Fit for the new millennium

Model-Year 2001 - Boxster

Fit for the new millennium

Loosely translated from the original German

In addition to the Boxster S with a 3.2-liter engine, Porsche offers the basic version of the Roadster with a 2.7-liter engine, thus building a Boxster family for the first time. The little brother's heart may not beat quite as strongly, but its agility and torque-loving nature leave no doubt about the common parents. The six cylinders in boxer design produce 162 kW (220 hp) at 6,400 rpm. As with the Boxster S, the speed range is broad and ranges from 700 rpm to 7,200 rpm. With its five-speed manual transmission, it completes the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. The top speed is 250 kilometers per hour.

2.7-liter engine with the latest technology

The development of the 2.7-liter engine for the Boxster also focused on providing ample torque across a wide speed range. The work of the six cylinders is therefore supported by the same modern technology as in the Boxster S. In addition to the well-known four-valve technology and "VarioCam" camshaft adjustment, this also includes the two-stage resonance intake system, which ensures a significant improvement in the torque curve, particularly in the lower and upper speed ranges. The maximum mark of 260 Newton meters is reached at 4,750 rpm.

The engine management has the same emphasis as in the Boxster S and uses the expanded possibilities of electronics. The 2.7-liter unit no longer receives its commands via a mechanical throttle cable. The replacement is again called Motronic ME 7.2. The advantages of this modern engine management are obvious: with E-gas, not only can the load change reactions be better dampened, but starting off, gear changes with the Tiptronic S transmission and traction control can also be made more harmonious. At the same time, the new engine management also ensures that the catalytic converter heats up more quickly during the engine's warm-up phase, which means that a high conversion rate in exhaust gas purification is achieved at a very early stage.

To meet the strict emissions legislation in the USA (LEV) and the EU3 limits in Europe, the Boxster also uses the new technology with tri-metal-coated metal catalyst walls. The proportion of precious metal in the catalyst has been more than doubled. Other measures to reduce pollutant emissions include splitting the metal supports in two and injecting secondary air.

Sporty transmission

The Boxster is supplied as standard with a five-speed manual transmission that is designed for a very sporty driving style. With a sporty driving style, fifth gear is only engaged above the 200 km/h mark. It provides the final push that is necessary to reach the top speed. But fifth gear also delivers excellent values at lower speeds. The elasticity at 80 to 120 km/h is 10.4 seconds, which is an improvement of one second compared to the previous model. With the Tiptronic S, which can be ordered on request, it takes a little longer. The Boxster needs 12.3 seconds to go from 80 to 120 km/h in fifth gear. The top speed with automatic transmission is 245 kilometers per hour.

Active and passive safety guaranteed

Despite the increased engine power, the chassis and brakes of the Boxster were taken from the previous model with a 2.5-liter engine. The new model passed Porsche's strict driving dynamics and braking tests without any problems. The development engineers attest to its excellent active safety even with the 2.7-liter engine. By this they mean specifically

harmonious, safe behavior when changing lanes at all speeds,
outstanding driving safety in all situations,
spontaneous, direct and precise steering with pronounced road contact,
an easily controllable load change reaction when cornering,
high values for lateral acceleration,
minimal rolling and pitching when cornering, accelerating and braking,
shortest braking distances even after extreme continuous loads,
high braking stability when driving straight ahead and cornering.

In terms of passive safety, the Boxster has everything Porsche has to offer as standard. The safety concept is at an extremely high level with a stable body structure and programmed deformation zones, the targeted use of high-strength materials, for example for the door reinforcement and the bulkhead support, as well as an integrated side impact and rollover protection system. This concept is complemented by a comprehensive restraint system, which includes the "POSIP" (Porsche Side Impact Protection) side airbag system as standard in addition to driver and passenger airbags.

High-quality interior as standard

In the interior, the Boxster impresses above all with the use of high-quality materials. As with the Boxster S, the seats are covered in fine Alcantara and the sporty three-spoke steering wheel is fitted as standard. The centre console, fittings on the dashboard and door panels are treated with black soft varnish. Leather is used to cover the steering wheel rim, gear lever, handbrake lever and door pull handle.

Door opener, side airbag symbol and handbrake release button in aluminium look complement the upgrade measures. With the Tiptronic S special equipment, the release button and the gearshift gate are also made of aluminium look.

Like the Boxster S, the Boxster will have a roof lining from this model year onwards, which not only Not only is the appearance refined, but above all the background noise that penetrates from the outside into the car's interior via the fabric roof is significantly minimized. The special fabric material of the roof liner reduces the noise level - measured across all speed ranges - by an average of two to three decibels, and speech intelligibility is improved by around 10 percent.