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The new Boxster S: first deliveries starting in June this year |
The open-top two-seater car has a new lightweight body and a revamped chassis. Considerably lower weight, a longer wheelbase, a wider track and larger wheels enhance the mid-engine sports car’s driving dynamics - supported by new electro-mechanical power steering.
“The new Boxster boasts superior performance, with 15% more fuel efficiency,” said a Porsche Centre Doha official. “Depending on model, it consumes significantly less than eight litres of fuel per 100km,” he said.
With fundamentally changed styling, the new Boxster has shorter overhangs; a significantly forward-shifted windscreen, flatter silhouette and expressive edges.
Passengers are enclosed by a re-designed, electric hood, which dispenses with a convertible top compartment lid. The interior offers more space, and reflects the new Porsche outline, with a raked centre console which originated with the Carrera GT.
The new sports car generation makes its debut in the classic Porsche pairing of Boxster and Boxster S. Both are powered by flat-six engines with direct fuel injection.
Engine efficiency is boosted by electrical system recuperation, thermal management and the new start/stop function.
The base model’s new power unit delivers 265hp from a 2.7 litre displacement – 10hp more than its larger displacement predecessor. It is now based on the 3.4-litre Boxster S engine; delivering 315hp - five hp more than before.
Both models feature a manual six-speed gearbox as standard, with seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available as an option. Both sports cars achieve best fuel consumption and acceleration with PDK.
The Porsche Boxster’s fuel consumption with PDK is 7.7 l/100km and 8.0 l/100km for the Boxster S. In tests – where gear changes were made without interruption to the power flow - the Boxster sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds; the Boxster S in just 5.0 seconds.
“To enhance driving dynamics even further, Porsche offers a Sport Chrono Package as an optional extra, featuring dynamic transmission mounts for the first time,” the official pointed out. “Also new for the Boxster is Porsche Torque Vectoring with mechanical rear axle differential lock.”
The basic retail price for the Boxster in the GCC is $53,654, whereas the Boxster S is available from $59,154.