Porsche Boxster S 986

The Porsche 986

This mid-engine, rear-drive racer first appeared in 1996, and is a direct descendant of the earlier Type 550 and 718 roadsters. This page focuses on the Boxster S, a high-performance version of the car. Additional information on the base car can be found at the Boxster home (see below for additional links).

[source: PCA region magazine, February 1999]
... an informed source in Germany writes me that "the Boxster S will be launched in autumn 1999. It will have a 3.2 liter engine with 252 hp and will run 260 km/h. It will look (nearly exactly) like the 'normal' (2.5 li/201 hp) Boxster." Differences will be big red calipers like the (911) Turbo and cross-drilled rotors.

[source: AutoWeek magazine, 15 March 1999]
Knockout Punch?
Boxster S hits 250 hp
Faced with competition from BMW's Z3 M Roadster, and more on the way from Audi and Honda, Porsche is preparing a more powerful version of the Boxster for sale in North America next year.
Porsche has increased displacement in the Boxster's flat-six, modified the inlet manifold, altered camshaft control timing, and made a more free-flowing exhaust to pull about 250 hp out of the (year-)2000 Boxster S, up from the standard Boxser's 204. Rumor is the S will receive the 911's six-speed manual gearbox but with different ratios and a lower final drive for better off-the-line acceleration.
With 20 percent more torque on hand, too, the new drivetrain is expected to cut the Boxster's 0-to-60-mph time by 0.7 seconds, to about six seconds flat. Top speed is up from 147 mph to 155. (The standard Boxster, meanwhile, gets a mild boost in midrange boost later this year).
The S will have firmer springs and dampers, and 17-inch wheels with low-profile rubber -- same as the current model's (optional) sports package. Styling cues include 911-style Xenon headlamps with gray indicator lenses, a deeper front bumper with a third centrally mounted cooling duct for the forward-mounted radiators, wider side sills and twin tailpipes. The electronically-operated rear spoiler will extend out of the body farther for more downforce above 60 mph.