Best of Both Worlds
The new Porsche Boxster GTS combines top-end performance with everyday functionality, writes Chong Seow Wei
e want power and performance in a car, but also comfort and everyday functionality. This is the demands we have for a car and we’re not alone on this. Indeed, listening and adapting to what modern-day consumers want, is a determining factor for the success of a car manufacturer. This is clear to Porsche, whose road-going cars thrill drivers with a spectrum of racecar features. Enter the Boxster GTS, the first GTS (Gran Turismo Sport) variant of the beloved entry-level roadster. Even without looking under its bonnet, the Boxster GTS is noticeably sportier. A nose job has succeeded in sharpening and elongating the car’s visage, while smoked bi-xenon headlights and taillights lend mystery to its demeanour. Slide into the car, which sits 10mm lower than the entry-level Boxster but isn’t difficult to get in, and your hands will be drawn to the velvety Alcantara leather upholstery of the comfy sport seats, steering wheel rim and dashboard. Turn towards the central console of the car, and it’s an ergonomic display of a sensitive 7-inch colour touchscreen and only the most essential operation buttons. As if the car isn’t aggressive enough, among these buttons is one that kicks in the racecar qualities of the model. The 3.4L flat sixcylinder car will now easily do a century sprint in 4.7sec, with added boost from the optional Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission. In normal mode, the car glides smoothly but firmly over the tarmac—its aggression is still heard and felt, but at a tamer level. On the road, you’ll also instantly notice that we’re well into the age of smart technology, a feature greatly appreciated as I traversed through an extensive 190kmlong route around Singapore—with different courses and terrains weaved in—pre-programmed into the test car’s GPS Navigation System by Porsche racer and Media Drive Program host Ro Charlz Skyangel. Gone are the days of heart-stopping surprises at dark bends or long stretches of road; the car’s headlights now automatically swivel to light up each turn you take, and will adapt to illuminate the width and distance of the road ahead according to your speed. Owners can choose an add-on to its information system, which can even recognise road signs for you, alerting you to road speed limit changes and where no overtaking zones start and end. Porsche Centre Singapore is at 29 Leng Kee Road (tel: 6472 4433) and 12 Sungei Kadut Avenue (tel: 6363 0911).