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25 Years
If time flies when you’re having fun, then leave it to Porsche to make it streak by like a rocket. Twenty-five years ago Porsche introduced a mid-engine roadster called the Boxster, based closely on the Boxster Concept shown a few years earlier. Flash forward and suddenly the Boxster is already in its fourth generation celebrating its silver anniversary, and to commemorate this momentous occasion the German automaker introduces a limited-edition Boxster 25.
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The Concept
At the 1993 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche wowed the assembled media when the wraps came off the Boxster concept. With clear inspiration from the 550 Spyder roadster from the 1950s, the mid-engine Boxster concept became the instant star of the show. According to Porsche, the reception to the concept was so strong that executives wanted the production car to look exactly like the concept.
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Boxster 25
The 2021 Porsche Boxster 25 incorporates styling harkening back to the original concept, most noteworthy being the GT Silver Metallic paint with contrasting Neodyme (a color resembling copper) as seen on the 1993 concept. Neodyme gets applied to the car’s front and side air intakes as well as on unique five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels — which resemble the wheels of the concept.
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Interior
Like the original concept, the Boxster 25 features a Bordeaux Red leather interior with a fabric roadster top, also in red. The interior gets trimmed in brushed aluminum with Boxster 25 badging on the door sills and dashboard. Power-adjustable sport seats and a heated GT sport steering wheel trimmed in leather are also part of the silver anniversary car.
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GTS 4.0 Power
Porsche will equip the Boxster 25 with the same powertrain as the top-level 718 GTS 4.0. This 4.0-liter flat-six normally aspirated engine generates 394 horsepower, and it gets teamed with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
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High Performance
Performance stats are impressive — the Boxster 25 will reach 60 mph in 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 182 mph. The car’s famous drivability gets further enhanced by Porsche Active Suspension Management and Porsche Torque Vectoring with a mechanical limited-slip differential.
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Availability
Porsche plans to build 1,250 copies of the Boxster 25 worldwide. Look for this special Porsche to arrive in showrooms this spring and have a starting price of $98,600.
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First Generation Boxster (986) 1997-2004
The first production Boxster arrived almost four years after the original concept premiered, although it proved to be well worth the wait. Debuting in 1996, the 1997 Porsche Boxster remained extremely close in design to the original concept, and the front-end look shared with the 911 made Boxster clearly a Porsche. The 2-seat roadster draws power from a 2.5-liter flat-six engine producing 201 horsepower. Priced around $40,000 — as promised when Porsche confirmed Boxster production — the entry sports car quickly became the automaker’s best-selling model.
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Second Generation (987) 2005–2012
Porsche introduced the second-generation Boxster at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. This updated model features a new headlight design, larger side vents and bigger wheel arches to accommodate new standard 17-inch wheels. Engineers bumped output to 225 horsepower, with the Boxster S making 258 horses. Power would continue to increase throughout this generation’s lifespan. Porsche also introduced a hardtop version of the Boxster called the Cayman.
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Third Generation (981) 2012–2016
In 2012 Porsche gave the Boxster a fresh look, new lightweight body and more power, making the sports car much more capable and quicker than ever. A few years later, the company added the first GTS variant of the Boxster with a range of performance-enhancing features and output of 330 horsepower.
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Boxster Spyder
Following the GTS came the lightest Boxster of the third generation — the Boxster Spyder. With 375 horsepower on tap and available exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox, the Spyder was the highlight of the third generation.
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Current Generation 718 Boxster (982)
When Porsche introduced the current-generation of Boxster in 2016, the roadster adopted a new name — 718 Boxster. The new Boxster moved to a smaller turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant that increased performance while improving fuel economy.
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718 Spyder
The normally aspirated flat-six engine returned to Boxster in 2019 with the range-topping 718 Spyder. This special Boxster boasts a 4.0-liter engine making 414 horsepower. The 718 Spyder is the first Boxster developed by the Porsche Motorsports department; in addition to increased power it features sport brakes and chassis components from the 911 GT3. A detuned version of the 4.0-liter engine powers the newest Boxster — the GTS 4.0 — as well as the Boxster 25.
