Latest first drives New Porsche Boxster

The Boxster is Porsche’s budget roadster. But it's 'budget' only in the sense that it's the cheapest car in the Porsche range, not because it is particularly affordable. Since its original launch in 1996, the Boxster has been a steady seller. The combination of a stimulating driving experience, good practicality for a sports car and the Porsche name, have struck a chord with many. Can the all-new third-generation 2012 Porsche Boxster sustain that note?

Members can see our full first drive verdict of the new Porsche Boxster, including our driving impressions and opinion on design. Sign up for £1 if you're not a member, and here's a sneak peek of the first drive verdict and our video from the car's unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

New Porsche Boxster Geneva Motor Show video

Please enable JavaScript to access this content.

Video transcript

The 2012 Boxer made its European debut during the Geneva Motor Show, and for a Porsche To be considered quite the styling and the performance overhaul, now in it's third generation the fox is done away with the curve looks that we've come to know and love from the current. follows and it's replaced with xx shaft of design with more detailed lines along the side, bigger wheels and and it's got this nice kind of spoiler lift at the back, which is incorporated into the rear lights.

As we've come to expect, it will be available as a Boxster and a Boxster S. The Boxster will have a 2.7, 261 brake horse power engine, and the S will have 315 brake horse power 3.2 liter petrol engine. Now Porsche are claiming performance figures of nought to 62 in 5 seconds flat, which is pretty impressive.

And the Boxster starts from just over thirty thousand pounds on the road. Horses will handle better, as well, and that's because of a few things. It's got a wider track, so that's the distance between the two front wheels and and the distance between the two rear wheels. It's also got the wheels closer to the corners of the car, as well.

It also incorporates the electronic power steering system similar to that that was launched in the 9-11 a few months ago. This might have set a few enthusiasts and driving because there has been reported lack of feeling and feedback through the steering wheel from this. Other changes include the windscreen getting moved slightly further forward and it's also got a different folding soft top roof.

And it folds away with no metal cover. So it's kind of like more budget-friendly sports car like the MX5 where it folds flat just as a canvas cover. One thing that might make potential buyers happy, though, is how affordable it could be to run. Now, Porsche is claiming over 36 miles to the gallon from the standard Boxster.

That's pretty impressive for a sports car and any car with this amount of power. To find out more about the Porsche Boxster and the Boxster S, log on to which.co.uk/cars.

New Porsche Boxster: What’s new?

Pretty well everything, although at a glance this is still very definitely a Boxster. The cabin has moved forwards, the windscreen raked back and the distance between the front and rear wheels extended by 60mm.

Structurally the 2012 Boxster is all-new: it's tougher and stiffer, with plenty of aluminium and high-strength steels.

The engines are cleaner and more economical, yet a touch more powerful. The Boxster S has the same 3.4-litre engine as before, but the standard Boxster's has shrunk from 2.9 to 2.7 litres. Direct injection technology ensures the statistics are all better.

New Porsche Boxster: What’s it up against?

There’s surprisingly little that competes head-on with the Boxster. The obvious rivals for your attention are the Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4, with Nissan’s 370Z a left-field option.

Read reviews of these sports cars and more

New Boxster is instantly familiar

New Porsche Boxster: How much will it cost?

The entry-level 2.7-litre Boxster is £37,589, and the 3.4 Boxster S £45,384.

These are just staring points, however. A full leather interior in the Boxster costs £2,093, sat nav is £2,141, PDK automatic transmission £1,922 and a third-year warranty - offered as standard with most other cars - another £660.

New Porsche Boxster: When can I buy one?

The Boxster goes on sale on May 5, 2012.

New Porsche Boxster: Top choice

A tricky one. The base 2.7 Boxster offers 95% of the thrills and an almost identical driving experience to the Boxster S (which is £8,000 more expensive). So logic says the cheaper car has to be the choice - but sports car buying decisions are hardly ever logical.

Check out our video of the new Boxster from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.