Porsche FYI Friday

The Porsche Boxster: Possibly the Car that Saved Porsche

In a Road & Track article, author Lyndon Conrad Bell argues that the Porsche Boxster saved Porsche from bankruptcy. While many Porsche purists may not like to admit the fact, it was the design and development of the Porsche Boxster that helped innovate the 986 and 996 to drive down production costs and boost sales.[1] The sales of the Porsche Boxster, which was developed because of the success of the Mazda Miata, and production advice from Toyota engineers helped Porsche avoid bankruptcy and put their name back on the map. Between 1996 and 2003, the Boxster was Porsche’s best-selling model.[2]

The Porsche Boxster debuted at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show and was paired with a mid-engine, 2.5 liter flat 6. The Boxster had 201 horsepower, 181 lb ft of torque, and redlined at 6700 rpm. The original Boxster came equipped standard with a 5-speed transmission.[3] The Boxster had substantial horsepower and torque gains over the Mazda Miata, showing off its proper Porsche heritage. Fast forwarding to today, the Porsche Boxster has moved to a 4-cylinder turbo (due to increasing emissions regulations) and now bears the 718 designation. Don’t be fooled though, the new 718 is still a Boxster and is even better now than it has ever been!