As luxurious as it is iconic – find out about the development of the Porsche Boxster.

From its launch in 1996, the Porsche Boxter has captured the imagination of sports car fans across the world.

Few would deny that Porsche is one of the finest car manufacturers in history and the stylish, speedy Porsche Boxster is one of its real gems. First put into production as the first-generation 986, the Porsche Boxster came with a 2.5L flat six-cylinder engine. The chassis is highly responsive and drivers have praised its smooth ride with superb handling.

A few years later in 2000 Porsche released a new Boxster S variant which boasted a more considerable 3.2L engine. In 2003, further upgrades were made to both Boxster models and in 2005 the Porsche Boxster 987 was unveiled to the public. With nods to the Porsche Carrera GT, the new type featured increased power.

The name for the Porsche Boxster came from two concepts: the ‘boxer’ engine and the ‘roadster’ vehicle. From 1996 to 2004, the luxury car maker manufactured the 986 version as a 5-speed automatic, a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed manual. The sports automobile featured a M96 water cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and it is fitted as a mid-engine rather than a rear-engine set-up favoured by the 911 Porsche design. Some updates were made in 2003 mainly concerning interior trim improvements such as a new glove box and a redesigned steering wheel.

A special 50th Anniversary Edition 550 Spyder was released in 2004 in GT Silver Metallic paint with a cocoa-brown leather interior and Bose sound system. The Porsche Boxster was given a second generation upgrade in 2004 at the Paris Motor Show before becoming available on the motoring market for 2005. This 987 version didn’t make drastic changes to the Boxster but altered the headlights and the wheel arches. A seven speed PDK transmission was introduced with a standard 2.7L engine for the Boxster and a 3.2L for the Boxster S.

In 2009 the 987 Generation II Boxster was released featuring an improvement in the car’s engine displacement. The Boxster S was also give Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) to increase power.