Porsche Boxster

At last!We've eagerly anticipated it for years. We've glued our ears to the industry grapevine for random bits of information. We've scoured preproduction photos for its nuances. We've enthusiastically speculated on its driving character. In fact, since the introduction of the Boxster show car at the '93 Detroit Auto Show, Porsche's clean-sheet roadster has received more buildup than Windows 95. As BMW and then Mercedes-Benz unveiled their sleek new roadsters, Porsche aficionados scratched days in the wall while waiting for the production Boxster to make its tantalizing debut. Although the car won't appear in U.S. showrooms until the beginning of 1997, we recently put the Boxster through its paces on the autobahns and twisty backroads of its German homeland. Our verdict? Despite its role as the automaker's entry-level model, this open-air two-seater delivers a full dose of the Porsche experience. It's all Porsche, all the time.

The Boxster draws its name from its flat-six, or "boxer," engine combined with the "roadster" configuration. In bringing the car to production, Porsche resisted giving it a familiar numeric designation, choosing instead to keep the widely known name of the show car. This also plays into the Boxster's mission of attracting new buyers into the Porsche fold, particularly women and consumers younger and less affluent than the typical 911 owner.

The Boxster is far from just another run-of-the-mill model introduction for Porsche. It's the company's first all-new car in 18 years, and only the sixth such debut in the company's 49-year history (the first five being the 356, 911, 914, 924, and 928). The Boxster will also breathe new life into the Porsche lineup with its inventory of virtually all new parts, many of which are expected to be shared with the 911 replacement (code-named 996) expected for '98.

Its riveting styling draws inspiration from the historic 550 Spyder, noted both for its mid-'50s racing triumphs as well as for being the car in which James Dean was killed. Yet the Boxster is clearly an original. Doe-eye headlight modules gather the main lamps, fog lights, and turn signals into single clusters that ride the gently contoured curves of the front hood and fender area. Centered in the lower valance below two delicately sculpted taillamps is a distinctive oval exhaust outlet.

Every subtle line adds to a simple yet rewardingly elegant whole. And these aesthetics translate into function, as well, with a slippery class-leading 0.31 Cd. Twelve exterior colors are offered, with metallic paint a $789 option.

The Boxster comes standard with an electric soft top that simply requires the throw of one manual latch and the press of a button to either lower or raise in a brisk and easy 12 seconds. For protection and a cleaner look, the soft top tucks in under a movable steel panel behind the seats. On the options list is an aluminum hard top ($2249) that helps provide the noise isolation of a coupe and includes an electrically heated glass rear window. Weighing about 55 pounds, the hard top can be handled easily by two people.

At each end of the car is a 4.5-cubic-foot storage compartment, adding surprising utility to the two-seater. In addition, a shelf behind the front seats includes a handy cargo net to keep smaller items secured.

Recaro seats, optionally trimmed in full leather, are firm yet invitingly supportive, in both cruising and flogging modes. Their range of adjustment compensates for the telescopic-but not tiltable-steering wheel. Both seats are outlined by a tubular rollbar, with a plastic windscreen fitted in-between the seats to help reduce cockpit turbulence.