New on the Porsche Boxster

Equipment package "Classic"

The "Classic" package sets elegant and restrained accents. The standard scope of delivery of "Classic" includes metallic colors and completely leather-covered seats. The subtle style in the interior is characterized by a granite-gray paint finish on the windshield frame, the lid of the storage boxes in the doors and on the center tunnel and the trim in the interior the instrument rings, the door pull handles and the gearshift cover.

Larger tank

The plastic tank was matched to the fuel tank of the Porsche 911 models. The volume increased from 57 liters to 64 liters. The radius of action increased by around 70 kilometers.

Litronic headlights with dynamic headlight range control

The Porsche Boxster can now also be supplied with Litronic headlights on request. These gas discharge lamps illuminate the road more brightly and more intensely. Another contribution to safety is the dynamic headlight range control, which not only takes into account the vehicle's load condition rn changes in inclination of the body caused by driving dynamics. In the high beam, the halogen lamp (H7) is surrounded by a particularly effective free-form reflector. When the headlights are turned on, the low beam remains in operation, but its light cone is raised via the headlight range control to improve the area lighting. The Litronic scope of delivery includes a headlight cleaning system.

Boxster Individual sports equipment

The elements previously combined in the sports package can now also be ordered individually and according to personal taste. Sports seats with reinforced lateral guidance, sports chassis with tighter and shorter springs, harder shock absorbers and stronger stabilizers, sportier light alloy wheels with wider rims and larger in diameter are available separately. In addition to the 17-inch wheels with the tire dimensions 205/50 ZR 17 and 255/40 ZR 17, there are now also 18-inch turbo-look wheels for the Boxster. In this case, the tire dimensions correspond to those of the 911 Carrera (225/40 ZR 18 and 265/35 ZR 18).

The highlights

Ideal driving dynamics properties

The mid-engine concentrates the masses in the middle of the vehicle. This guarantees effortless and agile steering behavior. Cornering becomes an easy exercise.

Mid-engine design with practical advantages

The centrally arranged, very compact boxer engine leaves space for two trunk compartments in the body. With a total of 260 liters, the Boxster has plenty of cargo space, more than any other roadster.

In the event of a crash, the Boxster plays it safe.

The defined deformability of the sheet steel body minimizes the stress on the occupants in the event of an accident. Two airbags are a standard feature of the Boxster. Side airbags are available on request. Tubular steel in the windshield frame and two roll bars behind the seats increase safety even in the event of a rollover.

World record in opening the roof

The electric convertible top of the Boxster is faster than any other. Opening takes twelve seconds, as does closing.

Manual gearbox and Tiptronic S, both with five gears

The Boxster offers customers the choice between a manual gearbox with sporty gradation and the comfortable Tiptronic S, a consistently sporty automatic which ensures perfect use of engine power. There are advantages both in automatic mode and in manual switching mode, which takes place exclusively via the buttons on the steering wheel.

Boxster brakes à la Le Mans

After positive experiences in racing, Porsche uses four-piston monobloc brake calipers made of light alloy in all series models. Special advantage: high stability even under extreme loads.

Driving safety at the limit

Due to elastokinematic toe-in correction, the self-steering behavior has an increasingly understeering effect towards the grip limit and stabilizes the Boxster perfectly.

Aluminum chassis

All essential chassis parts and the front axle cross member, which stiffens the body, as well as almost all rear axle frame parts are made of light metal.

With lots of success into the third year of service

The results of the first two years of the Porsche Boxster are extremely positive. Its technical concept takes up the mid-engine construction, which has a long tradition at Porsche.

The first prototype 356/1, which was still built in Gmünd, Austria, had a mid-engine. The most successful Porsche of the early years, the Spyder 550, followed the same principle according to which all successful racing cars are designed today.

