Three decades of fun
Little did Porsche know when it launched the first Boxster in 1996 that it had created an enduring roadster model.
Cleverly sharing technology and components with its 911 sibling has kept the Boxster affordable to enthusiasts.
It has also remained true to its brief of delivering an absorbing driving experience, while also being amazingly practical for a two-seat roadster.
From the humble first 2.5-litre offering to the latest 493bhp RS version, the Porsche Boxster offers something for everyone – as the next generation waits in the wings.
1993 Porsche Boxster Concept
The Porsche Boxster Concept was unveiled to the world at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 1993.
This launch venue showed how important the US market would be for Porsche’s new smaller roadster, if it were to go into production.
Of course, the Boxster idea was closer to production than Porsche hinted at the show and it used the company’s principle of COP (carry-over parts) shared with the forthcoming, new-generation 911.
Grant Larson headed the design team for the Boxster concept, and the model is largely credited with keeping the company solvent in the latter half of the 1990s.
1996 Porsche Boxster 2.5
There was nothing new in the idea of an entry-level Porsche model, because the 914 and 924 had fulfilled this role admirably. However, the Boxster was far from basic in its approach.
The first production Boxster, often referred to as the 986 model, arrived with a 2.5-litre, flat-six engine, aping its 911 sibling in engine design, but it was mid-mounted to create a compact, two-seat roadster.
With 201bhp, the Boxster was good for 0-60mph in 6.9 secs and 149mph, so it was at the top of the heap of the burgeoning, mid-1990s roadster class.
To keep pace with demand, Porsche built this Boxster at its Stuttgart factory and in Finland, where Valmet was contracted to produce them – these cars are distinguished by a ‘U’ in their VIN.
2000 Porsche Boxster 2.7
If there was one criticism of the Porsche Boxster from owners and reviewers alike, it was the car felt a little underpowered.
This was because the Boxster had such a capable chassis and driving dynamics – it was clear Porsche had toned it down to leave clear air between its base model and the 911.
In 2000, that was addressed with the introduction of a new entry-point Boxster engine, the 217bhp, 2.7-litre motor.
It offered 0-60mph in 6.5 secs and a 155mph top speed, pushing the Boxster further ahead of most rivals.
Like the 2.5, the 2.7 could be had with manual or Tiptronic automatic gearboxes.
2000 Porsche Boxster S
Porsche edged the Boxster ever closer to 911 territory with the addition of the S version in 2000.
Finally, it was felt the Boxster could realise its potential thanks to a 3.2-litre engine.
As usual, there were manual or automatic gearboxes, with six speeds for the former and a top speed that hit 162mph.
Acceleration also improved to give 0-60mph in 5.6 secs, putting the Boxster S only a couple of tenths behind the standard 911 in a sprint race.
Other upgrades included a fly-by-wire throttle, plus firmer springs and dampers.
Both the S and 2.7 were facelifted in 2002 with a glass window replacing the hood’s earlier plastic item, clear indicator lenses, restyled bumpers, and electric releases for the bonnet and bootlid.
2004 Porsche Boxster 550 Spyder
It was only as the original 986 Boxster range reached the end of its production life did Porsche offer any sort of special edition, in the form of the 550 Spyder.
Inspired by the 1953 550 Spyder, all examples of this Boxster S-based model came painted in GT Silver with unique, two-tone, 18in alloy wheels.
The Boxster 550 Spyder also had a brown-leather trimmed interior, and choice picks from the options included a sports exhaust, a BOSE stereo and sports suspension.
Only 1953 Boxster 550 Spyders were made – US-bound cars were further set apart by their orange indicator lenses in place of the usual clear items.
2004 Porsche Boxster 987 2.7
The Boxster had very quickly become a staple of the Porsche range, so a second-generation model was received warmly in 2004.
The evolutionary styling was by Pinky Lai and finessed the appearance of the earlier 986, with lights and details similar to the new 911 generation.
Inside, there was also a styling overhaul, while the 2.7-litre base engine saw a jump in power to 237bhp for 0-60mph in 6.2 secs and 159mph.
