RE: Open Season: Porsche Boxster
Tuesday 7th December 2010
If I had worn a hat, it would have been perfect. We're kicking off our PH 'Open Season' with Porsche's simplest offering and, after an (icy) afternoon blast around some of Surrey's quieter roads, an object lesson in how to make a damn fine sports car. And a reminder of how cold a fellow's head can get.
Everything it does just feels absolutely right, from the ideally balanced, weighted and positioned pedals, to the just-so gearbox, to steering that responds quickly but without seeming hyperactive.
The 2.9-litre flat six (this is hair-shirt Porsche - no posh 3.4-litre 'S' model here) is nothing spectacular in the power stakes - 255bhp and 214lb ft won't set your trousers on fire - but from around 4000rpm all the way to beyond 7000rpm the sceramy, creamy gurgle that emanates from the (optional sports) exhaust is genuinely intoxicating.
If we have to pick a fault, the general view among the rest of the chaps in the office is that the heating doesn't win the battle convincingly enough against the worst excesses of the current cold snap.
Open Season: Porsche Boxster
Riggers starts the outdoorsy fun with a fling in a beautifully basic Porsche
The current iteration of the Boxster has been around more or less unchanged (barring a mild refresh in 2009) for half a decade or so now, and it remains a shining example of how Porsche can sometimes get a car so bang on straight out of the box.
But we all know that the Boxster is a fine car to drive; what really counts for the purposes of 'Open Season' is whether it's a decent soft-top. And you have to say that here the Boxster scores pretty highly.
One of the key benefits of open motoring is that you can hear engine notes that much better. Of course, this only works if said engine sounds good in the first place, but that's all right, because the Boxster does sound rather lovely.
It's also quick enough to keep you interested, particularly if you're feeling sufficiently brave to switch off the Porsche Stability Management system. Our car also had the optional limited-slip diff fitted, which is a seriously worthwhile addition - you can really feel it doing its stuff as you accelerate out of slow corners.
But then engine isn't in the most appropriate place to warm the driver at high speeds. And compared with the personal 'Open Season' I endured at the tail-end of last winter in my unheated PH Fleet Caterham Seven, the Boxster's cabin might as well be heated by a blast furnace - so these things are all relative.
As fresh-air motoring experiences go overall, however, the Boxster is near-unimpeachable. It truly is a fine - and very PH - way to start our season of wintry open-top motoring. Now if you'll excuse me I have a bobble hat to buy...
Discussion
edo said:
I could be wrong, but I thought I saw this car (or certainly one very like it) last Saturday in Putney being driven completely stupidly (showing off to a girl in the passenger seat)....
Might have been me....I always drive like that (joke). I was only in Putney area at about 10.30am though?AV12 said:
Is the 2.9 a better steer then? With media hype of "get the S", this throaty, highly strung gem is being missed due to badge kudos. A basic spec manual would be perfect.
I'm not sure the jurnos have said this. Indeed, a lot of the reviews when launched stated that the standard 2.7 (as it was then) on 17" wheels was the best steer.Edited by AV12 on Tuesday 7th December 09:32
Garlick said:
edo said:
I could be wrong, but I thought I saw this car (or certainly one very like it) last Saturday in Putney being driven completely stupidly (showing off to a girl in the passenger seat)....
Might have been me....I always drive like that (joke). I was only in Putney area at about 10.30am though?:-)
goodhand said:
AV12 said:
Is the 2.9 a better steer then? With media hype of "get the S", this throaty, highly strung gem is being missed due to badge kudos. A basic spec manual would be perfect.
I'm not sure the jurnos have said this. Indeed, a lot of the reviews when launched stated that the standard 2.7 (as it was then) on 17" wheels was the best steer.Edited by AV12 on Tuesday 7th December 09:32
edo said:
Garlick said:
edo said:
I could be wrong, but I thought I saw this car (or certainly one very like it) last Saturday in Putney being driven completely stupidly (showing off to a girl in the passenger seat)....
Might have been me....I always drive like that (joke). I was only in Putney area at about 10.30am though?:-)
I didn't realise you were in that part of the world?
Garlick said:
edo said:
Garlick said:
edo said:
I could be wrong, but I thought I saw this car (or certainly one very like it) last Saturday in Putney being driven completely stupidly (showing off to a girl in the passenger seat)....
Might have been me....I always drive like that (joke). I was only in Putney area at about 10.30am though?:-)
I didn't realise you were in that part of the world?
Car I saw / heard pretty sure it had a sports exhaust, but may have had a private plate. Roof down, bird in the passenger seat, going up gwendolyn ave!
Was up visiting a mate before going to see the rugby at twickers!
I had a few hours in this over the weekend, and loved it. I also love the colour, even though I'm not sure I'd be brave it enough to spec it like that if it were my own car.
