Porsche spent decades trying to find a sidekick for its 911 – the likes of the 914, 924, 944 and 968 – before hitting the mark with the Boxster in 1996.
Now to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the mid-engine machine, the German brand has launched a limited edition, retro-inspired model that will hit Australia in April, priced from $183,900 (plus on-road costs).
Porsche previewed the Boxster as a concept at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show before the production model arrived in 1996. Since then the brand has sold more than 357,000 Boxster, and the convertible spawned the hard-top Cayman to further expand the brand’s line-up.
READ MORE: Why Porsche will build an electric Boxster
Based on the recently-released 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 the special edition harks back to the original concept with copper-coloured 20-inch alloy wheels that are similar in style to the show car’s Simmons rims.
The same copper colour is applied to highlights on the front splitter and side air-intakes. The car previewed by Porsche in its press imagery is finished in silver in another nod to the ‘93 concept but the Boxster 25 will be available in metallic black or white as well.
The interior is also presented in “Bordeaux” red in another nod to the ‘93 original, with matching soft-top that comes with ‘Boxster 25’ embossed lettering. But if red isn’t your thing then you can get the interior and roof in black too.
Other unique touches include unique ‘Boxster 25’ badging on the rear and a ‘Porsche’ embossed fuel filler cap.
REVIEW: Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
As with the GTS 4.0, the engine is a 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six making 294kW of power, and paired with the choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It will do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.0 seconds.
It comes standard with the brand’s Sports Chrono package, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Torque Vectoring with a mechanical limited slip differential.
Only 1250 examples of this special edition will be built, but Porsche Australia hasn’t confirmed how many will be secured locally. However it has revealed all local models will be equipped with plenty of creature comforts including; automatic dimming mirrors and rain sensor, heated seats, Lane Change Assist, cruise control, ParkAssist (front and rear) including reversing camera, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay and digital radio.
The Boxster is now in its fourth generation – model code 982 – with the first generation (986) running from 1996 until 2004. It was replaced in 2005 with the 987 version, which also introduced the Cayman, before the 981 ran between 2012-16; with it now known as the 718 Boxster in keeping with the 911 naming structure.
Discussion about this post