An upgrade in 2007 saw engine power increase to 241bhp and then again in 2009 to 252bhp for 0-60mph in 5.8 secs and 163mph.
2004 Porsche Boxster 987 S
Porsche didn’t repeat its delay in adding an S model to the 987 range as it did with the 986.
Hot on the heels of the base model’s introduction, the S arrived with a 276bhp, 3.2-litre, flat-six motor that was ideally suited to the Boxster.
In 2007, the engine grew to 3.4 litres and 291bhp, while a 2009 revision saw this rise to 306bhp for a 170mph top speed and 0-60mph in just 5 secs.
Also new at this time was the option of a seven-speed DPK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) dual-clutch transmission.
This allowed for near seamless and fast shifts, and dealt with criticism of the earlier Tiptronic automatic gearbox.
2005 Porsche Cayman
It’s difficult to mention the Porsche Boxster in its 987 generation without talking about its closed-coupé sibling, the Cayman.
Developed alongside the Boxster 987, the Cayman had a hatchback tailgate that opened on to luggage space behind and on top of the engine.
The Cayman has shared the same upgrades as the Boxster as time moved on and it has been a coupé accompaniment to the range ever since.
Perhaps the biggest accolade for the Cayman, and Boxster by extension, is it was a more enjoyable car to drive than the contemporary 911.
2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60
Following the popularity of the 550 Spyder, Porsche found another key moment from its history to justify a limited-edition Boxster.
The RS 60 Spyder celebrated the company’s 1960 victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring race and half the 1960 of these Boxsters built were shipped to the US.
Every RS 60 was individually numbered and finished in the same GT Silver paint, wearing 19in SportDesign alloy wheels.
The interior was trimmed in Carrera Red leather with a matching hood, though customers could opt for a grey hide and roof combination.
Porsche Active Suspension Management was included, as well as a sports exhaust to nudge the 3.4-litre motor’s power to 299bhp.
2009 Porsche Boxster Spyder
The 987 Boxster Spyder was as close as Porsche had come so far to creating a GT3 version of its compact roadster.
Launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show, it was a stripped-back Boxster with 80kg (176lb) saved over the standard S model, helped by carbonfibre bucket seats.
The roof lost its electric operation and there was a double-bubble canopy over the rear deck.
Air conditioning, inner doorhandles, cupholders and the stereo were all deleted, though customers could add some of these features back as options.
Power for the Boxster S engine was increased to 315bhp, giving the 1275kg (2811lb) Spyder a 0-60mph time of 4.8 secs and a 166mph top speed, though Porsche stated the car could not be driven flat out with its flimsy soft-top in place because it might blow off.
2011 Porsche Boxster E
Porsche was among the first to moot an electric sports car with the Boxster E in 2011.
Three Boxster Es were made, two with a single rear motor and one with dual motors to drive the front and rear axles.
Power output wasn’t that impressive, but instant torque meant the dual-motor Porsche Boxster E delivered 0-60mph in 5.5 secs.
The battery range for either version permitted only around 110 miles on a full charge.
Nothing much more was heard of these prototypes until Porsche declared its new-for-2026 Boxster would be all electric, which it has since backtracked on to include petrol power in its plans.
2012 Porsche Boxster 981
The third generation of the Porsche Boxster arrived in 2012 and, slightly confusingly, was referred to by its factory code as the 981.
At its Geneva motor show reveal, Porsche proudly stated the new car had a 40% stiffer bodyshell, and it was wider and had a longer wheelbase than the 987.
This new Boxster was also 17% lighter due to greater use of aluminium in its construction, which helped with emissions, too.
The engines were familiar 2.7- and 3.4-litre units for the base and S models respectively, but stop-start technology was now included for environmental reasons.
2014 Porsche Boxster 981 GTS
At the time of its launch, the GTS was the top-line Porsche Boxster model you could buy.
It came with an uprated version of the S engine to deliver 326bhp, though the Cayman coupé equivalent had 335bhp.
If you chose the GTS with the dual-clutch PDK gearbox and optional Sport Chrono pack, you could see 0-60mph in just 4.7 secs and a top speed of 175mph.
As part of the GTS specification, Porsche provided sports seats with leather and Alcantara upholstery.
