When it comes to today's Porsche roadsters, the Boxster series is definitely more representative than the 911 Cabriolet, and the current 718 Boxster has a high social media exposure due to its beautiful appearance. Compact and affordable, it delivers the same high level of driving performance that Porsche has always had, and has been a bestseller since its launch in the 90s, resulting in the Cayman sports car with a hardtop. The Boxster may seem inconspicuous, but its birth and the series of changes it brought about made Porsche, which was in a difficult situation at the time, the most successful sports car manufacturer in the world.
The test drive of the Taycan Cross Turismo at Porsche headquarters coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Porsche Boxster series. We were fortunate enough to borrow a copy of the original Boxster (986) from the Porsche Museum and briefly drive it around the Swabian Mountains in southwestern Germany to experience for yourself the legendary sports car that brought a great deal of modern and acclaimed to Porsche 25 years ago.
The name Boxster is a combination of the words "Boxer" and "Roadster". In the 25 years since 1996, the Porsche Boxster has been launched in four generations, maintaining the mid-engined boxer rear-wheel drive arrangement, making it one of the best-selling two-seater roadsters in the world. Porsche has only officially imported the Boxster for sale in China since the second generation, and the first-generation 986 Boxster, which is the originator of the car series, is extremely rare in China, and only the European and American 986 imported through different channels has entered the country.
● The little convertible that saved Porsche
Before I got my test drive, I visited the Porsche Museum and the Porsche Boxster 25th Anniversary exhibition, which gave me a look back at the history of the Porsche mid-mounted two-seater sports car.
According to Porsche's "legitimate" genealogy, the earliest prototype of the Boxster series can be traced back to the 550 Spyder, also a mid-rear-wheel drive, a two-seater born in 1953 based on the 356, with a "Fuhrmann" four-cylinder engine in front of the rear axle with 110 hp and only half a tonne of power, making the 550 a performance sports car.
In the eyes of die-hard Porsche fans, the 914 series is not a real Porsche, but it is also a mid-mounted two-door sports car with the Porsche name. This is because it is a model developed in collaboration with Volkswagen, and at the same time commissioned by Volkswagen to be produced at the Karmann plant in Bruck in Ausena, with Porsche providing the engineering to complement the respective product lines with this small entry-level sports car. By the time the 911 was discontinued, a total of 118,000 cars had been sold, which was a very strong figure at the time, which shows that the market demand for small sports cars was strong that year.
In the Boxster's predecessor queue was a very grotesque guy that did not have Porsche's signature towering front fenders, did not look like a Porsche, and was rarely exposed before. This is the 984 concept car born in the early 80s, and Porsche is trying to find out how to seize the coupé market again after the success of the 914. The 984 Concept features a 1.5-liter rear-mounted engine, an electrically foldable hardtop convertible and a body shape optimised for aerodynamics. The 984, which was supposed to be up early in the morning, was hastily halted due to the decline in market sales due to the depreciation of the dollar in the 80s. But the idea wasn't dampened until 8 years later with the Boxster concept.
In the early 90's, when the market environment was unforgiving to Porsche's men, and when it was dragged down by an expensive and complex product line, the Stuttgart car factory was in jeopardy, and even several major car manufacturers were considering buying it for themselves. The first appearance of the Boxster concept at the 1993 North American International Auto Show made a splash, which strengthened the company's board of directors' determination to bring it into series production, and the 986 Boxster, which was born in 1996 and went on to be a huge success and generate a lot of cash flow for Porsche.
〖Pinky Lai〗
It is worth mentioning that the original design of the selected Boxster concept car was drafted by Grant Larson and Mr. Pinky Lai, a Chinese designer from Hong Kong, while the later 987 Boxster/Cayman and 911 (996) were designed by Lai Ping, and the classic Porsche models also have the shadow of Chinese designers.
The 986 Boxster has not officially entered the Chinese market, but this does not affect its popularity in China. In addition to seeing it in the car magazines of the year, my deepest impression of it was "Need for Speed: Porsche Journey" from EA Games, and as a "novice car", the 986 Boxster is the model that most people will choose to play this game in. Compared to the old and slow 356, the 986's bright appearance and better performance were the novices of racing games of the year.
After getting the keys to the 986 from the Porsche Museum's Classic Car Department, I couldn't wait to go to the museum's underground garage to search for the car that I had "driven" in the game, and today I'm going to actually drive it for a walk!
2
Excellently preserved treasures
●Treasures from the excellent collection
It is a facelifted 986 Boxster 2.7 in the 2003 Speed Yellow colour with a mileage of just 15,000 kilometres and is owned by the Porsche Museum. It's not a classic car, but it's definitely a landmark classic after the turn of the millennium. Designs from the '90s have stood the test of time, and even today's eyes, the 986 Boxster still has a high turnback rate.
