FIRSTDRIVEPORSCHE BOXSTER S PDK: AT A time when hedge-fund traders are as likely to be cleaning your windows at traffic lights as managing your finances, the launching of a new Porsche model is tinged with irony. The German firm's share dealings in relation to their stake in Volkswagen has netted it more profit than its retailing of motor cars and has caught out many an ailing trader, the very people who once coveted their cars with such desire.
Under the leadership of Wendel Wiedeking, Porsche is almost unique within the car industry at the moment in that it has a healthy balance sheet and looks to improve this in the coming years with further expansion of its product range. In its 2007/08 fiscal year, Porsche’s earnings before tax rose by nearly half to €8.57 billion, surpassing revenue growth, thanks to higher-than-expected gains from Volkswagen stock hedges.
Motors featured a revised version of their excellent Cayman a few weeks ago. We will soon have a diesel version of the Cayenne SUV and the four-door Panamera saloon/coupé isn’t too far away. And the 911 remains one of the most desirable sports cars in the world. And – if we are to believe the rumours – Porsche is planning a four-cylinder sports car that will make the brand more accessible and, you might guess, more profitable.
But there is one car to which all of these new developments owe a huge debt, and that is the Boxster. Launched in 1996, the Boxster is credited by many with saving the company at a time when Porsche was anything but the profitable tour de force it is now, with sales down 80 per cent. Porsche snobs sniffed at the prospect of an “affordable” open-top and were quick to dismiss it as a “poor man’s 911”. But the Boxster drew fans not only because of its relative ease of access financially but because its layout gave it almost perfect balance. It was easier to drive to the novice than the 911, infinitely more flattering and, over the years, it simply got better and better.
Porsche had registered one solitary car in Ireland at the time of going to print and that is probably belonging to the dealer, so news that a new Boxster is winging its way to Irish shores is probably unlikely to cause a sales stampede.
So what’s new? Well there are the subtlest of design alterations, as is the tradition with the cautious sports car manufacturer. Porsche owners like their cars as they are and hate to drive something too outdated – and there usually isn’t much danger of that when you look at the careful evolution of models.
It has a newly designed nose and tail, halogen headlights at the front and LED lights at the rear. LED front lights and cornering headlights are available as part of a new Lights package.
The familiar line-up of Boxster and Boxster S remain, with the standard car gaining displacement. The 2.7-litre engine is replaced by a new 2.9-litre flat-six boxer engine.
Putting out 255bhp, the new unit has 10 per cent more power than the one it replaces. The 3.4-litre unit in the Boxster S model gains more power too; now featuring direct fuel injection, there is a 15bhp increase in welly, up to 310bhp.
Direct fuel injection works by injecting fuel fractions of a second prior to combustion, meaning there is greater throttle response and better engine braking. Another new development is what Porsche terms PDK transmission – double-clutch transmission to you and me.
Similar in principal to the DSG transmission found in Volkswagen and Audi, Porsche’s system has seven forward gears and employs a conventional, manual gearbox and a hydraulic control system, divided into two separate transmission units. As the name suggests, there are two clutches – one for uneven gear ratios and reverse and the other for even gears. The clutch on one transmission opens or disengages while the clutch on the other transmission closes or engages. The result is fast and seamless gear changes, 60 per cent faster than a conventional automatic transmission. It helps with fuel efficiency, too. When fitted to the 2.9-litre version, the car manages a respectable 9.1l/100km on the combined cycle, a 10 per cent improvement over the previous Tiptronic and on the Boxster S there is a 15 per cent fuel saving, returning 9.4 l/100km. Consequently, emissions have been reduced, in some cases by up to 16 per cent. All Boxsters are Band F cars, coming in below 226g/km of CO2, with the standard car with PDK managing 214g/km, respectable for a car with 255bhp.
We tried the Boxster S on some rain-soaked roads in slippery Sicily on models fitted with PDK transmission. The Boxster remains a sports car that gives an incredible amount of feedback. The steering is perfectly weighted and the car itself is perfectly balanced. Through various suspension settings from Sport to Sport+ you can firm up the cars dampers and steering and the result is a car that is incredibly communicative.
The Boxster wants to be driven; it listens to every input you give it and responds accordingly. It really is a special car to drive but one that requires your full attention. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) keeps you out of trouble but it doesn’t interfere too early to spoil the fun.
On this side of the world, we miss out on the amazing noise of the intake, which sits on the side of the car behind the driver’s left ear in a left-hand drive. Plant your right foot and the driver’s seat resonates, your ears fill with an unmistakeably delicious flat-six soundtrack and progress is rapid and effortless.
Palermo’s twisty, mud-splattered roads caused a few anxious moments – we didn’t fancy putting down monthly payments on a Boxster that is now in three pieces, but it’s easy to see why critics call this one of the world’s best sports cars.
Certainly, even with the economic downturn, it’s in great shape to sell well with prices significantly lower than previously: starting at €54,950. These newly negotiated prices might be just the antidote to a miserable year so far.
Prices for the Boxster S start at €64,950. That is qutie a big difference in price between the standard car and the S model and the performance figures between the two arent wildly different, so in these times of economic melting, the standard car may gain a few more fans. The new prices will certainly tempt buyers when the cars go on sale on February 21st.
Factfile Porsche Boxster S PDK
Engine:3.4-litre flat-six petrol
Peak power:310bhp @ 6,400rpm
Peak torque:360Nm @ 5,500rpm
Transmission:seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
0-100km/h:5.2 seconds
Top speed:272 km/h
CO2 emissions:221g/km
Combined cycle fuel economy:9.2 litres/100km
Prices:€64,950