History

The Porsche Boxster is an iconic and legendary design and even though it has not been in existence anywhere near as long as the popular 911 it has quickly forged its own reputation as one of the finest mid-engined roadsters that money can buy. The name "Boxster" was chosen by Porsche as an amalgamation of the words "boxer" (or horizontally opposed engine) and "roadster" (a vehicle with two seats and a convertible roof). The design of the Boxster came from the legendary pen of Harm Lagaay and it has catapulted Porsche into the mainstream thanks to the Boxster's affordability and reliability.

The Porsche Boxster also marked a departure from tradition for the company as it was their first design that was created from the beginning as a roadster, in the past all other convertibles had been developed from existing hardtops. 1996 was the year that the Porsche Boxster first graced our streets and roads, the first iteration was known internally as the 986 and featured a surprisingly powerful yet compact 2.5 litre flat 6 engine. All manufacturing of the Porsche 986 was completed at the companies facility in Stuttgart with a small number being produced under contract in Finland by Valmet Automotive.

In order to satisfy the demands of those who craved more power a 3.2 litre version of the flat 6 was introduced on the Boxster S version, and Porsche also eventually phased out the standard 2.5 litre engine and replaced it with a new 2.7 litre unit. The 986 continued relatively unchanged until 2005 when Porsche decided that the Boxster needed updating. This resulted in the 987; a more powerful and gracefully styled vehicle than its predecessor. In designing the Boxster 987 Porsche took their inspiration from the existing Carrera GT and this helped created a sense of commonality amongst the various vehicles in the Porsche stable.

By 2007 the engine of the Boxster was once again upgraded; the older unit was simply replaced with the engine that powered the Cayman. Aside from a number of small engineering and cosmetic changes the vehicle has remained relatively unchanged to this day, and the ever increasing engine sizes have turned the Porsche Boxster into a true drivers machine, something to be enjoyed at every opportunity.