BUYERS’ GUIDE: BOXSTER 986
986-MODEL BOXSTER/BOXSTER S
Everything you need to know
It’s almost a quarter of a century since the original, 986model Boxster was launched, but Porsche enthusiasts around at the time will still recall the huge impact it had on the sports car market and on Porsche itself: mid-engined, cleverly retro styled – and not much more than half the price of a 911. It became a dream product for Porsche, a big seller yet with cast-iron resale value. Now of course it is the cheap, throwaway Porsche, prices from £3000 or even less, so how does an early Boxster in its original 2.5-litre form rate as a budget sports car?
On sale towards the end of 1996, the Boxster came with one engine option, an all-alloy 2.5-litre unit, with four valves and double overhead camshafts. It retained the 993’s sixcylinder ‘boxer’ configuration – but was the first of the new generation of water-cooled Porsche engines.
Managed by Bosch Motronic fuel-injection, output was a respectable if hardly fearsome 204bhp produced at 6000rpm and 181lb ft torque at 4500rpm. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the longitudinal powertrain sat directly behind the seats – and was totally out of sight for most owners, the only evidence of its presence the oil and water fillers in the corner of the rear boot.
This configuration allowed a near neutral weight distribution, 48 per cent over the front wheels according to Porsche, compared to the 37 per cent for the 993-series 911 of the time. Suspension was, in principal, a simple set up, of
Macpherson struts front and rear, while steering was powerassisted rack and pinion.
The hood was another winning aspect of the Boxster, folding back electrically in 12 seconds and storing under a metal cover; a factory hard top was optional. Gone were the 911’s floor-hinged pedals.
The original specification Boxster ran unchanged for three years, with just one addition, the five-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, in early 1997. In 2000 the 2.5 engine capacity rose to 2.7 litres, and the 3.4-litre Boxster S was added.
When introduced, the original Boxster was lauded for its driving manners, most notably the wonderful, neutral handling that set new standards. It had all the directness of the 911 – crisp steering, powerful brakes and flat cornering – but with the added poise, and also the more forgiving nature, that only a mid-engined car can offer. The engine, while lacking the emotional wail of the air-cooled 911 unit, revs shrilly past its power peak, to 6600rpm.
However, these early Boxsters do have a slightly underdeveloped nature to them compared to later 986s. Most noticeably, they feel underpowered, plus the engine is so peaky it’s all too easy to stall it when engaging the clutch to move off front standstill (later 986s still suffered from this, to a lesser extent). The transmission also seems to be more whiney, and with the hood lacking the double lining of later models the car is quite noisy.