Price: 2009 Porsche Boxster S – $57,650

The stunning Porsche Boxster Concept debuted in 1993 at the Detroit Auto Show. A tribute to the 1950′s-era Porsche 550 Spyder, the two-seat concept was a show-stopper and the Stuttgart-based automaker pushed it into production posthaste. The brand new 2009 Porsche Boxster, unveiled at the LA Auto Show, is one of the most exciting roadsters on the market, to be sure. The front and rear ends are new, with wider air inlets in the front and all new lighting at all four corners that bring the Boxster more in line with Porsche 911 models.

Since to the untrained eye Porsche 911 styling over the last 15 years is nearly identical, it seems Porsche is going the same design changes direction with the new 2009 Boxster and Cayman models. But Porsche enthusiasts will be happy to know that inside, the Boxster is all new, and a big performance specs improvement over previous models.

Over the next twelve years, Porsche would update the Boxster with more powerful engines, upgraded features and a well-deserved facelift. The first significant revision, a convincing reason for Porsche to label it an all-new Type 987, arrived in 2005. Four years later, the 2009 model represents another major upgrade. Instead of a new type number, the automaker simply refers to it as the “Type 987 second-generation.” All told, the new model brings the total number of Boxster iterations to three over the years:

• 1997-2004 / Type 986 / 2.5-liter, 2.7-liter, or 3.2-liter flat-six with Tiptronic or five- or six-speed manual.
• 2005-2008 / Type 987 (first-generation) / 2.7-liter, 3.2-liter, or 3.4-liter flat-six with Tiptronic or five- or six-speed manual.
• 2009-Present / Type 987 (second-generation) / 2.9-liter or 3.4-liter flat-six with PDK or six-speed manual.

Engine

New Boxster engine choices are the same two basic powerplants as those in the new 2009 Porsche Cayman, a 2.9 liter displacement engine for the Boxster and a 3.4 liter for the more powerful Boxster S. Both engine choices get a bump in horsepower over previous models, though this is only part of the story. For 2009, all Porsche sports car models have received a very refined form of direct injection to their flat 6 engines, and Porsche promises not only real-world Boxster performance gains, but an increase in fuel economy as well.

In the base model Boxster highway miles per gallon is promised to be a stellar 31.0 mpg, good for any car, Porsche driving pedigree notwithstanding. Part of this gas saving sports car comes by way of the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission, a race-derived sequential manual similar to those employed by Audi and Ferrari. With the optional PDK with launch control, the 2009 Porsche Boxster S actually accelerates to 62 mph 0.2 seconds faster than any measured testing for the 6 speed manual, and its seventh gear should help with fuel economy as well. The 2009 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S go on sale in early 2009, with a base price of $57,650 for the 6 Speed Boxster S.

Performance

The evolutionary styling of the next generation Boxster embodies these principles. The latest models are clearly distinguishable from outside through their newly-designed nose and tail. The new halogen headlights with their integrated direction indicators are reminiscent of the lights on the Carrera GT, while at the rear, new LED lights taper to the outside and are integrated elegantly in to the restyled bodywork. A design which is both powerful and refined, and whose lines emphasise its sports performance.

Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) – In Detail:

The next generation Boxster and Boxster S are available for the first time with the new Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), literally Porsche double-clutch gearbox. Offering no less than seven forward gears, the new gearbox combines the driving comfort of a torque converter-equipped automatic transmission with the dynamic manual gearshift functionality of a sequential racing gearbox. PDK also boasts an entirely automatic gearshift function, and replaces the Porsche Tiptronic S automatic transmission previously offered. Through its optimised and adaptive gearshift programmes, PDK further improves the acceleration of the Boxster models and reduces fuel consumption to an even lower level.

PDK consists of a conventional manual gearbox and a hydraulic control system divided into two separate transmission units. Two wet clutches in radial arrangement, controlled hydraulically, and using oil for both cooling and lubrication, form the heart of the transmission. One clutch is for the first transmission unit with the uneven gear ratios (1,3,5,7) and reverse, and the other clutch is for the second transmission unit with the even gears (2,4,6). Via a number of pressure valves, the hydraulic control unit masterminds both the wet clutches and the shift cylinders activating the transmission ratio required.

PDK also reduces to a minimum transmission power loss courtesy of the high standard of mechanical efficiency in the double-clutch, and this manifests itself in fuel economy improvements of approximately 13 per cent compared with a conventional Tiptronic S transmission. PDK also offers an advantage in terms of weight – despite two additional gears, it weighs 10kg less than Tiptronic S. This PDK gearshift principle was first developed by Porsche for motor sport 25 years ago.

The seven-speed PDK shifts gears up to 60 per cent faster than a conventional automatic transmission, and naturally, gives the new Boxster models even better performance. And those in search of optimum driving dynamics have the option to combine PDK with Sport Chrono Package Plus, now featuring Launch Control.

The Boxster is validated by the snarl of its eager flat-six, the balance of its mid-engine chassis, the communication transmitted through its steering column, and the power of its unfaltering brakes. Seat time in the Porsche Boxster S, like indulging in rare Italian vintage, is wholly intoxicating and entirely justifiable regardless of the tab.