Perfection. Few automakers dare to tread onto a word that stands for such simple and stunning beauty. After all, cars are just not perfect, and most automakers are loath to raise the bar on the products they sell to such a ridiculous level. Most are not Porsche, however, and Porsche is all about perfection.
And from the looks of it, they get pretty close with the 2005 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S. With a straight and serious face, Wolfgang Durheimer, director of research and development, unabashedly and without hint of marketing-speak proclaimed that they were approaching perfection with the latest evolution of the popular roadster.
He may well be right.
The 2005 Porsche Boxster has been significantly upgraded throughout, with up to 80 percent of the existing Boxster scrutinized and tweaked for the 2005 model year. What's even more perfect is the price: at $43,800 and $53,100 for the Boxster S, the new vehicles actually cost less than 2004 models.
Wheels & Brakes Significant changes include a more aggressive design, larger air intakes, new single oval headlights, and a widened stance. The 2005 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S have more powerful engines, new transmissions, larger wheels -- 17 inch wheels for the Boxster, 18-inch wheels for the Boxster S -- and new generation high-performance tires. There's more room inside for drivers, passengers and luggage, and improvements to the interior are stunning. The Boxster and Boxster S are equipped with stronger braking systems, the latest computerized all-speed traction control, vehicle stability control -- controlled via ABS and engine mangement -- and are the first roadsters equipped with standard head-protection side airbags. Brakes are front power 298-mm x 24-mm vented disc and rear power 299-mm x 20-mm vented discs, with black brake calipers, and antilock brakes all the way around.
But the Boxster is not about stopping. Drivers like to move -- and for 2005 they get a 2.7-liter, horizontally opposed, six-cylinder "boxer" engine that generates 240 horsepower and 199 lb.-ft. of torque. This newfound power accelerates the Boxster from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds and can reach a test-track speed of 159 miles per hour. Fuel efficiency, while not a concern on the track -- but certainly something that even Porsche commuters must pay attention to -- is rated by the EPA as 20-mpg in the city and 29-mpg on the highway. The S is rated slightly lower, at 18/26. For the slight dip in fuel economy, the Boxster S improves upon more exciting numbers, those that go from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds thanks to a 3.2-liter "boxer" six-cylinder engine that is rated at 280 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. Controlled by a standard six-speed manual transmission, this engine takes the Boxster S to a test-track speed of 167 miles per hour.
FeaturesHelping you down the road is a telescopic and tilting steering column, variable assisted power rack and pinion steering, and independent MacPherson Struts front and rear. According to Porsche, nearly 55 percent of the Boxster's components -- including the steering, front structure, seats and electronics -- come from the
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera. Those seats -- and the interior -- are significantly improved. For 2005, the Boxster gets power reclining bucket seats with adjustable seat height, and leather upholstery. There is a covered lower console storage located on the floor, two cupholders, door-mounted storage, and the requisite lockable glovebox
Ugh. As if that matters.
Driving a Porsche is not about the cupholder and storage holes. Driving a Porsche is all about the feel of the thing on the road, the smell of the drive and the total sensory experience of a fast car built to go faster. Chances are, you can count on getting an even greater dose of that sensation in the thoroughly updated and improved 2005 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S. It may not be perfection, but it's pretty close to what perfect looks like under $55,000.
