New Porsche boxes clever

Nov 19 2008 Steve Hughes

New Porsche boxes clever

PORSCHE will be boxing clever with its latest Boxster sports model when the gloves come off to fight the opposition in February.

Revealed this week at the Los Angeles motor show, the car has a new engine and a sophisticated transmission system to reduce acceleration times.

More importantly there are fuel savings and CO2 reductions for both the Boxster and Boxster S models.

The new 2.9-litre Boxster generates 10bhp more power than the 2.7-litre model it replaces at a new high of 255bhp.

The more powerful 3.4-litre Boxster S gains 15bhp and now boasts 310bhp.

With the new six-speed manual transmission fitted as standard the Boxster accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds.

When fitted with the new double-clutch automatic transmission that replaces the current Tiptronic S system it can average 30mpg.

The Boxster S fitted with the same transmission and Launch Control is 0.9 seconds quicker than that.

The Boxster with the standard six-speed manual gearbox has a CO2 output of 221g/km and 214g/km when fitted with PDK. The Boxster S manual is CO2-rated at 223g/km and 221g/km CO2 with PDK.

These three letters indicate Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, which translates simply into Porsche Double Clutch and replaces the former Tiptronic S torque converter automatic transmission system at an additional cost of £1,960.

This economy and emissions improvements move the Boxster into Band F for Vehicle Excise Duty and company car taxation.

In their latest guise the cars are identified by new halogen headlamps at the front and new LED lights at the rear that are integrated in to the restyled bodywork.

There are also new rectangular fog lamps as standard and for the first time the Boxster is available with bi-xenon headlights, dynamic cornering lights and LED day-time driving lights in an optional package. Replacing the fog lamps, these light units are made up of four LEDs positioned next to one another.

The wheels come in new designs and are half an inch wider on the Boxster to accommodate the larger brake system taken from the S-models.

In conjunction with 18-inch and 19-inch wheels, the new models in the Boxster range are also available with a limited-slip differential on the rear axle.

Also standard is a new CDR-30 CD radio whilst the new Porsche Communication Management system with hard disc navigation is available as an option.

The new models go on sale here from February 21 costing £34,420 for the Boxster and £41,250 for the Boxster S.