Porsche Boxster S

Launched in 1996 with a 3.2-litre flat-six, the Boxster S gave Porsche’s mid-engined roadster the much-needed shot of adrenaline to deliver the performance its badge promised. And for years it was a near-unbeatable package. The original 986’s evolution saw incremental improvements across the board with each generation, resulting in a steadily increasing power-to-weight ratio. New technology added a few kilos here and there, but ultimately the Boxster has stayed as lean as possible over the years.

In fact the Boxster S’s weight has yo-yo’d from generation to generation, coincidentally by the same 35kg increments. But the bottom line is that it has gained just 35kg between the original 986 and today’s turbocharged 718. A less than three per cent weight increase in 25 years? That’s not bad going in our book.

986 256bhp 1320kg 200bhp/ton 987 306bhp 1355kg 229bhp/ton 981 311bhp 1320kg 239bhp/ton 718 345bhp 1355kg 259bhp/ton