2003 Porsche Boxster

The Boxster is a mid-engine roadster that takes its name from the union of Porsche's classic, horizontally opposed six-cylinder 'boxer' engine architecture with a roadster body. In the case of the Boxster, that body echoes such famous mid-engine Porsche sports and racing cars as the 550 Spyder and the RS60.

The Boxster was unveiled as a stunning concept car at the North American International Auto Show at Detroit in January 1993. After an overwhelmingly positive response from around the world -- and an extensive period of development and testing -- Porsche put its newest sports car into series production as a 1997 model.

Ever since the Boxster's launch, the car has undergone continual enhancements. Those updates truly accelerate for 2003 with a more powerful engine, a new top with a glass window and a wider range of standard equipment.

New front and rear fascia improve the car's appearance as well as its performance efficiency. Performance is enhanced even more with the availability of new light-alloy wheels that reduce unsprung weight.

New VarioCam® technology and Motronic ME 7.8 engine management software increase the output of the Boxster's 2.7-liter engine and also make the engine more fuel-efficient while reducing exhaust emissions. Horsepower increases to 225 horsepower (SAE) at 6,300 rpm (compared to 217 horsepower for the 2002 model). The engine's torque figure remains 192 pound-feet at 4,750 rpm.

The 2003 Boxster can accelerate from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 6.4 seconds, an improvement of two-tenths of a second over the 2002 model. But even with this improved performance, the Boxster gets better fuel mileage. For 2003, its EPA figures are 20 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway (compared to respective numbers of 19 and 27 in 2002) and 11.7 liter/100km and 7.4 for Canada. Those figures are for a Boxster with its standard five-speed manual transmission; the Tiptronic® S transmission is available and also shows performance improvements for the 2003 model year.

Refinements to the car's styling contribute to these improved performance figures and also provide the Boxster with an even more contemporary -- and more 911®-like -- appearance.

The lower section of the roadster's face has been refined with enhanced side air intakes and a subtle redesign and extension of the front lip. These changes improve airflow through and around the car.

The redesigned convertible top has a fourth support bracket and a glass window with an electric defroster. The top still goes up or down in only 12 seconds, but its revised shape allows improved airflow to a redesigned rear spoiler that emerges from the car's rear deck at 75 mph (120 km/h) and retracts at 50 mph (80 km/h).

The side-mounted air scoops that feed cooling air to the Boxster's engine have been redesigned for improved efficiency and also have body-colored grids.



Also new for the 2003 model year is Porsche's new Communication Management system (PCM) that incorporates tuners, CD player, navigation system and trip computer, all connected to each other through the new Media-Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) digital databus.

Completing the subtle but significant changes for the Boxster for 2003 are the addition of such standard features as a new, 911-style cupholder that pops out of the dashboard, remote unlocking front and rear trunks as well as the passenger doors, and a lighted and locking glove compartment. The air-conditioner and heat controls have been moved from the console to the dash for easier accessibility and use, and instead of black leather, the steering wheel, gearshift lever, door handles and handbrake lever are trimmed in the same color leather as the rest of the interior.

The Boxster continues to provide such safety technology as its patented crumple-zone body structure, inertia-reel three-point seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, dual front airbags, door-mounted side airbags and anti-lock brakes. Boron steel tubing reinforcements around the windshield and supplemental safety bars behind the seats help provide protection in rollover accidents. The Porsche Stability Management system (PSM) is available as an option.

Source - Porsche

Boxster S

The Boxster S model is an even higher performance version of the Porsche Boxster. It has an exclusive 3.2-liter 'boxer' six-cylinder engine, a standard six-speed manual ransmission, more athletic suspension tuning, an additional front air intake and a third radiator, standard 17-inch wheels and larger brakes. The exterior has distinctive titanium-colored trim and the interior features unique gauges and trim.

Like the Boxster, the Boxster S has been enhanced for the 2003 model year with a variety of significant new features. Changes in its VarioCam® variable valve timing technology and new Motronic ME 7.8 engine management software system enable the 3.2-liter 'boxer' to generate an amazing 258 horsepower (SAE) at 6,200 rpm. The 2002 model provided 250 horsepower (SAE).

The torque rating is 229 lb.-ft., with a beefy torque curve that provides 85 percent of peak power at only 2,000 rpm, assuring the Boxster S of outstanding response even at low speeds.

To handle such power, the standard six-speed manual transmission has been upgraded with revisions to its single-plate drive clutch.

