To be sure, Porsche hasn't helped matters any by keeping the styling so similar between the two siblings. A familiar grumble point has been the too familiar facial resemblance between the Boxster and 911. Porsche has had to weigh the wishes of some for more visual separation against a philosophy of form following function. The result, as witnessed by the new Boxster, is a stylistic middle ground. The 2005 Boxster has new, rounder headlights, and fog lamps are housed separately, lower and further from the car's centerline. Study the front trunk lid (which, like the back, is aluminum) and you'll find a flatter line to the edge, compared to the former curve. The profile view shows larger windows, vertical air ducts on the flanks and flared haunches sprouting from the former slab sides. Out back, an LED-lit center brake light complements three-element tail lamps. Exhaust ports are still center-mounted, now oval, and dual on S models. All in all, it's a balanced, symmetrical form, as before. Porsche has taken the Boxster a step further away from the 911. But it's only a small step, and you'll have to look closely to spot the differences.

Owning a Boxster is like having a long distance relationship. While you and the engine may become close, chances are you aren't going to see each other very often. Not at all in fact, unless you plan on crawling beneath to go where it lives. Indeed, Porsche has put a bit more distance between the two of you this year. The dipstick - formerly a tool that Boxster owners could use to commune with their engines - is gone. Porsche has replaced the ubiquitous rod with an electronic monitoring system. No more oily rendezvous, no chances to eyeball the oil color and ponder its remaining usable life. The engine now keeps tabs on such matters and a dashboard light indicates when attention is needed.