Porsche Boxster, new version
Offering higher security, it is a model of its kind. Just take a look…
The 2005 vintage flaunts a new look. Offering higher security, it is a model of its kind. Just take a look…
The physical changes are legion. The larger wheels give added emphasis to the overall silhouette. The nose has totally original headlights and one immediately notices the door mirrors, enlarged air inlets and the new contour for the roof. Same goes for the rear wings, rounded higher up and thus more clearly detached from the rest of the body. Even the door handles are new, in stirrup-style. The same scenario unfurls inside. The interior has been completely redesigned : more spacious, it features a lower seating position and pedals that are positioned even further to the front than in the previous model. The biggest novelties are, in fact, the seats : they now offer more room and improved lateral support, and actually exist in four different versions, a totally new proposal in the Boxster range. Choose from the standard version with electric adjustment of the backrest, a 100%-electric version with lumbar support, the sports version with higher flanks (in leather) and the adaptable sports version in which the lower and lateral supports can be individually adjusted. Porsche designers have also paid a lot of attention to materials, opting for Alcantara and leather, and using an “aluminium look” for certain details.
A completely new temperament
Now fitted with an engine five-and-a-half kilos lighter (the crankcase is made entirely of aluminium), the 2005 version of the Boxster accelerates even more vigorously than before, especially in low and middle gears : it takes just 6.2 seconds to leap from stationary to one hundred kilometres per hour. And from now on, even standard models are equipped with even more sophisticated technologies, including the ABS (Anti Blocking System), PSM (Porsche Stability Management), ASR (anti skid system), ABD (differential antiskid control) and MSR (resisting torque regul-ator). Thanks to the new tyres, distances seem short-er. And for those who appreciate exhilarating driving, Porsche has decided to introduce a “Sport Chrono” package. This option provides more powerful acceleration on uphill climbs, a more decisive interruption of the top regime and longer intervention threshholds before the PSM takes over. The “world premiere” consists, however, of the airbags which protect the head. Totally original, they are hidden under the window rim on each door. The 2005 Boxster also has thorax airbags (in the backrests), thus ensuring a high level of protection in the event of a side collision. All part of standard equipment, both driver and passenger can count on frontal airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners and effort limiters for improved security. Finally, the cherry on the cake, which is also provided as standard equipment, is the electrically operated foldback roof which can now be used at speeds up to fifty km/hr. In just twelve seconds, the Boxster becomes an open-top car or reverts to being closed, depending on the weather and the driver’s mood.
Par Cécile Olivéro - photos : press.