Thanks to its more powerful engine and revised transmission, the Boxster S accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 5.7 seconds, a figure that is two-tenths of a second quicker than the 2002 Boxster S. But even with such impressive power figures, fuel economy figures have improved.

Like the 2003 Boxster, the 2003 Boxster S has a new top with a glass window and a wider range of standard equipment. New front and rear fascia improve the appearance and the aerodynamic efficiency of the Boxster S. Along with its revised front and rear fascias, the Boxster S also has redesigned twin exhaust pipes.

The high-performance roadster also gets new rear stabilizer bars that are longer (19 mm vs. 18.5 last year) and thicker (2.7 mm vs. 2.5).

The car's already amazing performance can be enhanced even more through the availability of new light-alloy wheels that reduce unsprung weight. The new standard 17-inch wheels reduce unsprung weight by more than half a pound at each corner. The new, optional 18-inch wheels cut nearly 24 pounds of unsprung weight from the vehicle, a remarkable 22 percent reduction that directly results in more responsive handling.

Also new for the 2003 model year are Porsche's new Communication Management systems (PCM) that incorporates tuners, CD player, navigation system and trip computer, all connected to each other through the new Media-Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) digital databus.

The Boxster S continues to provide such safety technology as its patented crumple-zone body structure, inertia-reel three-point seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, dual front airbags, door-mounted side airbags and anti-lock brakes. Boron steel tubing reinforcements around the windshield and supplemental safety bars behind the seats help provide protection in rollover accidents. The Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system is available as an option.

Source - Porsche

Boxster S Anniversary Edition

Porsche celebrates the 50th anniversary of its legendary sports roadster by launching its Spyder special edition

Porsche is celebrating the 50th birthday of the 550 Spyder by launching a powerful Boxster S special edition - limited to 1,953 units - and bearing the name 'Boxster S Anniversary Edition'. It is to be premiered in Detroit, ÚSA in January 2004, and it is expected to reach the ÚK in March 2004. The 'Boxster S Anniversary Edition' will be priced at £41,700 including VAT in the ÚK.

The Porsche Boxster is a direct descendent of the legendary 550 Spyder dating from 1953: common to both are the mid-engined roadster concept, low weight, outstanding agility, timelessly elegant body lines and a high level of driving pleasure. Now as then, every part of the car is dedicated to the demands of the enthusiastic driver resulting in the Porsche Boxster already having become a modern classic.

Porsche engineers have worked to enhance the roadster driving experience still further and have given the special 'Boxster S Anniversary 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-litre 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 using toggle switches on the steering wheel, is an optional extra.

The car's true roadster character is emphasised by lowering the body by 10 millimetres and by sports 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 to ensure optimum safety in all driving situations.

The brakes are another important safety feature. The cross-drilled brake discs have a diameter of 318 millimetres at the front and 299 millimetres at the rear. Exclusively for this special edition, the four-piston monobloc aluminum brake calipers have an aluminum paint finish. They are readily visible behind the larger 18-inch Carrera wheels (the standard model has 17-inch wheels). The spokes are painted in Seal Grey and provide additional visual emphasis. A coloured Porsche crest adorns each wheel hub cover. Five-millimeter wide spacers on all four wheels give the special 'Boxster S Anniversary Edition' an even more powerful appearance and firmer road stance. Another feature that sets this model apart from the standard Boxster S are the grills finished in body colour above the openings in the rear struts, which recall the closed rear view of the 550. The Boxster S lettering at the rear is polished chrome plate. The colour of the padded front of the roll-over 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 original 550 Spyders were painted in silver. The special edition has therefore been finished in gleaming GT Silver metallic, a colour so far reserved for the Carrera GT and the '40 Years of the 911' model.

The soft top is in Cocoa, a dark brown colour used by Porsche for the first time on this special edition. The same two colours dominate the car's interior, with matching carpet and floor mats with the Porsche inscription. Dark grey natural leather is available as an alternative; in this case the carpets and the hood are in black.

In both interior colours, the leather finish on the centre panels of the heated sport seats, the handbrake lever, the gear lever gaiter, the inside door handles and the padded sport steering wheel provide exclusive visual cues and tactile features that give the interior a special character. The seat back shells, the rear section of the centre console, the handbrake lever, the grooved bar on the dashboard, the switch panel and the back of the roll-over bars are all finished in GT Silver, achieving a striking contrast. The black instrument dials are framed by chrome rings. The ball-shaped gear-lever knob is made of aluminum trimmed with Cocoa leather. The (optional) Tiptronic S gear shift cover is highly polished as is the Boxster S lettering that stands out against the black door sills.

Source - Porsche