Boxster back in the ring

Often referred to as the car that re-invented the roadster, the Porsche Boxster range has for six years been one of the best automotive buys in its class.

Lauded for it's balanced handling and predictable power delivery, Porsche blasted onto the roadster market in 1996.

Until now, nary a light globe or side skirt had been altered, testament to the car's acclaimed performance, timeless visage and solid sales figures.

But things they are a changin'. Honda's S2000 has more power than the standard Boxster, and BMW's intriguing Z4 is not far off and Mercedes now has one of the strongest roadster line-ups.

Evidently, Porsche has decided six years is long enough and now the Boxster range has been given a once over, both in the styling and engineering departments.

Enter the Boxster Mk. II -- it's not quite an all-new vehicle, but more of a subtle redesign.

For instance, the front end is slightly changed after Porsche design gurus spent many hours of fine tuning its aerodynamics even further in the wind tunnel. It is now lower, with larger air-intakes, giving a visual appeal closer to that of other Porsches.

The rear bumper also sits closer to ground, also improving airflow and the rag-top has also been rejigged, due in large part to the inclusion of a scratch-resistant glass rear window, complete with defroster.

The headlights have been tweaked slightly, and the two side air-intakes have been reshaped and are now matched to the cars primary colour, instead of just plain black. New to the Boxster range are automatically retractable rear-spoilers, that only deploy when the vehicle reaches 120km/h.

The interior has also been updated, with new cup holders, a lockable glovebox and Porsche's answer to BMW's iDrive system. The PCM, or Porsche Communication Management system, combines the operation of the stereo, telephone and navigation systems into one easy-to-use interface.

Two models are available: the Boxster and Boxster S. The former was available with a 2.7-litre engine, while the latter came with a 3.2-litre mill.

The revised 2003 models still have the same sized engines, yet those crafty Weissach engineers have squeezed even more power from the trademark horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engines.

With quad overhead cams, or two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, the slight increase in power and torque on both models can be largely attributed to continuously adjustable intake camshafts.

In Porsche-talk, it is called VarioCam Plus, and basically allows early intake closure at low engine speed and delayed intake closure at higher engine speeds.

In Layams terms, more fuel is combusting at higher engine speeds, hence more power, while using less at low engine speeds, increasing effienciency.

The standard Boxster is fitted with a 2.7-litre horizontally opposed six-cylinder powerplant, which is liquid cooled with four valves per cylinder.

Putting out 168kW (up from 162kW) @ 6400rpm and 260Nm of torque @ 4700rpm, the rear-wheel drive Boxster has a top speed of 253km/h in the five-speed manual, while the tiptronic auto is capable of 248km/h.

The outgoing Boxster S model, with its 3.2-litre mill, can muster 185kW, while the revised model makes 191kW of power @ 6200rpm. Peak torque is an impressive 310Nm @ 4600rpm, endowing the Boxster S with a top speed of roughly 264km/h.

The basic manual Boxster model accelerates from 0-100km/h from rest in 6.4 seconds, while the beefier Boxster S manual can do it in just 5.7-seconds.

Needless to say, the new Boxsters with Porsche's VarioCam Plus gadgetry make for a pair of seriously quick roadsters and, thankfully, the brakes provide good deceleration too.

With vented discs all-round, the standard Boxster gets 298mm discs up front with 292mm discs at the rear. Meanwhile, the S model gets larger 318mm discs up front and 299mm jobs at the rear. All discs are clamped with one-piece four-pot calipers and feature ABS.

As far as the Boxster's handling characteristics go, Porsche had decided to stick with the old "if it ain't broke" mantra, leaving the suspension settings largely untouched. To our minds, this is a good thing as the Boxster is still an impeccably sharp car, regardless of what company it's in.

Buyers can choose from a range of Porsche's 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheels, with tyres to suit. The largest 18-inch rims wear rather wide 265/35ZR18, which provide extra grip.

At present, the base price for a Porsche Boxster is $108,900, while the more powerful Boxster S will fetch $133,500. No word on whether the revised Boxster will carry the same RRP, but we wouldn't expect too much change in the price.

The Porsche Boxster is very much a success story for Porsche. Arguably it's highest selling model, the Boxster has made the German automaker a more successful company over the last half decade, while offering junior executives a cheaper alternative to the 911 Turbo.

The motoring media and the public love the roadster, and the revised models are sure to bolster sales even further. But will these changes be enough to fend off a fiesty upstart in the form of Honda, and traditional rivals BMW and Mercedes? Only time will tell...