Version review

Porsche Boxster 2.5 S 2dr PDK Review

Why the overall winner won

Best small SUV

Best family car

Best small electric car

Best luxury car

Car of the Year Awards 2023 >>

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This S model gets the more powerful 345bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine that's quick, but full of flats spots and emits a rough, unpleasant, four-cylinder drone. It's the least enjoyable engine in the range.


Sports

Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

BOXSTER

The S adds 19in alloy wheels and partial-leather seats to the standard Boxster's tally.


2.5 S 2dr PDK

25-s-2dr-pdk

Front seatbelt pretensioners + load limiters

Automatic headlight activation including welcome home lighting

Porsche side impact protection doors with thorax airbag in outer backrest side bolster and head airbag for driver/passenger in door panel

Electrically adjustable heated exterior mirrors on door waist rails, aspherical on driver's side

Engine immobiliser with in key transponder, central locking and remote control

Reversing camera including front and rear park assist

Bi-Xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights

Sports seats with electric backrest adjustment and manual fore/aft and height adjustment

Brushed aluminium interior pack - Boxster (with leather interior)

Painted interior pack - Boxster (leather interior)

Carbon interior pack - Boxster (with leather interior)

Leather interior pack - Boxster (without leather interior)

Mahogany interior pack - Boxster (with leather interior)

Brushed aluminium interior pack - Boxster (without leather interior)

Carbon interior pack - Boxster (without leather interior)

Extended interior trim package with decorative stitching in contrasting colour- Boxster

Leather interior pack - Boxster (with leather interior)

Mahogany interior pack - Boxster (without leather interior)

Painted interior pack - Boxster (without leather interior)

Interior trim pack with decorative stitching in contrasting colour - Boxster

PDK gear selector personalisation pack - Boxster

14 way fully electric sports seats with memory pack - Boxster

Sport chrono package including mode switch - Boxster

Leather pack with partial leather seats - Boxster

SportDesign pack painted in high gloss black - Boxster

Twin leather pack with partial leather seats - Boxster

2 way electric sports seat plus pack - 718

2 way electric sports seats plus pack in combine with natural leather, 2 tone, leather in special color + 2 tone natural leather - 718

Exterior painted package in body colour - 718 Boxster

18 way elec adaptive sports seat plus with memory pack in comb with natural leather, 2-tone leather in special color + 2-tone natural leather - 718

18 way electric adaptive sports seat plus with memory pack - 718

Porsche Boxster

In GTS trim, with its glorious 4.0-litre flat-six engine, the Porsche 718 Boxster sounds amazing, is sensational to drive and is beautifully built – it’s one of the best open-top sports cars on sale. However, if your budget doesn't stretch to that, the four-cylinder versions aren't as pleasing, so it's worth looking instead at the Alpine A110 and Audi TT. Two things to note: the Boxster's reliability is pretty shocking and it's not well equipped.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

The Mazda MX-5 embodies sports-car spirit without wearing an exotic price tag, and has deservedly gained a strong following over the years. Much newer to the scene is the mid-engined Alpine A110. It may carry a name from the past, but this potent, mid-engined sports car was designed with the very latest lightweight thinking.&nbsp;

Rounding off our shortlist, though, is a name that'll be familiar to even those to whom sports cars hold little interest. The Porsche 911 was born an icon in 1964, and the latest generation bridges the gap between sports car and supercar. Yet, somehow, it manages to preserve a distinctly civilised character.

Car of the Year Awards 2023 >>

Porsche Boxster 2.5 S 2dr PDK Review

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29.4

122

litres

218

g/km

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