Porsche Boxster 2008 News

The open-top two-seater has a completely new lightweight body and revamped chassis. Weight has been reduced which combines with with a longer wheelbase, wider track, larger wheels and new electro-mechanical power steering to take the mid-engined roadster's dynamics to an eye watering level. The new Porsche Boxster also boasts improved performance and up to 15 per cent greater fuel efficiency with less than 8.0 litres/ 100km achievable. It has a new look too with the body sporting shorter overhangs, a more forward windscreen, distinctive silhouette and expressive edges. Occupants are enclosed by the redesigned, fully electric roof which now dispenses with a convertible top compartment lid. The interior offers more space and reflects the new Porsche design language with raked centre console originating from the Carrera GT. Both Boxster and Boxster S run flat-six engines with direct petrol injection, the efficiency of which is further enhanced by electrical system recuperation, thermal management and start/stop function. The base model's new engine delivers 195 kW from a 2.7 litre displacement - up seven kilowatts over its predecessor despite a reduction in capacity. The 3.4 litre Boxster S now delivers 232 kW - up four kilowatts. Both models feature a manual six-speed gearbox as standard with the seven-speed Porsche (PDK) available as an option. Both sports cars achieve their best fuel consumption and acceleration performance with the PDK. With gear changes without interruption to the power flow, the Boxster sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, the Boxster S in 5.0 seconds. To enhance driving dynamics even further, Porsche offers the Sport Chrono Package as an optional extra, featuring dynamic transmission mounts for the first time. Also new on the roadster is Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with mechanical rear axle differential lock. The new Boxster generation goes on sale in Europe in mid April, with sales in Australia beginning a few months later. Local pricing will be announced close to then.

...yet business should still refrain from being pessimistic, says the head of Porsche.Dr Wendelin Wiedeking, the president and CEO of Porsche, believed that the economy was 50 per cent psychology and that negative attitudes based on poorly thought out assumptions would exacerbate the situation."I am everything but a pessimist," he says, "so I can only warn everyone even in the current market to see the future only in a dark light."However, Dr Wiedeking says the symptoms of the financial crisis could not be ignored.He pointed to "unsolved problems" that some manufacturers had been "neglecting for years" as having the ability to threaten the existence of some companies."It is a fact that this crisis will see both winners and losers," he says.Dr Wiedeking, speaking at the launch of a new-generation Porsche Boxster, says he was taking from personal experience.Porsche had experienced near bankruptcy in 1993 that resulted in the death of two models the 944 and 928 and the birth of the Boxster."The 928 and 944 no longer contributed to our profits," he says."We urgently needed a fresh product. Porsche was worth 300 million Deutschemarks and we needed an investment of 1.5 billion Deutschemarks to create a new model."The Boxster concept was shown at the 1993 Detroit motor show and the public embraced the car. It started production in early 1996 and until 2008 and consistently exceeded sales forecasts."We have sold up to 28,000 Boxsters and (its fixed-roof twin) Caymans a year and they have become an indispensable part of our product portfolio," Dr Wiedeking says.For 2007/08, Boxster and Cayman sales fell to 21,747 as the model ended its first generation lifespan."But this was still the third-best result ever since the start of Boxster production in 1996. And this figure is all the more remarkable considering that the global economy slumped significantly last year as a result of the crisis in the financial market.""We have learnt from the corporate crisis we experienced ourselves in the early 1990s and we have done our homework."We at Porsche have the definite intention together with Volkswagen to be among the (corporate) winners."Even though this year we will not be achieving the record sales, revenues and profits we saw a year ago, we are still looking ahead full of confidence."Through our share in the Volkswagen Group now more than 50 per cent we have secured our business case on a long lasting, ongoing basis." 

Imported cars are hardest hit by the new LCT threshold but some of our homegrown brands also suffer.

Porsche plans to build 1960 special Boxster RS 60 Spyders but only 12 are destined for Australia.These will be over here around April/May and priced from $157,800.The new Boxsters are a throwback to the 718 RS 60 Spyder that swept all before it in the 1960s, beating much bigger engined machines.The 718 RS 60 started its winning run by claiming the Sebring 12-hour race in the US, which at the time, counted for the Manufacturer's world championship.The tribute model is distinguished by the Porsche SportDesign Package in the front end, a modified exhaust system with the sports exhaust combined with the twin pipe arrangement bumping up power from 217kW to 223kW.There are wheel spacers, which do a good job of placing the 19-inch Porsche SportDesign wheels further out for a more aggressive on-road squat and also improved traction.The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system is standard.It is coated in striking GT silver metallic paint that is complemented by Carrera red leather with the ragtop roof also in red.Stainless steel doorsills carry the RS 60 Spyder insignia and a silver plate in the glove box lid is further authentication of its special model status.Other points of difference are a new gearshift lever, unique design touches for the sports seats, centre door linings, steering wheel and handbrake.The hood for the instrument binnacle has been removed to expose the cluster.A few more touches include a black windscreen frame, rear light clusters and centre console in red.The seat backrests, roll bars and seat belts are all finished in silver.The new-age racing version of the RS Spyder, a sizzling V8-engined prototype, starred in the American Le Mans series with the twin Penske Racing entries finishing first and second in the LMP2 category.Australian driver Ryan Briscoe was one of the series stars in the No. 6 Penske machine.