Porsche Boxster 2011 review

The Porsche Boxster is a fine roadster, always has been. But over those seasons from 1996 to now, the two-seater has morphed into something more special yet again.

It now sits on the road as a Porsche in its own right, rather than a cheaper Porsche to shore up the German factory's coffers. The Boxster, even if once dismissed by some as a poor man's 911 and too much a fashion statement for some, has proved worthy of the legendary marque.

VALUE

At $106,100, a Boxster is not the cheapest soft top on the market. There are others, in the main good cars, such as Mazda's endearing MX5 and the sharp-edged Nissan 370 roadster to consider.

But the cachet and the competence of the two-seater Porsche at this price is hard to pass; the Boxster's value lays in a driving experience and refinement which bests many higher-priced machines. Standard features today include the 'communication management' system in the centre console, heated seats and rear park sensors in a well-built and refined sports machine.

TECHNOLOGY

Porsche link this car back to the 550 Spyder, the 1950s lightweight roadster designed for competition. So this reincarnation is a light, mid-engined, rear-drive sportscar, these days with Porsche Sports Management system to keep the Boxster on the straight ahead.

PSM monitors a host of the car's movements, forwards and sideways, sorting out traction, oversteer and understeer. It can be deactivated and the optional $2690 Sports Chrono package allows for higher thresholds of deviance before rebalancing the car.