Porsche Boxster sets a new standard for open top driving enthusiasts

S INCE the Porsche Boxster first appeared in showrooms nearly 20 years ago, the mid-engined twoseater has established itself as the benchmark roadster. The new Boxster GTS, which is announced today, enhances the driving experience further with an uprated engine and specific chassis tuning, and in the process sets a new standard for open-top driving enthusiasts.

Building on the proven Boxster virtues of light weight, responsive handling and a charismatic flat-six engine, the GTS features an optimised version of the proven 3.4-litre engine which has been tuned to produce an additional 15 hp (11 kW). The Boxster GTS thus develops 330 hp (243 kW), and pulling power has also increased by ten newton metres to 370 Nm.

Further emphasising the distinctive character of the GTS is the Sport Chrono package and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), fitted as standard. These offer the driver the opportunity to not only modify the damper stiffness, but also subtly change the throttle characteristics of the engine. In conjunction with the optional Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) seven-speed doubleclutch transmission, the Launch Control function – engaged via the Sport Plus button - enables the Boxster GTS to accelerate from 0 - 62 mph in 4.7 seconds, 0.3 secs quicker than the standard Boxster S PDK.

With the standard manual six-speed transmission, the GTS is the first Boxster to offer the potential to top the 174 mph (280 km/h) threshold. The new GTS is also the company’s first midengined roadster to be certified according to the Euro 6 emissions standard, and achieves an overall fuel consumption with PDK of 34.4 mpg (31.4 mpg with manual transmission).

The dynamic engine mounts also offered as part of the Sport Chrono package enable the Boxster GTS to offer an impressive breadth of responsiveness. Under acceleration, cornering or braking, the mountings for the engine stiffen automatically to reduce the effects of mass transfer during dynamic manoeuvres, further increasing agility.

The Boxster GTS can also be specified with a new, optional sports chassis configuration that lowers the ride height by 20 mm, underlying the fact that at the heart of every Porsche is a race car suitable for both the circuit and everyday use.

The new Boxter will be arriving in Porsche Centres in UK and Ireland from May 2014.