Porsche has revealed the stunning third generation Boxster ahead of its official unveiling in Geneva Motorshow, scheduled in March 2012. The all-new open top 2 seater has been thoroughly updated inside out, skinned with what many reckoned to be the best looking Boxster ever.
The front end of the new Boxster is a clear evolution from the current model, with familar large air intakes on the side flanking a lower inner one. The character lines are now more prominently featured on the front bumper, one above the intake+indicator unit and the lower one running long the sills. The bigger styling differences are mainly on the side and rear view.
The side air intake are now characterized by the character line that start well from the door. This give the 2013 some resemblance to the legendary Carrera GT side intakes. The sills are deeper indented, with the lower edge clearly visible.
The rear end design is where the biggest revolution can be found. Gone is the slippery tail profile of the last two Boxsters, the 2013 model has seen the duck tail-style lip integrated into the tail. The up-kick profile is even integrated with the tail lamp, giving a cohesive appearance, yet muscular hard-edge look.
Customary to Porsche tradition, the new Boxster comes in two guise, the Standard and Boxster S model. There are some styling differentiation between the two. Among the differences are the slats on the front outer air intakes. On Boxster, the slats are body colored, while on the S model, they are finished in black, giving an impression of a larger opening. At the back, the exhaust pipe cutter is single oval item on the Boxster, while the Boxster S gets a twin circular item.
Both variant of the new Boxster is powered by the mid-mounted flat-6 engine equipped with direct injection system and a host of efficiency enhancer such as electric energy recuperation and start/stop function. The standard Boxster is powered by a 2.7L flat-6 engine producing 265bhp@6700rpm of power and 280Nm of torque at rpm range of 4500-6500rpm. The Boxster S meanwhile is powered by 3.4L version of the same engine producing 315bhp@6700rpm and 360Nm@4500-5800rpm. Both engine has a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. Transmission option are 7 speed PDK or 6 speed manual with dual-mass flywheel and self adjusting clutch. No manual 7 speeder from the new Carrera here!
Acceleration to 100km/h can be achieved in 5.2 seconds for the standard Boxster on PDK transmission with Sport+ pack, while the manual-shifter can achieve the same milestone in 5.5 seconds. The more powerful Boxster S century sprint is 4.5 seconds with PDK on Sport+, while the manual version is slower at 4.8 seconds.
Top speed is 263 km/h for the standard Boxster on manual (260km/h for PDK version) and 278km/h for Boxster S on 6 speed manual (266 km/h for Boxster S PDK). Despite the notable performance, fuel efficiency is claimed to be up to 15% less than the outgoing Boxster.
Dimensionally, the new Boxster measures 4,374mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,280mm tall. This is good 45mm longer and 15mm lower than before. Wheelbase has rise to 2,474mm, 58mm more than before. Despite the increased in size and higher equipment level, an increased in the use of aluminium resulting is weight reduction of around 35kg.
The new Boxster rides on McPherson struts suspension at both end. The electric power steering is of variable ratio type. The front and rear brakes are four-piston monoblock fixed calipers measuring 315mm and 299mm respectively for Boxster, and 330mm and 299mm for Boxster S. An 18" wheel is fitted to the Standard Boxster, wrapped by 235/45 up front and 265/45 at the back. Larger 19" wheel is standard on the S version, wrapped by 235/40 and 265/40 tyres respectively.
The interior design is one the greatest departure from the current car, with design cues visibly borrowed from its big brother the new 911. The floor console is mounted high, with a crop of switches running along the console. Alcantra is featured in the trimmings. The design is more elaborate with greater detailing than before. The door trim for example is multi-pieces, with door arm rest, grab handle and door inside handle are distinctively finished. The entertainment system is handled via a 7" touch screen unit. The cloth hood is now fully electrically operated with no manual intervention required.
The all-new Boxster is due to be on sale from April 2012. The indicative pricing for the UK version is GBP 37,589 for the Boxster and GBP 45,384 for Boxster S.
More photo of the 2013 Porsche Boxster after the jump.
No comments:
Post a Comment