What's got me sold? Well, I didn't really have to be sold, as the previous Boxster was already a favorite in this segment,
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| The 2005 Boxster is better in every way over the previous version, with what seems to be all the flaws now ironed out. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
but like most cars it wasn't perfect. I never felt its interior plastics quality was up to scratch, and its audio head unit and climate control system weren't the easiest to use. Its switchgear was also second rate compared to top-tier competitors, shift linkage a little notchy, clutch a touch challenging to operate smoothly, at least at first, and ride a little on the rough side. Still, I loved it. It fit my 5 foot 8 inch frame like a glove, although I've never heard complaints about cramped quarters from taller drivers. Its pedal, shift lever and steering wheel placement was second to none, and few cars were as enjoyable to drive, whether moving slowly through traffic or tackling rollercoaster-like backroads. The 2005 Boxster is better in every way. Personally I really like the revised styling, which separates it more succinctly from the 911 than the previous model. I should mention here that the new car is not merely an updated 2004 model, in the manner that Porsche modified its
2003 Boxster over the first-generation car. Rather, only 20 percent of the 2004 version is carried over to the 2005.
Porsche parked a 2004 Boxster right beside a 2005 version to make this point crystal clear. That's when we were given a technical presentation by two Zuffenhausen engineers that we journalists nicknamed Hans and Franz, because their near identical lilting German accents sounded so similar to the hilarious Saturday Night Live characters that we expected them to blurt out, "We really pumped it up," when talking about the car's improved performance.
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| The 2005 car features a new front fascia, new headlights, a new hood, taller front and rear fenders, revised rocker panels, and the list goes on and on. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
While one of the more entertaining technical tours I can remember, the two engineers filled us full of details that if included in this review would easily fill an entire magazine, let alone the few pages allotted to me in this publication. Therefore I'll keep it brief. The 2005 car features a new front fascia, new headlights, a new hood, taller front and rear fenders, revised rocker panels, new rear clip with better integration of the restyled taillamps, a larger side window area, and that's merely cosmetic - well other than the benefits of increased torsional rigidity and a lower coefficient of drag of 0.29 for the base and 0.30 for the S, rather than the 2004 car's 0.31 for the base and 0.32 for the S. On front and rear axle lift is decreased too, while the new car features enhanced engine and brake cooling.