The Boxster we got was the last facelift of the 986 series, with a change in the grille design at the front and a more modern look in the colour of the turn signal cover that changed from orange to yellow. One of Porsche's most important decisions at the time was to share a large number of parts with the smaller Boxster series, and to share the development costs with larger models, which was a product of this idea.
It is said that the 986 Boxster "crooked" the design of Porsche models of that era, whether it was the 911 that appeared at the same time or the first Cayenne Cayenne series that became popular later, they all used this one-piece "omelette eye" headlight, deviating from Porsche's classic "frog eye" design. Perhaps the factory heard such comments, and after that, Porsche models gradually returned to the frog-eye design. But it has to be said that it was an era of bold change, both in design and technology, and the "omelette-eyed" Porsche was also a classic of that era.
Due to its mid-engined design, the Boxster's long rear end is almost symmetrical, and this is an important visual feature of the Boxster, and has remained until the latest 718 series. Despite the petite size of this Boxster, there is not a lot of room for luggage. In addition to the depth of the front of the car, and also stuffed into a spare tire "front trunk", the long rear also contributes to a large volume of the trunk, two people can travel for a few days of luggage can be properly placed. In contrast, the popular mid-engined sports car MG TF or Toyota MR2/MR-S at the same time could not put anything down, which shows how much Porsche attaches importance to its practicality.
The test car was fitted with a combination of narrow front and wide rear tyres, which is common in mid- or rear-engined Porsche sports cars. The largest model of the year can be equipped with 18-inch wheels, which is much smaller than today's 20-inch large wheels, and the 17-inch "small wheels" visual effect on the test drive is just right, and the flat ratio of the front 50 and the rear 40 can also find a good balance in performance and comfort.
Pulling the doors, it's in excellent condition as if you've stepped back in time to 20 years ago, with both rubber parts and interior coverings looking like new, and a faint smell of leather coming from the cabin. Judging by today's eyes, the gray tone of the center console looks a little plastic, and the arrangement of the modules is the classic appearance of Porsche. The air conditioning vents and center console buttons are arranged after the facelift, which also keeps up with the style of the 996, which is visually refreshing. In addition to dual-zone automatic air conditioning, heated seats, and four airbags, the Porsche Museum has upgraded it with the latest PCM multimedia system for classic cars, which can be perfectly adapted to the latest electronic products even for old cars.
The three-ring instrument panel with a hollow design on the back is basically the same as the 911 style of the 996, that is, there is less oil pressure and voltmeter on both sides. The instrument panel on the test car was a facelifted style, with the addition of a trip computer that could be controlled via the steering wheel lever, which was also quite a stylish little feature at the time.
The standard configuration of the 2.7L engine is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, and the 6-speed manual will not be available until the Boxster S or above, in addition to the Tiptronic 5-speed automatic manual automatic transmission can be optional, which is also the favorite of American customers at the time. The 5-speed manual gearbox on the test car feels light and clear, but the travel is surprisingly long, and the fun of switching between gears is mediocre, which is somewhat inconsistent with its status as a fun sports car.
When I got into this old Boxster, I was very impressed that getting in and out of the car was so easy, and it was much easier to get in and out than the popular little convertible Mazda MX-5 (ND) now. The interior space of the cabin is also spacious in its class, and the seats can be greatly adjusted forward and backward, even if a tall person sits in it, it is not aggrieved, and it is clear that Porsche has given priority to the factor of "comfort". The two leather seats, also in grey, with memory function and multi-directional power adjustment, are no problem at all from today's point of view.
3
Drive around the old Boxster
● Drive the old Boxster on the road
The majestic roar of the horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine was also the standard voice of Porsche of that era, and after returning to idle, it will have a sound similar to the gurgling sound of boiling water, and the rhythmic breathing sound is full of primitive mechanical feeling, which is almost extinct in the more and more stable and quiet engines of modern times.
Since you were driving a Boxster, opening the canopy was the right way to drive (unfortunately it didn't go far and it started to rain). But when I pressed the power roof button on the centre console as a matter of course, nothing happened? It turned out that there was also a manual unlock handle in front of the interior mirror, and the electric folding soft top would only work when the handle was pulled down. The roof raises and folds very quickly, and a cover at the rear also rises to accommodate the canopy, which is a very fast time of 12 seconds from the beginning of folding to the end of storage. This small cover was eliminated after the 981 Boxster, and when folded, the soft top was completely exposed, which was not as ceremonial as the old 986 Boxster.
The water-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine, codenamed M96/22, was expanded from the original 2.5-liter displacement to 2.7-liter. It comes with VarioCam variable valve timing, which increases the maximum power to 228 hp and 260 Nm of torque. Although the number on paper is not staggering, the official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 6.4 seconds, which is quite a fast number today. It has a good low torque in the low-speed section, and can walk at low speeds and semi-linkage even without fueling, and can start smoothly in 2nd gear when driving slowly.