My major problem with the colour though is its name; "Riviera Blue." To me this particular shade of blue is actually a motor racing blue, more redolent of 70s prototypes, or IROC cars or of Le Mans special oddities. It isn't quite a French Racing Blue, but it is certainly closer to it than than the Bournemouth Hairdresser style moniker Porsche have given it. Hmm.
My major problem with the colour though is its name; "Riviera Blue." To me this particular shade of blue is actually a motor racing blue, more redolent of 70s prototypes, or IROC cars or of Le Mans special oddities. It isn't quite a French Racing Blue, but it is certainly closer to it than than the Bournemouth Hairdresser style moniker Porsche have given it. Hmm.
AV12 said:
Is the 2.9 a better steer then? With media hype of "get the S", this throaty, highly strung gem is being missed due to badge kudos. A basic spec manual would be perfect.
I want one.
I think there is an historic element to it. The early 3.2 was only 250bhp and that was deemed just right. The latest 2.9 is a match for the early S so is probably just right. I'm sure the 3.4 is more exciting but it is a nice to have instead of a must have.I want one.
Edited by AV12 on Tuesday 7th December 09:32
No mention of seat heaters in the article but if you were running top down without these 'essential' option on then you were never going to feel toasty.
Side windows up, rear wind deflector in place, seat heaters on max and heating on max (and crucially directed towards the feet) should do the trick. I've never had a problem with the HVAC in a Boxster and have always assumed that it is a unit from a saloon car and therefore more than up to the job for a two seater, even when the top is down.
Saying that, I once drove from London to Aberdeen for Christmas with a bit of snow about in a Fiat Barchetta with the top down all the way (with ski gloves, a hat and spongy ear defenders in place for added comfort!)
Side windows up, rear wind deflector in place, seat heaters on max and heating on max (and crucially directed towards the feet) should do the trick. I've never had a problem with the HVAC in a Boxster and have always assumed that it is a unit from a saloon car and therefore more than up to the job for a two seater, even when the top is down.
Saying that, I once drove from London to Aberdeen for Christmas with a bit of snow about in a Fiat Barchetta with the top down all the way (with ski gloves, a hat and spongy ear defenders in place for added comfort!)
Edited by MogulBoy on Tuesday 7th December 10:35
Cabal722 said:
Last christmas we took our mx5 out after the bad snow with the top down and went for drive to Porthcawl. You should have seen peoples faces. Its amazing how many convertable drivers dont drop the top even in summer. Whats the point of that?
Probably couldn't believe anyone would visit Porthcawl in the winter more like. 
I've always loved the idea of a Boxster. It's a Porsche so it is brilliantly engineered, the engines are epic and the handling is best in class. I'd be in one tomorrow if it wasn't for one thing, the looks. That might sound a bit shallow but a car has to excite me before I even get in it and the Boxster just doesn't.
The front is pretty good in a standard Porsche 911 lookey-like way but that rear is just terrible. I realise they are trying to imitate the smooth rear rump of older Porsche classics but it just looks like a blob of melted plastic. The overal soap bar shape also does nothing for me.
The Spyder is very similiar but has a few vital detail changes which make it look 10 times better than the Boxster imo. If only they hadn't released it with that joke tent for a roof. I realise some people are loving their's and will put up with this quirky roof but we are in 2010, I shouldn't need to faff around snapping fasteners for 5 minutes to get a roof up.
So if Porsche either made the Spyder with a proper roof, maybe even a targa like the Carrera GT or alternatively made the Boxster look more like the Spyder, I'd be interested but as it is both are also ran cars for me. That colour is lovely though.
The front is pretty good in a standard Porsche 911 lookey-like way but that rear is just terrible. I realise they are trying to imitate the smooth rear rump of older Porsche classics but it just looks like a blob of melted plastic. The overal soap bar shape also does nothing for me.
The Spyder is very similiar but has a few vital detail changes which make it look 10 times better than the Boxster imo. If only they hadn't released it with that joke tent for a roof. I realise some people are loving their's and will put up with this quirky roof but we are in 2010, I shouldn't need to faff around snapping fasteners for 5 minutes to get a roof up.
So if Porsche either made the Spyder with a proper roof, maybe even a targa like the Carrera GT or alternatively made the Boxster look more like the Spyder, I'd be interested but as it is both are also ran cars for me. That colour is lovely though.
LuS1fer said:
Cabal722 said:
Last christmas we took our mx5 out after the bad snow with the top down and went for drive to Porthcawl. You should have seen peoples faces. Its amazing how many convertable drivers dont drop the top even in summer. Whats the point of that?
Probably couldn't believe anyone would visit Porthcawl in the winter more like. Okay.. okay.. you're right haha.
Also - Boxster looks lovely in that colour!
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