Porsche has launched its third-generation Boxster while playing tribute to the importance of its predecessors.
The German brand first showed the Boxster concept at the 1993 Detroit motor show as “the affordable Porsche”.
The car went into production in 1996 and according to Porsche GB’s new managing director Chris Craft, “is now part of our heritage”.
Product Manager Jim Willows dubs the first Boxster, known as the 986, as “the car that saved the company”.
The second Boxster was known as the 987 and now there’s a new Boxster, dubbed rather confusingly the 981. It helps to know your numbers when you work for Porsche, says Willows, even if the system appears illogical.
And while previous Boxsters have shared much with the 911, the new one isn’t quite so reliant on its older sibling, getting, for example, its own doors for the first time.
The car also offers cues to the forthcoming 918 Spyder, which Porsche describes as a ‘super sports’ car.
With the new 911 recently launched, and now the Boxster and 918 to come Craft believes “it’s a great time to be at Porsche,” And he is very new to the brand, moving from Volkswagen in Milton Keynes to Porsche in Reading a month ago.
“In our view, this Boxster is a huge step forward,” he says.
The car is lighter than its predecessor by up to 35kg depending on model, and 40 per cent stiffer. Overall length is increased by 32mm with the wheelbase 60mm longer.
But the big story, says Willows, is efficiency. Fuel consumption has been improved by almost 15 per cent with CO2 emissions falling from 221g/km to 188g/km with combined fuel consumption of 35.3mpg on the Boxster S with Porsche’s PDK system. For the stock Boxster with PDK the fuel consumption figure is 36.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 180g/km.
An auto stop-start function, electromechanical power steering and electrical system recuperation are among the features that help improve the efficiency, adds Willows.
The new Boxster is on sale now priced from £37,589 with the Boxster S from £45,384.
source: Headline Auto