Although the engine has a good torque reserve, its clutch is not very easy to deal with, which is not very comfortable in the mountainous and crowded city of Stuttgart. The clutch pedal is heavy, the travel is quite long, and the joint point is very high, I often choose to blow two more feet of oil because I can't touch the joint point, and try to avoid the embarrassing scene of the car in the downtown area. In addition, the heavy hydraulic power steering is not friendly in stop-and-go low-speed road conditions, and people who drive old Porsches must have strong arms!
However, these points were forgotten after the road was driven up the mountain: when the speed of the car increased, the old baby suddenly became energetic, and the engine against the back of his head began to make a very magnetic sound, and the higher the speed, the more wonderful it became. On the mountain road with a speed of about 60-70km/h, you only need to keep 3rd gear all the time, let the speed wander above 3000rpm, the original voice of the naturally aspirated horizontally opposed engine and the dense power output are unstoppable, compared to the turbocharged car with GPF particle filter is like wearing noise-canceling earplugs to drive, but unfortunately this beautiful sound only belongs to the old car.
Running with the traffic on a bumpy mountain road, the hydraulic power direction, which I previously disliked as too heavy, showed its essence at this time. First of all, it conveys a very clear sense of the road, and any potholes in the road surface will be faithfully returned to the hand, and the feel is very solid. Since it is an old car without variable steering ratio or variable power assist, the steering wheel turns very "woody", coupled with the large steering ratio and damping, it is a kind of primitive and somewhat laborious driving pleasure to keep "picking" the steering wheel left and right on winding mountain roads.
Thanks to the mid-engined arrangement, it has a close 50:50 front and rear weight distribution (585 kg front, 675 kg rear), which has a natural weight distribution advantage. It's true that the trail is different from the front-engine cars we're used to, and the most immediate feeling is that it's very nimble and neutral in corners, and the rear end is a bit naughty when you go out of corners with the throttle, and it's a pleasure to wriggle around in the mountains. Due to the inherent disadvantage of a convertible without a roof, torsional stiffness can be a weak point, especially in this older car. When the roof is closed, the twisting of the body when cornering will make the snap of the soft top rattle, and the suspension and tires are not stiff settings, and there is no amazing power, but there is also a way to make the corners of your mouth go up on the road.
4
A reunion of two generations of Boxster
● The reunion of two generations of Boxster
While briefly experiencing the 986 Boxster, we also lent out a current 718 Boxster (codenamed 982, here referred to as the 718 Boxster) to make a direct comparison between the grandparents and grandchildren.
The most intuitive thing about parking the 718 to the side of the 986 is that in the past 20 years, the Boxster has become bigger and bigger with the trend of automobile development, and it is also a lot more refined in addition to being "white and fat".
The "omelette eye" headlights became a distinctive design in Porsche models around the turn of the millennium, after which the turn signals and headlights were separated and returned to the "frog eye" design. The 718 has a pair of special-shaped frog eyes, and since it has been launched for almost 5 years, the LED headlights will not be equipped until they are upgraded to the PDLS Plus, and the test car is still equipped with a xenon light source, which is the same as its "grandfather" 986 Boxster.
A big reason for the 718's size is the larger rims, which makes it significantly taller than the 986. Today's Boxster can choose large wheels up to 20 inches, while the 986 can choose up to 18 inch wheels, which was a big "foot" in those days.
It has been said that the designer at Porsche is the easiest job in the world, and that each generation of the model evolves almost as a minor repair. Indeed, Porsche is a brand with a historical baggage, and each new generation has a strong shadow of historical models. Although the Boxster series is not very old, each generation has maintained the same characteristics: the long tail, exposed rollover protection, similarly shaped taillights, mid-mounted exhaust, and a rear spoiler that can be extended while driving, key elements that were identified more than 20 years ago.
Sitting down from 986 to the 718 car, it is still a familiar sitting posture, and the three-ring instrument is still in front of you, and the 718 car looks a lot more refined. The base version of the 718 is powered by a 300 hp 2.0T horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox. I don't have to carefully find a junction with my left foot, and I don't have to fight with the steering wheel with both hands, which is of course much easier to drive, and I even have time to figure out some small functions in the car.
Looking at the little yellow car in the distance ahead, he suddenly felt a little lost. Admittedly, the 718's performance is among the best in its class, but the fun it brings is a little different from the 986. Driving the 986 Boxster with a manual transmission requires a little more driving skill, plus a little more leg and arm strength, and the satisfaction of being in control of the machine can be called an old-school pleasure.
This year, Porsche celebrates the birthday of the legendary sports car series with a limited edition of the Boxster 25th Anniversary Edition. With the current 718 Boxster coming to the end of its generation, Porsche is rumored to be electrifying the next generation of the Boxster, and even putting the all-electric Boxster plans of a decade ago into practice. Having driven two generations of Boxsters, I am convinced that Porsche will continue the joy of the two-seater convertible and that it has not deteriorated for the past 25 years.