Porsche Boxster S, 2004 Boxster S Pictures, News, Reviews, and Info | Conceptcarz.com - Pictures, Wallpaper, Pricing, Information, History

Overview

Image credits: Porsche

The Porsche Boxster is a worthy successor to the legendary 550 Spyder dating from 1953: common to both are the mid-engined roadster concept, low weight, excellent agility, and a high level of driving pleasure. Porsche is now celebrating the 50th birthday of the 550 Spyder by launching a powerful Boxster S special edition limited to 1953 units and bearing the name “50 Years of the 550 Spyder”. It is to be premiered in Detroit/USA early in January 2004, and its introduction on international markets is scheduled for March 2004. The list price on European markets will be 50,900 Euro. In Germany the car will sell at 59,192 Euro including added-value tax and specific national charges.

The Boxster and the 550 Spyder share a striking number of common features., starting with the body lines, which are of timeless elegance and clearly demonstrate their origin and relationship. Then as now, every part of the car is dedicated to the demands of the enthusiastic driver. The Porsche Boxster too has already become a modern classic.

To enhance the Boxster driving experience still further, Porsche engineers have given the special “50 Years of the 550 Spyder” edition a series of sought-after equipment details and technical features that have not been available for the Boxster so far. The output of the Boxster S’s 3.2-liter flat-six engine goes up by 6 bhp to 266 bhp (196 kW) at 6,200 rpm. The special edition has a top speed of 266 km/h (standard Boxster S: 264 km/h) and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 5.7 seconds (Tiptronic S: 6.4 seconds). Its maximum torque of 310 Nm is available at 4,600 rpm.

The exhaust system, which has a specially styled, stainless-steel tailpipe, delivers the typical Porsche sound. Porsche technicians have reduced the 6-speed gearbox's shift travel by 15 percent, a noticeable benefit that contributes to even greater driving pleasure whenever the car is accelerated. Tiptronic S, permitting driver selection of the chosen gear at shift paddles on the steering wheel, is an optional extra.

True roadster character is emphasized by lowering the body by 10 millimeters and by especially sporty suspension settings. This sports suspension improves the car’s roadholding still further and permits higher lateral acceleration values. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is installed as a standard feature on this special edition, to ensure optimum safety in all driving situations.

The brakes are another important safety feature. The drilled brake disks have a diameter of 318 millimeters at the front and 299 millimeters at the rear. Exclusively for this special edition, the four-piston aluminum brake calipers of monobloc design have an aluminum paint finish. They are easily visible behind the larger 18-inch Carrera wheels (the standard model has 17-inch wheels). The spokes are painted in seal gray and provide additional visual emphasis. A colored Porsche coat-of-arms adorns each wheel hub cover. Five-millimeter wide spacers at all four wheels give the special “50 Years of the 550 Spyder” edition an even more powerful appearance and firmer road stance. Another feature that sets this model apart from the standard Boxster S are the silver-painted grills above the openings in the rear struts, which recall the closed rear view of the 550. The Boxster S lettering at the rear is chromium plated and polished. The color of the padded front of the safety roll bars matches the interior. An on-board computer, Litronic headlamps with dynamic beam angle adjustment and a cleaning system are also standard.

Most of the 550 Spyders built in those days were painted in silver. The special edition has therefore been finished in gleaming silver metallic, a color so far reserved for the Carrera GT and the “40 Years of the 911” model.

The soft top is in Cocoa, a dark brown color used by Porsche for the first time on this special edition. The same two colors dominate the car’s interior, with matching carpet and floor mats with the Porsche inscription.

Dark gray natural leather is available as an alternative. In this combination the carpets and the folding top are in black. Both leather equipment lines have exclusive visual features that give the interior a special character. It can be seen and felt on the center panels of the standard heated sport seats, the handbrake lever, the gear lever gaiter, the inside door handles and the padded sport steering wheel. The black dials have chromium-plated decorative rings. Painted in GT-silver metallic, the seat back shells, the rear section of the center console, the handbrake lever, the grooved bar on the dashboard, the switch panel and the back of the safety roll bars form a color contrast. The ball-shaped gear-lever knob is made of aluminum combined with Cocoa leather. The (optional) Tiptronic gear shift cover is highly polished, like the Boxster S lettering that stands out well against the black door sills.

This Boxster S special edition bears a limited-edition plate on the center console indicating the car's production number. The automatic air conditioning and top-quality Porsche CDR-23 radio with audio package are standard, and also a windbreak.

Porsche introduced the 550 Spyder in October 1953 at the Paris Motor Show. The two-seater was the first sports car specially designed in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen with racing in mind. In the years that followed the Spyder, which weighed only 550 kilograms, scored numerous triumphs on racing circuits and in the then popular road races. These successes are a mosaic element contributing to the Porsche brand’s fame and its current familiarity among the general public. The type designation of the racing sports, incidentally, was not derived from its weight as is sometimes assumed. It was, in fact, the 550th Porsche design project.

The 550 Spyder has retained a secure place in the hearts of car enthusiasts through its performance in the Carrera Panamericana in 1954. On the fifth and last occasion that the world’s toughest road race was held, Hans Herrmann came third in the overall ranking, directly behind two sports cars with substantially larger engines and won his class.
This was followed by countless successes in motor sport, earned by the factory team and by private entrants. The 550 was powered by a four-camshaft 1,498-cc engine developing 110 bhp. This was designed by von Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, who later became chief executive officer of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and made a significant contribution to Porsche’s racing triumphs right up to the nineteen-sixties.

