The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle since the 550 Spyder that was originally designed as a roadster. The first-generation Boxster (the 986) was introduced in late 1996 as a 1997 model; it was powered by a 2.5 litre flat six-cylinder engine. In 2000, the new Boxster S variant was introduced with a larger 3.2 litre motor, and the base model received a more powerful 2.7 litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants. In 2005, Porsche unveiled the new generation of Boxsters: the type 987. The 987 is more powerful than its predecessor and featured styling inspired by the Carrera GT. Engine output increased in 2007, when both Boxster models received the engines from their corresponding Porsche Cayman variants. In 2009, the Boxster models received several new cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, further increasing engine output and performance. Production of the 986 began at the former Porsche 928 facility in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive also manufactures Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The Boxster was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in model year 1997 until the company introduced the Cayenne sport utility vehicle in model year 2003. The Boxster's name is a portmanteau of the word "boxer", referring to the vehicle's horizontally-opposed or "boxer" engine, and the word "roadster", referring to the vehicle's two seat capacity and convertible top.Porsche Boxster Review - Kelley Blue Book
In 2004 the 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition was released, with a production run of just 1953 cars. These were all painted GT Silver Metallic, the same color as the car-show version of the Carrera GT supercar, and had unique cocoa-brown full-leather interior as standard with grey natural leather as a no-cost option. Each car also had special interior paintwork, a high-end BOSE sound system, two-tone grey and silver 18" Carrera wheels (unpainted as another zero-cost option), 5 mm (0.2 in) wheel spacers, the Boxster S sport exhaust, the M030 option sports suspension, and a plate on the center console piece commonly known as the "batwing" showing the production number. Only on the American market cars were the rear turn signals red rather than clear.In November 2007, Porsche announced a commemorative RS60 Spyder edition of the Boxster to celebrate Porsche's 1960 win in the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. Only 1960 units in this series are to be produced worldwide, with approximately 800 slated for the U.S. with each model bearing a numbered production badge on the dash. The RS60 Spyder comes in only GT Silver Metallic while the standard interior is Carrera Red leather, with dark gray leather as an option. The RS60 comes standard with 19 inch SportDesign alloy wheels, Porsche's Active Suspension Management System, and a sports exhaust that boosts the engine output to 303 PS (223 kW; 299 hp) . The base price for the RS60 Spyder is US$64,900.Porsche also produced a limited Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 that debuted in October 2008 as 2009 model. It featured freer-flowing exhaust, which raised power from 295 PS (217 kW; 291 hp) at 6250 rpm to 303 PS (223 kW; 299 hp) at an identical 6250 rpm. It came in a unified Carrara White paint scheme with matching white 19-inch wheels, a black and grey interior with white gauges, red taillights and light grey stripes along the entire body. 500 were made for the worldwide market, 32 shipped into the U.S. and 18 into Canada. The base price for the PDE2 Boxster was US$66,900.
On November 5, 2009, Porsche officially announced the creation of a new production Boxster which was officially unveiled at the 2009 Los Angeles Motor Show. To be positioned above the Boxster S, the Boxster Spyder will be the lightest Porsche on the market, weighing 2,811 pounds (1,275 kg), a full 176 pounds (80 kg) lighter than a Boxster S. This has been achieved through the elimination of the conventional soft top's operating mechanism, the radio/PCM unit, air conditioning, storage compartments, door handles, cupholders and large LED light modules on the front fascia, although some of these can be re-added to the car in the form of options. The vehicle will ride on a firmer suspension than the other Boxster models, and will also be almost one inch lower in order to have firmer handling. A manually-operated canvas top, sports bucket seats and two signature humps running along the back of the vehicle provide characteristic design elements. It will offer a six-cylinder boxer engine with 320 horsepower (239 kW; 324 PS) and 273 lb·ft (370 N·m) of torque (a 10 hp (7.5 kW) increase over the engine in the Boxster S and the same engine used in the related Cayman S), with manual transmission as standard and Porsche's PDK dual-clutch gearbox as an option. The vehicle will be released worldwide in February 2011 as a 2011 model with a base price of US$61,200.A Boxster Spec racing series based on the early 1997-1999 2.5-liter models has become very popular in both the Porsche Owners Club and Porsche Club of America . There are currently two classes: BSX and BSR. The Boxster BSX models are street-legal, with modified suspensions and additional safety equipment. The Boxster BSR models have gutted interiors, further suspension upgrades to improve performance, safety roll cages, and open exhaust.