The addition of three letters — GTS — to the trunk lid of the 2015 Porsche Boxster finally puts the mid-engined convertible bumper-to-bumper, performance-wise, with the venerable 911.
For decades, the 911 Carrera was the Porsche to aspire for. It was faster and arguably more refined than the Boxster, which only appeared in 1996.
In the past 19 years, the Boxster has evolved, with upgrades to the styling and engine output. The 2015 represents the third generation of the two-seater.
While cosmetic upgrades can be debated, buyers of Porsches are more likely keenly interested in what lies under the hood — and their wait may finally be over.
The original car debuted with a 2.5-litre flat-six-cylinder engine producing 201 horsepower, enough for a zero-to-100 km/h dash in just under seven seconds. Over the years the displacement — and power — increased. The regular 2015 Boxster now boasts a 2.7-litre engine producing 265 hp, good for a 5.8-second time in the 0-100 km/h dash.
If those performance figures are good enough for you, read no further. But for those looking for performance numbers equalling the venerable Carrera, the GTS is the answer.
The GTS ups the Boxster's displacement to 3.4 litres, good for 330 hp and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Although that's still less than the 350 horses powering the Carrera, the Boxster is 200 kilograms lighter than the two-wheel-drive cabriolet version of its brethren.
Porsche boasts the new Boxster GTS is good for a 5.0-second 0-100 km/h time — exactly the same for the Carrera.
One can now hear the extra juice flowing in its veins. I had criticized past Porsche exhausts for being too quiet, too docile for a performance car. That statement doesn't apply to the GTS.
Engage the Sport Exhaust button and the GTS howls, screams, barks and burbles with an evil abandon. At times during my evaluation, I had to consciously tame the wonderful cacophony of sound flowing through me, lest I incur the wrath of people whom I would awaken from their slumber in my passing.
The driver can choose between normal, sport or sport-plus modes. In normal, the roar is muffled and the car actually shuts down to conserve fuel at stop lights. In sport plus, inputs to the accelerator and steering wheel are immediate and adrenalin-provoking.
The tester was equipped with a manual transmission — a rarity these days, according to the local dealer. For purists, however, it is the only way to go. The clutch pedal is light and rowing the gearbox is a joy. In sport-plus mode, the computer actually blips the engine automatically to match engine r.p.m. for downshifts. For someone who has blipped the engine during downshifts for decades, this was endearing, if somewhat unnecessary.
The only item I missed was a manual handbrake. The parking brake is engaged and is engaged via a button on the dash. To aid drivers starting on an incline, the Boxster has a hill-holder feature that automatically prevents the car from rolling backward, an effective, but less romantic, alternative to the handbrake. But with over 85 per cent of buyers opting for a shiftless transmission, Porsche saw little point in equipping the car with one.
Don't try to find the cornering limits on this car unless you are on a track. The GTS rides on staggered rubber — 235/35 R 20's in the front, 265/35 R 20 in the rear. No matter how I tossed the GTS into corners, it returned no drama or any indication of slipping. Credit goes to a powertrain mounted ahead of the rear axle, giving the car an optimum front-rear balance. The layout also results in offering occupants front and rear luggage compartments (150 litres front and 130 rear).
Owners — or envious friends — won't soon forget they are in a special Boxster. The GTS logo is liberally plastered on the exterior, the door sills and on the seat headrests. Our tester also had a no-cost Alcantara Package, which meant some surfaces, such as the steering wheel, was covered with the suede-like material instead of smooth leather - a definite tactile enhancement.
The price of exclusivity and speed doesn't come cheap — my GTS has a list price of $83,900. But if one was to price out a regular 911 Carrera 2 cabriolet, with a list price of $109,800, one gets an appreciation of the value in terms of raw performance.
With a well-sorted chassis and more than enough power to keep any performance enthusiast content, the Boxster GTS has gone from a mere entry-level model to proudly standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other offerings by Porsche.