Now seven years old, the 2004 Porsche Boxster is officially a classic. We fell in love when we first drove it and that love has not diminished over time in spite of other roadsters now vying for our affection. Porsche has been improving on this mid-engine roadster ever since its introduction as a 1997 model. The Porsche Boxster got a bigger engine and an improved interior for 2000, and the Porsche Boxster S was introduced that same year with an even more powerful engine. There were significant improvements for 2003, though they are subtle. All of these improvements enhance the quality of the original without affecting the basic attraction.
The basic attraction is the Boxster's embodiment of the Porsche 356 Speedster and 550 Spyder. Steering response, clutch take-up, shift tension between gears, all are familiar in a fashion that can only be labeled Porsche. Yet the Porsche Boxster has that mid-engine, pivot-at-its-center feel, with none of the tail-heavy temperament that was the hallmark of the rear-engine 911 for so long.

The standard Porsche Boxster offers plenty of performance, and its engine was revised last year (2003) for quicker acceleration. More important, it sounds much better. Dipping into the throttle at higher revs rewards the driver with a deep, muscular whoosh of air rushing through the intakes that's satisfying, intoxicating. Yet the Boxster engine is quite tractable, great for putting around residential areas or busy parking lots at low rpm. It handles superbly yet rides very nicely, a wonderful balance.
We prefer the Porsche Boxster S, though. The Boxster S retails for $9,000 more than Boxster, but, after all, it's your money. The Boxster S does everything better than the Boxster while maintaining what makes the original wonderful. The 3.2-liter engine delivers noticeably more thrust than what's on tap from the 2.7-liter. Though the standard Boxster is no softie, the Porsche Boxster S has firmer suspension tuning. Most important, the S is gratifyingly distinguished by its bright red brake calipers, easily seen through the elegant spokes of its specially designed wheels. Gotta have 'em.

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From a practical standpoint, the Porsche Boxster is eminently livable. The top can be raised or lowered at a moment's notice, making top-down motoring an easy decision. It rides smoothly and feels tight and rigid. It's impressively free of the vibration that normally accompanies convertibles. It may not be as comfortable as a new 911, but its seats are supportive and comfortable and it comes with a high level of standard equipment. There are other roadsters that cost less, but the Boxster offers a style and character that is uniquely Porsche and very satisfying. In short, we've never tired of driving the Porsche Boxster.

Porsche Boxster ($42,600) comes loaded with leather seats, automatic climate control with a pollen filter, a double-lined power top with a glass rear window, telescoping steering wheel, AM/FM/CD, power windows, power locks, and a remote key fob with buttons to unlock the doors, the hood and the trunk lid. It also comes standard with side-impact airbags (and, of course, dual frontal airbags). Powering the Boxster is a 2.7-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. Porsche Boxster comes standard with four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers and Bosch ABS. It's equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels and an automatic rear spoiler.
The Porsche Boxster S ($51,600) differs primarily by its performance equipment. It comes with a 3.2-liter engine, a six-speed gearbox in place of the Boxster's 5-speed, a sport-tuned suspension, and 17-inch wheels. The Boxster S is distinguished by its additional front air intakes.

Porsche is notorious for offering a lot of options and Porsche owners are notorious for ordering them. Among them: premium Bose audio systems, a wind deflector ($375) that reduces buffeting when the top is down, Park Assist ($530), Porsche Stability Management ($1,235), various wheel and tire combinations, and a long list of interior trim options that allow a buyer to individualize and enhance the car. It's easy to (happily) drive a $50,000 Porsche Boxster off the lot and it's not hard to spend considerably more.

2003 brought significant styling revisions, but they are so subtle that only the keenest observers notice. Overall, the styling tweaks make the Porsche Boxster look a bit lower and longer. Yet the most significant cosmetic change is a glass rear window that replaces the clear plastic. A new roof provides for a more rounded and balanced shape.
Also new for 2003: Side intake grilles are body-colored, not black. The front air dam is redesigned with larger grilles. The rear valance is lower, with a new grille of its own and larger exhaust tips. The retractable rear spoiler has been reshaped to help maintain the Boxster's benchmark 0.31 drag coefficient despite all the larger grilles. Fashionable white/gray turn indicators have replaced yellow ones.

The Boxster looks clean, purposeful and pure Porsche. From the front, the Boxster looks similar to the 911. In fact, they share front-end sheet metal though there are differences in the headlamps, bumper fascia and other details. From the rear, the Boxster suggests a blend of Porsche cars from the 1950s, specifically the 356 Speedster and 550 Spyder.
While the front of the Boxster is very similar to the 911, their proportions differ from the base of the windshield rearward. Unlike the rear-engine 911, the Porsche Boxster engine is mounted ahead of the rear axle rather than over the rear axle or behind it. This mid-engine configuration yields excellent weight distribution. Just as important, it puts most of the car's mass between the front and rear axles, a big asset when making rapid maneuvers; and that's what cars like this are all about. The Porsche Boxster S is distinguished from the Boxster by its twin exhaust outlets, additional air dam intakes, and wheels.

Porsche Boxster measures 170 inches overall, significantly longer than the BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK, and Honda S2000. But the Boxster wheelbase is about the same as that of the SLK and S2000, and shorter than that of the Z4. The Porsche is relatively light (2811 pounds for the standard Boxster, 2911 for Boxster S). Porsche Boxster is about 100 pounds lighter than the BMW, about 280 pounds lighter than the Mercedes, and about the same weight as the lightweight Honda. Lighter is better for braking, handling, and acceleration performance.