It’s just a few months since we drove Porsche’s facelifted Boxster, but now the next-generation sports car is already out testing at the Nurburgring.
Of course, the new Boxster won’t look that different – this is Porsche we’re talking about here, and the Boxster’s hardly changed since it was first launched in 1996 – but it’s under the skin of the new car where the big differences will be. The new Boxster will share much of its componentry with the next-gen 911, which means active aerodynamics and cameras to replace the door mirrors.
When will we see the new Porsche Boxster?
Not for a while. Now that Porsche has signed off its Panamera super-saloon for launch in autumn 2009, Stuttgart’s engineers are pushing ahead with developing the company’s next wave of sports cars. We’ll see the new 911 in 2011, and then the Boxster and Cayman sibling in 2012.
This will be design boss Michael Mauer’s first chance to pen Porsche’s sports cars. The silhouette of the Boxster will be familiar, but expect more curvaceous bodywork, especially around the front and rear lights, which will feature LEDs.
Does the next Boxster again share parts with the 911?
It does, especially ahead of the A-pillar, but there will also be shared electronic and air-con systems. But if Porsche’s engineers can get their way, the Boxster will also get the 911’s new active aerodynamics.
Dubbed PAAB (for Porsche Active Aero Balance), the 911 should donate its variable front air intakes (which are mostly closed at low speeds, but fully open when you’re flat out), perforated wheelarches, and cameras to replace the door mirrors – video screens mounted in the base of the A-pillars will show the view backwards.
Along with a new Cayman-influenced rear wing that borrows lessons learnt from the Panamera Turbo’s four-part pop-up spoiler, Porsche is aiming to have the Boxster cleave through the air as cleanly as possible. Add in direct-injection engines and seven-speed twin-clutch gearboxes equipped with stop/start, and it should mean the entry-level Boxster will emit less than 200g/km and achieve nearly 35mpg.
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