At the 1993 Detroit Motor Show, Porsche revealed a concept it named ‘Boxster’, the name being a portmanteau of boxer and roadster, referencing the car’s engine type and body style. Compact and slightly otherworldly to look at, particularly from the rear, this new Porsche was pitched as affordable and fun. Three years later, the production Boxster was launched without drastically deviating from the Detroit concept, providing Porsche customers with a relatively cheap opentop sports car with all of Zuffenhausen’s trademarks: a flat-six engine, rear-wheel drive and the kind of handling prowess the company’s products are famed for. It was a winning recipe and one Porsche showroom customers lapped up in their droves — to date, more than 350,000 Boxsters have been sold across four model generations.
Of course, the Boxster has changed since the launch of the 986, but the basic recipe has stayed the same. Even the 718, which made headlines when it was launched with a two-litre flat-four, still abides by those very same rules. Indeed, today’s Boxster remains light and compact, and though it’s difficult to consider a £49,000 car particularly cheap, this is still around half the price of the lowest-priced open-top 911.
Little wonder,