Source - Porsche Media

The Porsche Boxster is styled after the 550 Spyder, with similar bodylines, mid-engine roadster configuration, low weight, excellent agility, and a high level of driving pleasure. Porsche is now celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder by launching a powerful Boxster S special edition bearing the name “50 Years of the 550 Spyder”. The new commemorative Boxster S further reflects this classic Porsche model with performance enhancements and additional styling cues not previously available on Boxster models.

For added performance, the new Boxster S edition is equipped with the most powerful engine ever offered in the Boxster model line. Rated at 264 horsepower (SAE), the 3.2-liter flat-six cylinder power plant propels the car from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds, and to a top track speed of 165 mph (266 km/h). Sportier suspension settings, 5 mm-wide wheel spacers on all four wheels, and standard 18-inch Carrera wheels improve handling, while a 15 percent shorter shift travel in the standard six-speed manual transmission provides quicker gear shifting.

As most 550 Spyders were painted silver, the new special edition Boxster S is finished in GT Silver Metallic, a color only found on the Carrera GT and special edition "40th Anniversary 911" models. The soft top is in Cocoa, a dark brown color used by Porsche for the first time. For additional visual emphasis, wheel spokes are painted in Seal Grey, a colored Porsche crest adorns each wheel hub cover, and the monobloc brake calipers have an aluminum paint finish. Other exclusive exterior styling features include silver-painted grills above the rear strut openings, a specially created stainless steel tailpipe, chrome plated and polished Boxster S lettering on the rear deck lid, and safety bar padding that matches the car's interior.

Cocoa and GT Silver dominate the car's special interior with matching carpet and floor mats featuring the Porsche script logo. The center panels of the standard heated seats, handbrake lever, gear lever gate, ball-shaped aluminum gearshift knob, inside door handles, and padded sport steering wheel are covered in Cocoa colored leather. The rear section of the center console, handbrake lever, grooved bar on the dashboard, switch panel, and the back of the safety bars are painted in GT Silver Metallic. Instruments are uniquely styled with black faces surrounded by chrome plated decorative rings.
Other standard features include Porsche Stability Management (PSM), an on-board computer, Litronic headlamps with dynamic beam angle adjustment and a cleaning system, and a wind stop. The Tiptronic S automatic transmission system, GT Silver seat back shells, and Dark Gray natural leather interior (at no extra cost and with corresponding black top and carpets) complete the short list of options.

Production of the new Boxster S edition is limited to 1953 units to commemorate the 550 Spyder's introduction at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. A limited-edition plate on the center console indicates the Anniversary car's production number. The two-seater was the first sports car specially designed in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen with racing in mind. In the years that followed the Spyder, which weighed only 550 kilograms, scored numerous triumphs on racing circuits and in the then popular road races. These successes are a mosaic element contributing to the Porsche brand’s fame and its current familiarity among the general public. The type designation of the racing sports, incidentally, was not derived from its weight as is sometimes assumed. It was, in fact, the 550th Porsche design project.

The 550 Spyder has retained a secure place in the hearts of car enthusiasts through its performance in the Carrera Panamericana in 1954. On the fifth and last occasion that the world’s toughest road race was held, Hans Herrmann came third in the overall ranking, directly behind two sports cars with substantially larger engines and won his class. This was followed by countless successes in motor sport, earned by the factory team and by private entrants. The 550 was powered by a four-camshaft 1,498-cc engine developing 110 bhp. This was designed by von Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, who later became chief executive officer of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and made a significant contribution to Porsche’s racing triumphs right up to the 1960s.

The new Boxster S model will go on sale in the United States and Canada in March 2004 at a price of $59,900 US and $85,300 CAN

Source - Porsche

The Porsche Boxster was introduced near the close of 1996 and is one of the companies smallest and least expensive vehicles offered for sale. Though this may be true, the mid-engined roadster is still a Porsche with superior performance, power, and styling. Internally, the Boxster is known as the 986/987, a naming scheme that Porsche has used since its existence. The name 'Boxster' is a combination of 'roadster' and 'boxer'. Boxer represents its horizontally-opposed engine which has its pistons moving in a boxing-like motion. The roadster represents the vehicles convertible top.

The styling is credited to Harm Lagaay and borrows heavily on the Porsche Spyder and Speedster. Immediately, the Boxster was popular and became Porsche's biggest volume seller. It would retain this title until 2003 when the newly introduced Cayenne SUV took away the title. From its introduction, magazines, journalists, and enthusiasts have been awarding the car with distinguished titles and accomplishments. It has been award Car & Drivers 'One of the 10 Best Cars of 1997', Automobile's 'Automobile of the Year', Business Week 'One of the Best New Products of 1997' and more.

When introduced, the Boxster was powered by a 2.5 liter flat six-cylinder engine that produced just over 200 horsepower. In 2000 the engine was upgraded to a 2.7 liter unit that raised horsepower by about 25. An 'S' variant also became available which added the 3.2 liter 250 horsepower engine. Porsche continued to improve the Boxster and by 2004 was offered a 240 horsepower engine as standard. The 'S' was producing an astonishing 280 horsepower.

The first version, the 986 was produced from 1996 through 2004. The upgraded engine brought about the 987 which began life in 2004. It was debuted to the public at the 2004 Paris Motor Show where it shared the stage with the new 911 997. Visually, there was little change for the 987 to the 986. The headlights of the 987 are more true to the Porsche designs of the past. The side intake vents became larger.

In 2007 Porsche again improved the base engine, now up to 245 horsepower which is the same as the newly introduced and highly anticipated Cayman. The 'S' version is nearly at 300 horsepower, again, equivalent to the 'S' version of the Cayman.

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