2023 PORSCHE BOXSTER

Aventurine Green Metallic Paint with Nero leather, Black roof. 2,800 miles. Porsche warranty to October 2026.

FEATURES:

- Manual six-speed gearbox

- GTS interior package

- Alcantara® Package GTS in conjunction with GTS interior package

- ParkAssist (front and rear) with reversing camera

- Bi-Xenon main headlights in black including Porsche Dynamic Light

- System (PDLS)

- BOSE® surround sound-system

- Metallic paint

- Brake calipers painted in black (high-gloss)

- Heated multifunction steering wheel

- Seat heating

- Cruise Control

- Electrically folding exterior mirrors

- Sports suspension (-20 mm) with PASM

- Fire extinguisher

- Fuel filler cap with Aluminium look finish

- Black Convertible Top

- Deletion of model designation

- Passenger footwell storage net

It takes a moment to appreciate the silence when you first drop down into the sculpted driver’s seat of the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. There are no persistent warnings binging at you, just a superbly crafted cabin that feels very much bespoke rather than off the peg. A moment to savour before the hush is broken by firing up the defining feature of this car – the normally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six motor sitting right behind your lower back. Producing 394bhp at 7000rpm with zero to 62mph taking a claimed 4.5sec while the top speed is 182mph.

And what a noise it makes when you turn the key! Yes, you still have that tactile delight with this sports car, rather than some red button to press. Beyond the noise, this engine is special because it represents a high-water mark for the Boxster.

The Boxster is always going to be compared to the 718 Spyder but with its’ finicky roof and harsher ride it is perhaps has moved away from fundamental appeal of the Boxster with easy weekend driveability and its all-round, everyday brilliance.

PDK or Manual? Its got to be the manual. With its short, methodical shift, it encourages you to play with the gears, experimenting just how many you can drop down on the approach to a corner and then letting that 4.0-litre engine reveal its full potential on the exit. Pedals that are ideally spaced for heel-and-toe changes add an extra layer of interactive pleasure. As more fast cars abandon manual transmissions, the GTS ably demonstrates why they plug you into the experience more thoroughly.

It helps when there is an engine of this pedigree behind you. It has enormously broad shoulders to push the Boxster to higher speeds and never sounds anything but gorgeous while doing so. Press the button on the transmission tunnel for the sport exhaust and there’s a bit more bass and noise, but nothing uncouth.

It also helps the GTS that, like every other Boxster, the engine is mounted in the middle of the chassis. While some mid-engined cars can feel a bit tippy-toed in the wet or when pressed near their limits, the Boxster is a real pussycat. It allows you as the driver to simply get on with the job in hand – enjoying the drive and exploring what this car is capable of.

The compliant ride makes the GTS easy to use all day, every day, too. You can hop in and head to work or plot a course to the other end of the country (or continent) and the Porsche will just get on with it.