is a good, balanced chassis. From inception, the Boxster has been the epitome of balance. The result of the stiff, light suspension is a bigger helping of sports-car goodness, a more savory blend of power and control. Even with a curb weight of some 3,000 pounds, the Boxster is like a dancer that seems able to accept or reject gravity's rule as it suits its own, artful progress down the road. The car's structure is stiff and strong, and stiffer is definitely better when it comes to building sports car chassis.
Summary
The Porsche Boxster is big enough to keep its place in the daily dogfights and is just the right size for an escape from the maelstrom. Top up, it's quiet and comfy; top down, the world wraps itself around you and you can't help but blip back a jolly response with your right foot. The Boxster is pure Porsche. Our only cautionary note against impulsively rushing down and snapping one up is to check off options carefully, as they can escalate the price considerably.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Greg N. Brown filed this report.
Model Lineup
Porsche Boxster ($45,600); Boxster S ($55,500).
Assembled In
Finland.
Options As Tested
full leather interior ($2,095), Bose surround sound stereo ($1,665).
Model Tested
Porsche Boxster ($45,600).
2008 Porsche Boxster Information
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