2009 Porsche Boxster S Detroit MI

September 29, 2009   By Jon Alain Guzik, Editor-in-Chief



2009 Porsche Boxster
DriverSide Overview
The Porsche brand has come to be synonymous with precision, power and best-in-class handling, making it a key benchmark for performance cars. While that's great for Porsche owners, it also means every manufacturer with an eye toward building a quick machine starts to compare itself to the iconic brand from Stuttgart. Competitors across the spectrum have stepped up the game to knock on the German builder's garage door with more horsepower and comparable handling in less expensive packages. Never one to stop and let the rest of the field catch up, Porsche has upped its game for 2009 with more powerful, efficient engines and one very clever new transmission. While the king of the hill 911 has benefited from these none-too-subtle changes, Porsche wasn't about to let its entry-level Boxster get left behind. For 2009, the 911's baby brother gets a slew of changes, all for the better. While it may not look very different from the outside - the design changes are evolutionary, not revolutionary - it's a completely different car under the taut sheet metal. Porsche has equipped the two-seat ragtop with its revolutionary new double-clutch PDK gearbox, which means both Teutonically precise shifts, a sport mode to rival the field and, as an added bonus, better fuel economy. All are reasons that give even hardcore fans of manual transmissions something to smile about.








What's to Like
Porsche's facing tighter emissions and fuel consumption standards from the European Union and the U.S. That's usually bad news for a sports car company as it means an end to high-horsepower motors, but Porsche has responded with an all-new 3.4 liter, 310 horsepower direct-injection (DFI) flat six-cylinder 'boxster' engine. With 15 more horses than the previous model, the 2009 model still manages to deliver 11 percent better fuel economy – up to 30.1 mpg. Did we mention we love the PDK? We love the PDK!

What's Not to Like
As vastly different as the 2009 Porsche Boxster PDK is mechanically from earlier models, the styling outside remains close to the original, yet iconic theme. It's an attractive design, no doubt, but we would have liked something a little more advanced. That said, you can make the same remarks about the 911.

The Drive
DriverSide Driving Impressions:
Few feelings can surpass rolling down your favorite road with the top down on a sunny day – especially if you happen to be behind the wheel of a Porsche. The Boxster serves up an iconic and essential roadster experience with a well-balanced, lithe chassis that relies both on it being lightweight as well as powerful. The Boxster S's powerful 310 horsepower flat-six provides plenty of muscle for such a small, lightweight roadster, with the handling characteristics that Stuttgart is known for.

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