It sat on 20in 911 Carrera S wheels, and there were smoked light covers front and rear to differentiate this model.
2015 Porsche Boxster Bergspyder
This was very much an under-the-radar project that Porsche only fully owned up to in 2019, four years after it had been built.
The Bergspyder was commissioned by the company’s top executives as an experiment to see what a lightweight, bare-bones Boxster would look like.
The Bergspyder had no roof, no windscreen and not much of anything, so it weighed just 1130kg (2491lb).
Making the most of this was a 388bhp 3.8-litre flat-six engine from the Cayman GT4, giving 0-60mph in less than 4 secs.
Porsche also predicted the Bergspyder could lap the Nürburgring in less than 7 mins 30 secs.
2015 Porsche Boxster Spyder
Like Porsche’s previous Boxster Spyder, the 981-generation model shed weight by paring back luxuries and using a manually operated roof.
However, this Spyder went all out on the power front, too, thanks to a 370bhp, 3.8-litre, flat-six engine.
Aluminium body panels and fabric door pulls in place of inner handles improved the power-to-weight ratio for a top speed of 180mph.
Firmer and lower suspension, bigger brakes and a limited-slip differential helped make this car an utter joy to drive.
As before, though, top speed with the roof raised was limited to 124mph.
2016 Porsche Boxster 718
There was mutiny in the air when Porsche unveiled its fourth-generation Boxster, which it called the 718 Boxster and was known internally as the 982.
It wasn’t the styling or quality that caused a stir, however, but a switch to flat-four engines for the standard and S models.
A turbocharged, 2-litre motor with 296bhp meant 0-60mph in 4.9 secs and 171mph, while the S had a 2.5-litre motor producing 345bhp for 177mph and 0-60mph in 4.2 secs.
Nothing wrong with the numbers, but the engine’s sound was nowhere near as tuneful as the flat-six’s and that mattered – though Porsche had plans to solve this.
2017 Porsche Boxster 718 GTS
Porsche Boxster fans who were disappointed at the notion of four-cylinder engines were soothed when the marque announced a 360bhp GTS model.
Using the 2.5-litre engine from the S but with 15bhp more, the GTS was good for 0-60mph in 3.9 secs and 180mph all out.
As with the previous GTS model, this one came with smoked lenses for its front and rear light covers.
It also had the Porsche Active Suspension Management option included in its specification, along with the desirable Sport Chrono pack that provides sharper throttle and chassis responses.
2019 Porsche Boxster 718 Spyder
All of the Spyder cues were present and correct when Porsche unveiled its latest take on the theme based on the 718 chassis.
Less weight, a simpler roof, a double-bubble rear canopy and a manual gearbox all figured.
What wasn’t used was the 718’s four-cylinder engine – this was replaced by a 4-litre flat-six, so all was good in the world again.
Not as light as its predecessors, this Spyder still offered 0-60mph in 4.4 secs and 187mph thanks to its 911 GT3-derived motor.
An RS version followed in 2024 taking the top speed to 191mph and cutting the 0-60mph time to 3.2 secs.
2020 Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0
Learning its lesson that fans of the Boxster cared more about involvement that outright numbers, Porsche replaced the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder GTS with the 4-litre model in 2020.
The GTS became the benchmark car in its class.
While the 182mph top speed of the GTS isn’t quite as rapid as the Spyder’s, this model offers a more accessible way to enjoy the Boxster in everyday driving.
Offering almost all of the Spyder or RS pace, the GTS also provides comfort and refinement that have been a Boxster staple since the very beginning.
2021 Porsche Boxster 25 Years
To mark the 25th anniversary of its Boxster, Porsche released a limited-edition model of 1250 cars.
All of these Boxster 25 Years were based on the 4.0 GTS, which meant 395bhp from a flat-six engine.
You also got GT Silver metallic paint and gold-painted alloy wheels that harked back to the Boxster Concept, although other colours were offered.
The interior was finished in Bordeaux Red leather with a matching hood, and these models have unique badging.
Unsurprisingly, the 25 Years special edition sold out as soon as it was announced and is now prized by collectors.
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