With the Boxster, Porsche shows that the mid-engine concept can also be applied to everyday sports cars. At 260 liters, the two trunk compartments of the Boxster have more volume than any roadster in this class. When developing the soft top, the engineers attached great importance to low wind noise. The time of just twelve seconds in which the roof can be opened electrically using a toggle switch is unique to date. The same time is also required for closing. For safety reasons, this mechanism only works when the handbrake is on when the vehicle is stationary. The special sealing and deflection system of the convertible top construction prevents any moisture from entering the interior.

For the fully galvanized body of the Boxster, the Porsche designers, who have extensive experience with aluminum and plastic from racing, chose classic sheet steel. Because without neglecting the goal of lightweight construction, favorable deformation values in the event of a crash and problem-free repairs are guaranteed with steel.

Typical Porsche interior

The series interior shows the typical features of a Porsche in a contemporary, rejuvenated style, which of course also includes two airbags. The ignition lock is committed to tradition - to the left of the steering wheel. The dashboard is compact with three central instrument clusters, without denying the Porsche style. The Boxster is particularly precise in terms of speed - it is displayed in both analogue and digital form.

Two seat types - both with electric backrest adjustment - are available: the sporty, comfortable standard seat and the sport seat with reinforced side guides. There is also a fully electric seat.

Technology for the requirements of tomorrow

The Boxster's engine is a six-cylinder boxer engine in the style of Porsche. The classic theme was adapted to the demands of our time: water cooling and four-valve technology, which among other things came to maturity in racing, help to reduce consumption in series-production cars and to keep pollutant emissions low. The power output is exemplary with 150 kW (204 hp) at 6,000 rpm and a displacement of 2.5 liters. The torque reaches its maximum of 245 Newton meters at 4,500 rpm, more than 200 Newton meters are available between 1,750 and 6,500 rpm.

When designing the six-cylinder boxer engine, the Porsche designers set a number of highlights. In line with the models of racing engines, cooling follows the cross-flow principle, which keeps all cylinders and combustion chambers at the same temperature. The coolant flows for the cylinders and the cylinder heads are separate.

The crankshaft and the intermediate shaft for driving the camshafts are surrounded by a composite aluminum / gray cast iron bearing bracket. This hard core in the two-part light metal housing ensures constant bearing play at changing temperatures. In addition, its vibration-dampening effect reduces the mechanical noise of the engine. The valve is actuated by four overhead camshafts and bucket tappets with hydraulic clearance compensation. The opening times are variable through actuators in the drive chains (Porsche patent Variocam). The entire valve train is maintenance-free thanks to the automatic chain tensioner and hydraulic backlash compensation. Inlet camshafts are injection and ignition are controlled by a Bosch Motronic M 5.2.

The fuel is supplied sequentially via one valve per cylinder, ie in the rhythm of the ignition sequence. The amount of waste matter per work cycle is measured using a hot film air mass measurement in the intake tract and via lambda probes with a particularly precise stereo control.

The ignition system works fully electronically without mechanical ignition distribution with a so-called static distribution via six individual ignition coils. To adapt to lower fuel qualities than Super Plus with 98 RON, the ignition electronics have a cylinder-selective knock control. It takes back the ignition timing of individual knocking cylinders if necessary.

The Boxster's range will be greater from model year 1999 because the shape of the tank has been adapted to the 64 liter "reservoir" of the 911.

When it comes to power transmission, Boxster buyers can choose between one Five-speed manual gearbox and (for a surcharge) an intelligent five-speed automatic, which is also used in a similar form in the new 911. The Tiptronic S in the Boxster is characterized, among other things, by its easy handling the positions "P, R, N, D". If the lever is moved from the right automatic lane to the left into its position for manual shifting, the level is always selected using the touch buttons on the steering wheel.

Tiptronic S is driver-oriented

The way in which the automatic gear shifts is geared towards the performance requirements of the driver and selects from the five P stored in the control unit rogram the most suitable for the respective driving situation. When the accelerator is released quickly and when braking, for example, the automatic system recognizes the driver's intention to decelerate and consequently does not shift up, but down. The torque converter lockup is now regulated from second gear onwards according to a program that takes into account the driving style of the respective driver.

