Porsche Boxster S

Fifty-two years have passed since Ferdinand Porsche took the wraps off of his first roadster, the 356. Porsche and his son Ferry lost no time successfully proving Porsche Number 1 in races, creating a legend. With the introduction of its Boxster two years ago, Porsche has played heavily on the brand’s racing (and winning) heritage. Accelerating from 0-60 in well under seven seconds, the original Boxster lived up to the Porsche tradition.

More affordable than other Porsches of the recent past, the Boxster has performed well in the showroom with more than 12,500 units going over the curb last year alone. Porsche, however, had its sights on an even higher performance version and thus, the Porsche Boxster S Convertible was born.

Expected to represent roughly one-third of all Boxster sales, the S is both quicker and more expensive than the Boxster. Little that we can see differentiates the Porsche Boxster S Convertible from the Boxster. Perhaps the most obvious exterior cues are the large, third center air port in the front air dam (the S has three radiators rather than the Boxster’s two), and the more highly stylized wheels.

Also noticeable on the S are the twin central tailpipes and bright red brake calipers. Appearance points inside are a 3-spoke steering wheel, titanium-look aluminum accents and the Porsche Boxster S Convertible logo on the door sill. A few extra accessories are standard on the S as well, such as remote keyless entry, anti-theft system, cloth headliner on the convertible top and wipers with adjustable intermittent feature.

Headlining the enhancements on the Porsche Boxster S Convertible are its extra horsepower and torque. Based on the 2.5-liter flat six in the regular Boxster, the S engine has a greater displacement of 3.2-liters. This, plus a more efficient air intake system are responsible for the extra 49 horsepower and 44 additional foot-pounds of peak torque found in the Porsche Boxster S Convertible over last year’s standard Boxster.

Having driven the two models back to back at Virginia’s Summit Point racetrack, I found the S quicker and more refined than the previous Boxster. It should be mentioned here that the standard Boxster has also received some additional horsepower and torque for 2000. Either a wonderfully slick 6-speed manual or a 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission can be chosen to hustle engine output to the rear wheels. The Tiptronic can operate as a normal automatic transmission or as a clutchless manual transmission. While Tiptronic represents roughly 20 percent of Boxster sales, the bulk of Boxster and Porsche Boxster S Convertible models have the manual transmission. About a second quicker than the previous standard Boxster, the new S takes less than six seconds to reach 60 miles-per-hour. Burning premium fuel, the Porsche Boxster S Convertible has an EPA mpg rating of 18 in the city and 26 on the open road.

Low-slung and remarkably connected to the pavement, the Porsche Boxster S Convertible handles in the finest Porsche tradition. Its mid-engine design more evenly distributes the weight between front and rear. The flat boxer engine contributes to the low center of gravity. A beefed up four-wheel independent suspension, and slightly wider rear track and tires also contribute to the neutral handling. It dives into turns and comes out the other side without drama. This is a wonderfully well- balanced machine. Found on all four wheels, the one-piece brake calipers (derived from the Porsche GTI race car) are both more resistant to heat and lighter than typical two-piece calipers. ABS is standard.

The picture of simplicity, the Porsche Boxster S Convertible cockpit is well styled and practical. Large analog gauges keep the driver up to date. Switches and controls operate with ease. The seats are simply marvelous, holding driver and passenger firmly in place. Side impact air bags join the dual frontal air bags in providing passive restraint.

There is cargo room under the hood and in the trunk. Only 12 seconds is required to electrically lower the convertible top, which automatically stows under a cover flush with the trunk lid. The cloth headliner makes the Porsche Boxster S Convertible somewhat quieter than the standard Boxster when the top is raised.

When buying a Porsche Boxster S Convertible, purchasers are faced with a dizzying array of options. While the S could hardly be referred to as stripped-down with its automatic climate control, leather covered seats and power windows/door locks some features taken for granted as standard on cars in this price range are options on the Boxster. Cruise control and power adjustable seats, for example, are optional.

Base price of the Porsche Boxster S Convertible is $49,930. Other standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, rear fog lamp, heated windshield washer nozzles, dual heated power outboard mirrors, height-adjustable seats, telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel, anti-theft system with alarm/engine immobilizer and AM/FM stereo/cassette. My test Porsche Boxster S Convertible also had special blue metallic paint ($805), traction control ($870), cruise control ($560), upgraded audio system with Hi-Fi speakers ($600), wind deflector ($365) and CD player ($345). Adding the $765 destination charge brought the price as tested to $54,240.