2009 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S
Boxster moves forward subtly
SICILY – The island’s treacherous mountain roads leave nothing but a railing on the passenger side between you and a steep deadly drop down the cliffside into the sea.
Sweeping through another long turn, with the sea so close you can smell it, it’s easy to imagine being full of adrenaline, pedal down hard, coming into one of dozens of hairpins, bucking for a win at Targa Florio, one of the toughest European races around.
The last of its kind was won by a Porsche 911 in 1973; as a national event it continued another four years before a fatal crash shut it down in 1977, when it became a rallying event.
Porsche made its prominent mark on the winner’s podium (more than any other maker) between the mid-’50s and mid-’70s. With its instantly changing weather and the ghosts of Targas past, it’s a fittingly beautiful and historically haunting backdrop to get a taste of the 2009 Boxster.
Changes since the 2008 model year are subtle, but numerous. The 2.7-litre base engine becomes a 2.9, with 10 more horses and slightly more torque; the 3.4-litre Boxster S engine (for the first time featuring direct fuel injection) gets a 15 hp boost and more torque. The power-to-weight ratio per horse is now 5.2 kg (11.5 lb.) on the Boxster and 4.4 kg (9.7 lb.) on the S.
Both get new tailpipes and a reduction of fuel consumption and emissions (by up to 16% depending on model).
A six-speed manual gearbox replaces the former five-speed in the base Boxster. Suspension tweaks include a new spring and damper set-up. There’s a new wheel design, new halogen headlights with horizontal direction indicators, new front and rear light clusters with LED (in a very cute eyebrow arrangement at the back) and fog warning lights.
Accommodating the new headlights are new front wings; the tweaked front end also gets new air intakes; there’s also a new rear end and larger exterior mirrors. There’s a new colour palette and a new red roof.
Dynamic Bend Lights move to highlight the driver’s path (visibly bobbing on a dark run from Palermo to the hotel, it was at first a little distracting but likely wouldn’t be in a better lit, urban setting).
Inside, the front centre console gets a new design, modified a/c unit and fewer, more logical control buttons (yippee!).
Individual equipment changes include a new seven-speed double-clutch transmission (dubbed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or PDK), which also offers several new multifunction steering wheels in conjunction; sports chrono packages feature new launch control (more on that in a minute), race track gearshift strategy and additional sports plus button.
Seat ventilation on standard and comfort seats (in conjunction with automatic air conditioning as well as full or partial leather upholstery) help prevent that icky sweaty leather feeling. The steering wheel is heated in conjunction with PDK and seat heating.
There are a number of audio and communication changes to accommodate Bluetooth, MP3 compatibility and aux sources.
Of particular note is the PDK transmission, which replaces the Tiptronic-S sequential shift automatic and is already appearing on the 911 Carrera. It offers not only improved fuel consumption but a smooth, instantly responding experience on the road. Shifting with the PDK transmission is, according to Porsche, up to 60% faster than on a manual and converter automatic because the gears are already in mesh when the driver shifts. Even with two additional gears, it’s lighter than the former Tiptronic S.
Both manual and PDK come standard with a start-off assistant, which prevents the car from rolling for about two seconds when setting off on a grade by automatically holding and then releasing the brakes after the driver lets go of the pedal.
Switching to sport or, particularly, super sport settings while on the road results in changes that are instantly detectable, both in response and in a harsher, bumpier ride. Sport will likely appeal to many for its combination of reasonable comfort and excellent responsiveness.
With Sports Chrono Package or Sports Chrono Package Plus, you can take advantage of Launch Control. With a simple button/pedal combo, you can rev the engine up to 6,500 rpm and take off like a very rumbly, rocky rocket from a standstill. Unlike some systems, there is no limit on how often you can use it. Clearly a big boy’s toy, I can’t imagine it has any practical purpose beyond the track, but it’s fun.
A source of consternation to many purists, the steering wheel shifters are buttons rather than paddles, and work counter-intuitively to most racing fans – you push the front (away from you) to upshift and the back (towards you) to downshift. When asked, Porsche’s vehicle development director said they thought the Porsche set-up was well enough known to drivers. “A driver will be able to shift smoothly and conveniently with a thumb, a finger, their whole hand.”
Optional on the Boxster S are Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), which feature yellow-painted callipers at the front. The difference is nearly imperceptible in casual driving, but they sure are sexy.
Prices on the once-reasonably-affordable roadster have jumped, and by adding options they will climb exponentially from the base price of $58,400 ($70,600 for S). One of the vehicles I drove in Sicily was approaching a hundred grand!
Summary:
Strong Points
Weak Points
- - acceleration
- - handling
- - styling
- - lack of cabin storage
- - price
Editors Rating:
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