The suspensions of the Boxster is state-of-the-art with wheel guide elements made of aluminum. With consistent application of the common parts concept, an economical and space-saving solution was found with two axle designs based on the McPherson principle.

The Porsche technicians achieved a high level of driving safety at the limit by making elastokinematic corrections to the toe-in values in the curve on the front and rear axles. A negative change in the toe-in angle in front and a positive change in the toe-in angle at the rear result in understeer that increases as the lateral acceleration increases and that brakes the Boxster without any problems.

The rack and pinion steering is hydraulically supported. Their design was chosen in such a way that safe straight-line stability is guaranteed at high speed and agile turning behavior is guaranteed when cornering in extreme cases.

The braking system shows thoroughbred racing technology of the most modern design. In the Boxster, light alloy four-piston brake calipers in monobloc design are used for the first time. The one-piece calipers with particularly high dimensional stability are also used in the 600 hp 911 GT 1 super sports car and in Formula 1. The brake discs are internally ventilated at the front and rear. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS 5) is state-of-the-art.

In addition to the 17-inch wheels with the tire dimensions 205/50 ZR 17 and 255/40 ZR 17, the 18-inch turbo-look wheels are now also available for the Boxster. In this case, the tire dimensions correspond to those of the 911 Carrera (225/40 ZR 18 and 265/35 ZR 18).

Side airbags to further increase passive safety are of course also available for the Boxster. Seats like those in the 911 with electric adjustment and memory function are also available for the Boxster, as are the new generation of Porsche sports seats.

Porsche Communication Management (PCM) is also available for the Boxster: this device combines the controls for the radio, air conditioning, mobile phone, on-board computer and navigation system in the middle of the dashboard.

A parking aid with four distance sensors in the rear panel is available as an option. A three-spoke steering wheel is available as a sporty alternative to the standard valance, of course with an airbag.

New for the Boxster: equipment variant "Classic"

In addition to the high standard, three upgrade packages make it possible to design the interior of the Boxster more individually.

The "Classic" package sets elegant and restrained accents. The standard scope of delivery of "Classic" basically includes metallic colors and completely leather-covered seats. The subtle style in the interior is characterized by a granite-gray paint finish on the windshield frame, the lid of the storage boxes in the doors and center console SO as well as a whole range of panels in the interior. Amber-colored are the instrument rings, the door pull handles and the use of the gear lever knob (with Tiptronic S: release button). All standard interior colors are available for the "Classic" package.

The "Trend" equipment package sets subtle color accents in the interior with the color graffiti gray in conjunction with the components painted in the vehicle color. The "Trend" Boxster is only available in the exterior colors zenith blue metallic and dragonfly turquoise metallic. The convertible top is obligatory in a graffiti gray, the seats are covered in the trendy fabric in graffiti gray / anthracite. Supplied with black leather. The dashboard, door panels, cover on the center console, instrument cover and airbag cover are covered with a graffiti-gray film. The instrument rings, the A-pillar trim, the windshield, the door tube, the roll bar and the insert of the gear lever knob are painted (with Tiptronic S: unlocking button).

The "Sport Design" package brings the color metal gray to the interior. With it, the lower part of the instrument panel, the instrument rings, switch panels, center panel, center console, seat shells, switch panels of the seats, the seat fittings, the door tubes , Roll bar, the cover in front the door opener, the door storage compartment cover and the insert of the gear lever knob are painted (with Tiptronic S: unlocking button). There is also plenty of black leather: the new 3-spoke airbag steering wheel is covered with it, the sports seats, the handbrake handle, the gear knob, the front passenger airbag cover, the roll bar cover, the center corsole cover and the upper part of the instrument panel. The side panels on the front center console, the dashboard and the door panels carry black diamond foil.

Technical Data