Our colleague Chris Tutor recently took the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder for a few quick turns around Barber Motorsports. A tad more powerful than the Boxster S, and filled with red leather, he discovered it was plenty of car on the closed circuit. We recently had a chance to get the special edition RS 60 off the track and onto the back roads of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and got to see what the car could do on twisting country lanes – and unexpectedly, in the rain. The likewise unexpected result: damn near perfection.
With both the Boxster RS 60 Spyder and Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 already sold out, Porsche is moving on to its next pair of special edition mid-engine sportscars. Both of the new exclusive models feature a boost of a modest eight horsepower, but what differentiates them from their standard stablemates is more in the trim.
The Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 is now decked out in Carrara White, from the exterior body color and the 19" SportDesign wheels to the center console and instrument faces. Grey racing stripes and a grey roof with black leather, meanwhile, complement the white theme.
The Cayman S Sport takes more of a "GT3 Junior" approach. The car comes standard in either orange or bright green, with the scripted name popping out of the retro black stripe on the lower flank, which is complemented by black wheels, black sideview mirrors and a blacked-out interior. (Black, red, yellow, white and silver are also available for the exterior color.) The Cayman S Sport also comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a sports exhaust system, Alcantara grip trim, bi-xenon headlamps, the Sports Chrono Package and sports seats, and the ride height is dropped by fifteen millimeters.
Only 500 examples of the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 will be offered, along with 700 units of the Cayman S Sport.
We're already smitten by the current-generation Porsche Cayman and its older brother, the Boxster, and it now appears as if the iconic German automaker is poised to improve the breed even further. What first began with forum rumblings now appears to be official information from the factory. The revised Boxster S and Cayman S models will get direct injection and the new seven speed PDK transmission along with a limited slip differential. That DI is responsible for an increase of 25 ponies to 320 hp along with 273 lb.-ft. of torque in the Cayman. Lesser models don't get the DI, but will get a displacement bump from 2.7- to 2.9-liters and a corresponding jump to 265 horsepower. The Boxster and Boxster S each offer ten fewer ponies than the Cayman.
Along with the new PDK transmission, which produces faster shifts than the conventional six-speed manual 'box, the Sport Chrono package will be available along with Launch Control. As is often the case with Porsche, a comparison is required to notice the revised front and rear fascias, but after some examination, we like what we see. Take a look at the galleries below of both the revised Cayman S and Boxster S models to judge for yourself.
Porsche has announced that production of its Boxster and Cayman models is to shift to component supplier Magna Steyr's facility in Austria beginning in 2012. Last year the contract with Finland's Valmet to assemble the two associated mid-engined models was extended through 2012, after which the terms will expire and Magna will take over.
Porsche CFO and deputy chairman Holger P. Harter stressed that the decision was not a vote against Valmet – which has to date built over 200,000 vehicles for Porsche – but rather the result of several elements that Magna brought to the table: firstly, Magna's production is scalable so that it will only manufacture what Porsche's own factory in Zuffenhausen (where the rear-engined 911 series is made) cannot handle. Secondly, Magna is able to assume some development responsibilities along with the final assembly. Thirdly, Magna's proposal was more financially attractive (read: cheaper) than Valmet's. And finally, Magna already supplies various components to Porsche – including convertible roofs and body panels – creating the opportunity for future synergies between Porsche and various Magna subsidiaries.
Sometimes, videos of stupid people wrecking stupid cars is fun. Our destruction-obsessed inner selves even get some guilty pleasure out of watching a really good demolition derby. But when said destruction is performed on a perfectly good sports car, it's no longer entertaining... it's just dumb. And so it's with a deeply saddened heart that we watched a video of a radio station in Finland, which goes by the name NRJ, drop what appears to be a first-gen Porsche Boxster about thirty meters from a crane. Supposedly, listeners voted to destroy the car rather than give it away. There's some mild suspense building in the crowd as they count down from five, but it's all rather anti-climactic after it actually makes contact below. We've dutifully placed the video after the break, but we must warn you that it's just over a minute of your life that you'll never get back. Consider yourselves warned.
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For almost a year, we've been hearing rumors from a variety of sources that Audi planned to build a mid-engine sports car that would utilize the Porsche Boxster's underpinnings after the Stuttgart crew takes a majority stake in Audi's parent company, Volkswagen. By most accounts, including a leaked product outline, the so-called Audi R4 was on its way to production by 2010. But according to Automotive News, the plans have been dashed due to Porsche executives who worry that the R4 could steal sales away from their beloved Boxster.
AN quotes an Audi spokesperson as saying that, "It was never in our product planning." While some industry insiders maintain that it's best to keep the VW/Porsche alliance separate, Nick Margetts, from the automotive analysis firm JATO Dynamics, maintains that the R4 never would have threatened Boxster sales. Margetts says that, "Audi drivers are very different from Porsche drivers," and we tend to agree.
It's been rumored for some time that Audi and Porsche would be teaming up to produce a handful of new models over the next five years. From a manufacturing standpoint, both automakers could benefit from shared development and production costs, while consumers would get their hands on some very compelling product.
The cornerstone of Audi's confusing salvo to "put old luxury on notice" is the expansion of its lineup to fill every conceivable niche. The extension of the "R" line of products – beginning with the R8 – is rumored to include a convertible version of Audi's midship V8 super coupe, along with an R4, R6 and an R10.
Details on the R6, which could slot in between Porsche's Cayman/Boxster and 911 range, and the R10 are scarce, but the next generation Boxster will share a platform with Audi, allowing the four-ringed crew to offer a midship coupe of its own. The R4 is expected to sport the TT's 2.0-liter TFSI four producing 268 hp or a 2.5-liter five-cylinder making upwards of 300 hp. Porsche and Audi are also likely to share everything from aluminum space frames to high-output diesels, torque-vectoring AWD systems and dual-clutch transmissions.
The only concern is how this massive amount of cross-pollination between brands could affect the sales of both automakers. Choice is good, but only if the market can sustain the amount of product being offered.
Spies have caught the restyled Porsche Boxster and its hardtop sibling undergoing testing, and in keeping with Porsche tradition, the changes are easy to overlook. The majority of the restyling is visible in the haunches of the Cayman, where the tail lamps have grown and become more curvaceous – feminine even. Up front, LEDs have been installed within the new front fascia and AutoExpress expects some upgraded materials to find their way inside Porsche's midship duo when the refresh is unveiled later this year.Source: AutoExpress
