First Drive & Video: 2013 Porsche Boxster

By John LeBlanc ST. TROPEZ, FRANCE—There have been some interesting sibling rivalries throughout the ages, from the Bible’s Cain and Abel to television’s Bart and Lisa Simpson. But not within Porsche’s sports car family. Since the first Boxster two-seater arrived for 1997, it’s never challenged its older, larger (and much more expensive) 911 2+2 sibling when it came to out-and-out driving performance. Until now. Because after a day tearing around the French Alps in Porsche’s all-new 2013 Boxster, I’d say the German sports car maker has an old-fashioned family feud on its hands. A quick history lesson: During the mid-1990s, Porsche was in dire financial straits. And two of its two most bitter rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, were set to debut entry-level sports cars, the Z3 and SLK, respectively. As competitive as the German car industry is, there was no way this challenge would be unmet. So to speed up and reduce development costs, Porsche used the front half of its 911 2+2, replaced its rear seats with a mid-mounted engine — and voila — the entry-level Boxster two-seater was born. However, going against everything you learn in Economics 101, the less-expensive Boxster (and its Cayman counterpart, which was introduced about a decade later) has never been able to overcome the 911’s three-decade head start in the minds of Porsche buyers. In fact, the much pricier 911 outsold its Boxster/Cayman siblings two-to-one in Canada in 2011. But that sales ratio may change with the arrival of the all-new 2013 Boxster here this June. Prices start at $56,500 for the base Boxster, and an additional $13,000 for the more powerful Boxster S. That’s right in line with the likes of the Audi TT, BMW Z4, and Mercedes-Benz SLK, but substantially less than the base $106,900 911 Carrera Cabriolet convertible. Visually, the new Boxster looks less fragile and more planted to the ground than the two previous generations, and there are many Boxster design details that relate it to the forthcoming 918 Spyder Hybrid super sports car. Laymen will notice a wider front end (inherited virtually intact from the new 911), larger side engine air intakes, and a rear spoiler shape that blends artfully into the Boxster’s tail-lights. Porsche has also managed to lower the roadster’s cloth roof to give it a lower profile and centre of gravity. Shorter overhangs, and the use of large, 19- or optional 20-inch wheels also give the smallest Porsche more presence on the road. Inside, the two-seater certainly doesn’t feel like half the price of its 2+2 sibling. Style-wise, there’s a new, large central information screen, a sloping centre console (again, 918 inspired), and a solid, durable feeling consistent with the more upscale 911. You’re probably not reading this if all you care about is that the Boxster’s air vents line up with surgical person (they do). You probably want to know if the new Boxster is a better driver’s car than the new 911 Carrera Cabriolet. The quick answer is, yes, surprisingly so. I spent some time driving a 2.7L Boxster equipped with the optional ($3,660) Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (or PDK) seven-speed dual-clutch autobox. Rated at 265 horsepower and 206 lbs.-ft. of torque, there’s nothing “wrong” with the 2.7/PDK combo for everyday roadster driving. But if you’re serious about having a more engaging sports car driving experience, I’d pop for the other Boxster I drove later in the day: a base S with the six-speed stick, optioned with Porsche’s Active Suspension Management and Torque Vectoring systems, a spec that would retail for $73,020. Over the Boxster 2.7, the S’s engine’s displacement goes up to 3.4L, with 315 hp and 265 lb-ft. Of course, bench-racing 911 owners will scoff at those numbers. On paper, the top-line Boxster S is no match to the 911 Carrera, as the bigger Porsche uses a similar 3.4-litre six, yet comes in with 350 hp and 390 lb-ft. Porsche, though, has done a remarkable job in reducing the Boxster’s weight. So on the street, the difference in real performance is almost negligible. While the slowest Boxster — the base 2.7/manual — takes 5.8 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h, the quickest — the Boxster S/PDK/Sports Chrono (with its launch control feature) equals the six-speed manual 911 Cab’s 5.0 second time. My manual gearbox Boxster S is only 0.1 seconds behind. Beyond the stoplight grand prix, if you’re buying a Porsche convertible for Sunday morning back-road coffee runs, the argument for little brother grows even more. There’s no mystery why a Boxster is more nimble and easier to drive swiftly than a 911. Compared to the rear-placement of the 911’s mill, the mid-chassis placement of the Boxster’s engine defines its overwhelming handling characteristic — balanced. With a near-ideal 46:54 front-to-rear weight distribution, there are less centrifugal actions tugging on your intentions when connecting apexes in the 100 kilogram-lighter Boxster S (1,350 vs. 1,450 for the larger Porsche.) On the extremely narrow Alpine passes on which I drove the Boxster S, every one of my inputs received a quick and immediate reaction. In the past, like the 911 with which it shares its front end, the Boxster’s steering could sometimes get too light at high speeds. Not so with the 2013 model. The new electric steering seems to anticipate my intentions telepathically, with a lovely linearity not found in other e-steering systems. Also inherited from the new 911 is the Boxster’s optional $1,510 Torque Vectoring system. Working with a mechanical limited-slip rear differential, the car’s brain applies moderate brake pressure to the inside rear wheel when cornering to make up for my lack of driver talent. As good as the new 2013 Boxster is (and what it portends for the next Cayman), there will always be customers who’ll have nothing but a 911. Its position as a status symbol with Baby Boomers has yet to wane. Unintentionally or not, though, Porsche has given its younger Boxster (especially in S trim) enough ammunition to legitimately make a case for itself over its bigger brother 911. So what kind of Porsche sports car buyer are you? The type who wants the purist driving experience? Or the kind who wants to impress your neighbours? 2013 Porsche Boxster/S WHAT I LIKED: Purest of Porsche sports cars; telepathic steering; comfortable cockpit; relative bargain. WHAT I DIDN'T: Only two seats. BASE PRICE: $56,500/$69,500 ENGINES: 2.7/3.4-litre flat-six POWER: 265 hp/206 lbs.-ft; 315 hp/265 lbs.-ft. FUEL ECONOMY: (L/100km) 6M: 11.4 city, 6.3 hwy, 7A: 10.6 city, 5.9 hwy/6M: 12.2 city, 6.6 hwy, 7A: 11.2 city, 6.2 hwy COMPETITION: Audi TT, BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Nissan 370Z

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