Porsche Shows The 2013 Boxster

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

January 12, 2012

Porsche is in a drop-top mood. This week, the company premiered the new 911 Cabriolet at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, the company has released details of the upcoming 2013 Boxster.

Like the 911, the Boxster's design is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The front end gets revised headlights and a new lamp/air intake setup. Around back, there's a new spoiler that blends into the taillights.

Mechanically, the Boxster has changed a lot. The new Boxster rides on a heavily revised chassis with a bigger footprint thanks to a longer wheelbase and wider track. The Boxster has also lost a bit a weight thanks to a new lightweight body. Porsche isn't saying how much lighter the new Boxster is compared to the outgoing model.

Power will still come two flat-six engines. The base Boxster gets a 2.7L flat-six producing 265 HP, an increase of 10 HP over the previous model. The Boxster S comes with a 3.4L flat-six producing 315 HP, an increase of 5 HP. Two transmissions will be available; a six-speed manual and Porsche's seven-speed PDK.

Porsche will show the new Boxster at Geneva Motor Show in March, with sales beginning sometime in the summer.

Press Release is on Page 2

ATLANTA, January 12, 2012 – Never before in the history of the Porsche Boxster has a change of generation been so comprehensive. The open-top two-seat car receives an entirely new lightweight body and a completely revamped chassis. The new Boxster weighs less than the previous generation and rides on a longer wheelbase and a wider track. These new dimensions are coupled with larger wheels and a new electromechanical power steering system to significantly enhance the mid-engine sports car's driving dynamics. The new Boxster boasts superior performance and is also up to 15 percent more fuel-efficient than previous models on the European cycle.

The new Boxster benefits not only from an increased wheelbase but also shorter overhangs, while the windscreen has been shifted forward. The passengers are enclosed by the completely redesigned, fully electric top, which now dispenses with a convertible top compartment lid. The interior concept offers the occupants more space and reflects the new Porsche outline with a raked center console, which, originating with the Carrera GT ensures improved ergonomics in all models.

The new sports car generation makes its debut in the classic Porsche pairing of Boxster and Boxster S. Both models are powered by flat-six engines with direct fuel injection, the efficiency of which is further enhanced by electrical system recuperation, thermal management and start/stop function. The base model's new power unit delivers 265 hp from a 2.7 liter displacement – ten hp more than its larger displacement predecessor.

Technically, it is now based on the 3.4-liter engine of the Boxster S. This now delivers 315 hp, which is five hp more than before. Both models feature a manual six-speed gearbox as standard with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available as an option. Both sports cars achieve their best fuel consumption and acceleration performance with the PDK. With gear changes without interruption to the power flow, the Boxster sprints from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, the Boxster S in 4.7 seconds.

To enhance driving dynamics yet further, Porsche offers the Sport Chrono Package as an optional extra for the Boxster, featuring dynamic transmission mounts for the first time. Also new in the Boxster is Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear axle differential lock.

The new Boxster models are expected in U.S. showrooms in early summer 2012. The basic list price iwill be $49,500 for the Boxster and $60,900 for the Boxster S, not including a $950 destination charge.