Porsche Boxster

SPECIFICATIONS

1. The 3rd generation Boxster is lighter (2,954 lbs), longer, wider and lower. 2. A smaller 2.7L flat-six makes 265 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque for a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds or 5.2 with the PDK and Sport Chrono package. 3. Starting at $49,500 our test car retails for closer to $70k.

PREVIEW

There were only ever two reasons not to buy a Boxster over its rivals in the past. Both of those have, however, been solved with the all-new third-generation entry-level Porsche.

First up is the interior. Always respectable, past generations have better reflected the car’s purist driving sensation, rather than the luxuriousness one might associate with a German brand. True, the original Z4 was rather Spartan, but it’s now more of a grand-tourer, something the Mercedes SLK always has been.

The new Boxster’s interior is more coastline cruiser than track warrior and that’s far from being a bad thing. The car’s purists driving sensation has been retained, while luxury has been added in. There’s something to be said about the sensation of putting up with a Lotus Elise in order to enjoy its nimbleness, but there’s also nothing wrong with spoiling yourself.

Some of the biggest changes include a new three-pot gauge cluster that replaces the old unit, with the farthest right gauge featuring an LCD screen that can show everything from what radio station you’re on, to the Navigation map, to a G-meter ¬– when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package.

In addition, the center console has been raised to mimic that of the Panamera, with easy to reach buttons running up the slope, while the 7-inch display screen is now higher up on the dash.

Porsche purists may have opposed the Panamera, but they should be thankful, as it ushered in a new era of more luxurious interiors for the brand.

Living with the Boxster for two weeks, we did notice one drawback of the optional Sport Chrono package, namely that the simple sport steering wheel doesn’t include redundant audio controls. Again, purists may scoff, but trust us, if you drive your Boxster more than just on Sunday afternoons, you’ll miss those buttons.

UNDER THE HOOD

This amazing new design, however, brings into question the Boxster’s performance. With a 0-60 trim of 5.5 seconds in base trim, it’s no slouch. Our test car featured both the 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic and Sport Chrono Package, which drops the sprint time down to 5.2 seconds, though that still feels a little underwhelming compared to how fast it looks.

Due to a new light weight aluminum chassis, the Boxster now weighs less than ever before at under 3,000 lbs. As a result, it doesn’t require a great deal of power to push it. And that’s obvious when you look at the numbers on paper, which for a sports car, are remarkably low.

Power output is a modest 265 hp, while torque is a surprisingly diminutive 206 lb-ft. That number is actually down from 2012, when the Boxster made 216 lb-ft. Part of the reason is the 200 cc smaller engine, which displaces just 2.7-liters.

The downsizing efforts can be felt in your right foot, with little in the way of extra oomph beyond 80 percent throttle. Thankfully, you’ll also notice when you visit the gas pump, with our test car achieving an almost unbelievable 28 mpg average.

Fuel economy aside, it’s by no means a difficult argument here to suggest the Boxster S model. With 315 hp on tap from a sizably larger 3.4-liter flat-six engine, we’d wager that’s enough to make it feel more like a 911 in terms of performance. Backing up our assumption is a downright fast 4.4 second 0-60 time.