Yorkregion.com - Wheels - Porsche's 2007 Boxster spoils you for anything else
Porsche's 2007 Boxster spoils you for anything else
The 2007 Porsche Boxster S mixes comfort and astounding road holding with a thrilling engine note that combine for a rewarding drive in any kind of weather.
Leisure
Nov 23, 2007 05:07 PM
2007 Porsche Boxster
By: Jim Robinson
I've said this before about Porsches: you think it and the car does it and there's no better example that the 2007 Boxster S. The Boxster can be traced back in a direct line to the first post-war car designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche himself as a two seater roadster with drivetrain pieces from a Volkswagen flat-four engine at the rear.
Over the years there have been many Porsches, some not so great like the 914, some awe inspiring like the 917-K and one simply inspired, the 911.
The Boxster arrived at the very point when Porsche shrugged off some lack-lustre management and products like the 924 and 944 and re-discovered its core with the 911 and the Boxster.
What sets these cars apart is the way they feel like every piece is in sync.
An example is the clutch and gearbox of the Boxster. Your feet are at the front of the car and clutch and transaxle are out at the other end with the engine and all the mechanicals like exhaust and intake manifolds in between.
Push home the clutch as you launch from rest and the take up of the pressure plate and clutch face is smooth, light, and more important, progressive with no lag.
It's the same with the six-speed manual transmission. Hung out aft of the rear wheels, the transmission feels and acts as if it was just beside you like a rear-drive car. As an example, the mighty Audi R8 is also mid-engined with a rear transaxle. With the Audi, the shifter is a big aluminum-topped knob set in a huge, gated shift plate. Wonderful to behold, but it can be clunky and, at times, recalcitrant on down shifts.
With the Boxster (or any Porsche in my experience), the action is spring-loaded to help the shift lever "snick" into the correct slot with a butter smooth action.
The Boxster S differs from the base car primarily by engine and transmission plus some upgraded interior trim bits.
Where the base Boxster has a 2.7-litre horizontally opposed or "boxer" six-cylinder engine producing 245 hp and 201 ft/lb of torque through a five-speed transaxle, the Boxster S gets an enlarged 3.4-litre version of the classic Porsche boxer engine producing 295 hp and 252 lb/ft of torque through a six-speed transaxle. Porsche's tiptronic automatic transmission with tiptronic manual shift mode is an option. I've never liked these systems because (as I've said many times), I can never remember what gear I'm in and I don't like taking my eyes off the road to hunt for some illuminated gear number on the dash. Luddite I may be, but putting hand to shifter is I all need to know where I'm at.
One of the most rewarding things about the Boxster, and there are many, is the two-stage induction system. With inlet ports on each side of the car just behind doors, the engine makes this unique induction sound. Hit the gas and the variable lift valve timing starting gulping in gobs of air and that changes the induction tone to a rising tenor that peaks just before the redline into a wonderful hollow roar that is unique to this car.
The Boxster chassis feels solid with no noticeable hood shake even when crossing railroad tracks. The soft top goes up and down in 12 seconds that must be the new record. A touch of a button on the central tunnel and it's all automatic with the top disappearing beneath a panel just behind the seats. Considering that's where the engine is, engineering the top is a feat.
Porsche has honed the front independent MacStruts and multi-link independent rear suspensions over the last 40 years to the point that the grip and response from the suspension and steering are intuitive to the driver. Like I said, you think it and the Boxster does it.
Making it all happen are a bevy of computers and sensors that keep the ride and handling of the Boxster at the leading edge. These include: Porsche Stability Management (PSM), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS); Anti Slip Regulation (ASR); Engine Drag Torque Control (EDTC) and Active Brake Differential (ABD).
What all this means to you and me is that the Boxster is working several systems at light speed to make sure the maximum power, maximum grip and maximum control are backing the driver up and are ready to step in if the limits are exceeded.
Frankly, it takes a lot of doing to put the Boxster S into a spin with all systems engaged. I tried it on a large, vacant parking lot and was unable to get the car out of sorts or even get a "chirp" out of the tires.
Despite the temperature in the single digits, I took the Boxster S to the annual Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) event in the Niagara Region at the end of October.
On cruise all the way down and back, the top down and optional ($625) wind deflector in place, I had the heat set at 25 Celsius and it was remarkably toasty.
Taking a break from four days of testing, I took the car down to Niagara-on-the-Lake at about 8 a.m. to a peaceful little park.
With golden early-morning sun streaming through the thatch of trees and a few Canada Geese eyeing me in case I had some food, it was good to just sit on a bench and enjoy what God has given us.
Coming back to drop the car off to Porsche's Canadian front man, Ricky ‘The Racer’ Bye, a long-time Porsche driver and winner of multiple championships, I was reminded what he once said about Porsches, "It kinds spoils you for anything else."
And over the years, I've found out he's right.
(PORSCHE BOXSTER S 2007 AT A GLANCE)
BODY STYLE: Two-seat performance convertible.
DRIVE METHOD: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive.
ENGINE: 3.4-litre horizontally-opposed, six-cylinder (295 hp, 252 lb/ft)
FUEL ECONOMY: 11.8L/100 km (24 mpg) city, 7.7L/100 km (37 mpg) highway
PRICE: Base, $77,300, as tested, $81,580 including $1,085 shipping charge.
WEBSITE: porsche.com/canada/