2009 Porsche Boxster: a good sport

MICHAEL BANOVSKY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The 2009 Porsche Boxster may well be the best one yet, but will the average driver make full use of its abilities?

Michael Banovsky

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Rosamond, CAlif.–If the original Mazda Miata helped reignite a love of two-seater sports cars among the masses, then the considerably more expensive Porsche Boxster's introduction in 1997 helped cement their return as capable and fun vehicles for the well-off driving enthusiast.

After all, the original Boxster gave you a choice of transmission, a few options – and not much else. With its striking mid-engined proportions and only 205 horsepower, it was clearly an entry-level Porsche aimed at people who simply wanted to enjoy being behind the wheel.

A little more than 10 years later, however, the new 2009 version has upped the number of features available. You're able to get – for the first time – race-bred ceramic brakes that cut stopping distances, a limited-slip differential that raises cornering speeds, a direct-injection engine that boosts horsepower and efficiency, and a dual-clutch (PDK) gearbox that shifts gears faster than humanly possible.

The reason for the new added enticements? The market for sports cars today is very different.

The $58,400 base-model 2009 Boxster – now with a standard six-speed manual transmission, larger front brake discs and slightly more horsepower (up 10 to 255) – competes against a raft of cars, including the 250-horsepower Audi TT 3.2 Cabrio ($59,800), 300-horsepower Mercedes-Benz SLK350 ($63,500), and 255-horsepower BMW Z4 3.0si ($55,400).

All have distinct personalities; all are well-built and perform well enough to use year-round.

And this illustrates the problem for the Boxster: it is markedly better on the track than the other cars, but most owners won't see more than the apex at the Starbucks drive-through, nearly negating its track-honed development.

Which may be even more of an issue with the conspicuously better-performing Boxster S.

The S comes with a 310 horsepower direct-injection engine (15 horses more than the previous model's) that allows the new S to do 0-to-100 km/h in five seconds and hit a top speed of 273 km/h.

The cars I drove were equipped with the optional dual-clutch PDK gearbox that had absolutely seamless gearshifts – certainly far better than a conventional automatic for performance driving, too.

Mind you, the optional PDK transmission isn't cheap at $5,560, and if you want to have the ability to do launch control starts that can smoke your tires, you're looking at an extra $1,310 for the Sport Chrono Plus package.

On-track, the S is easy to drive quickly, largely because of advances in Porsche's stability management system.

One big advantage is that whereas most performance cars force you into a "sport" mode that breaks your back and snaps your neck on every upshift, in the S you can mate any suspension setting with any PDK gearshift setting.

Once behind the wheel, it's evident that small tweaks have paid dividends. I drove only the PDK-equipped Boxster S, and the most impressive part wasn't the launch control, but just how aggressive the car was in holding the correct gears at the right time.

The PDK transmission often kept the sonorous flat-six just shy of redline, a feat common among those with race-driver skills but a recipe for disaster for a normal driver with a conventional manual transmission. The steering, nicely weighted, made hitting apexes in the corners easy. Combined with the sport suspension on its firmest setting, it's clear the car's limits are high, but I wasn't about to try finding them.

A sports car is supposed to feel good even when puttering around, but even in the softest suspension I suspect the S will be too firm for some prospective owners.

In all, the Boxster S put a smile on my face with the way it rode and handled at the track, especially considering the howling noise it makes because its air intakes are just below the driver's left ear. But I'm not sure the experience will translate onto the Don Valley Parkway at legal speeds.

The fact that the Boxster is a mid-engined sports car makes it much easier to live with than others in its class. Apart from the handling benefits afforded by the layout, it also has two nicely sized trunks (front and rear), loads of interior room, and great visibility because of its low front end.

Porsche has upgraded the audio and optional communications systems, offering hard-disk based navigation for shorter load times and – for the first time – a touchscreen display. Porsche Communications Management 3.0 with navigation costs $2,880; steep, but it's at least well-integrated into the car.

On the other hand, the iPod adapter (actually a 30-cm cord) is $600 – more than the cost of an iPhone and an iPod Nano combined. You can guess that the aftermarket companies will soon figure out how to make a cheaper version.

The S starts at $70,600 and you've got to spend at least $77,470 in Canada for the best-equipped models – and this price doesn't include the ceramic brake (a whopping $11,110) or limited-slip differential ($1,300) packages.

Now, the performance of the Boxster S nearly reaches that of a 911, Porsche's iconic sports car. Its price, however, is comparable to the BMW M3 Coupe at $71,300.

While this is the best Boxster yet, and one of the best driver's cars at any price, being a track monster doesn't translate into being as cool or as lovable as the original.

Travel was provided to freelance writer Michael Banovsky by the automaker. michael.banovsky@gmail.com

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