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2005 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S Sports Cars
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The Boxster comes standard with an improved five-speed, manual transmission. The Boxster S comes from the factory with a new standard six-speed manual, which is an option on the Boxster. Shifter travel has been reduced by 26 percent, giving Boxster a very short throw (the distance the shifter must travel between gears) making for very quick shifts. Reinforced syncromesh on the Boxster, and triple syncromesh on the S, has been applied between first and second gears. This makes low speed shifting easier, which is essential for those who drive in stop and go traffic when commuting. If you plan to use the Boxster as your daily ride, both transmissions are very smooth, and easy to live with.
The five-speed, Triptronic automatic transmission with manual shift mode has been improved as well. It is available on both the Boxster and the S. Although better than before, we continue to recommend the manual. It provides the best driving experience, now that low-speed, gear shifts are so easy. Porsche's are just best with manual transmissions. And we maintain the belief that true sports cars must have manual transmissions!
We would like to see Porsche offer a third transmission option, as do BMW and Audi. BMW offers a superb sequential gearbox with paddle shifters on the steering -- like a Formula One car - called a Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG.) Audi offers the fabulous Direct Sequential Gearbox (DSG) which is the best of these new transmissions. Frankly, these new transmissions are so much fun, and give the driver so much control, that they should be offered on every performance car with a manual transmission.
Porsche is one of the best engine manufacturers in the world. he engines deliver power smoothly and quickly. Their engines have a distinctive sound, in the same way a Harley Davidson motorcycle does. The improvements to the air intake and exhaust systems have given the engines an even deeper and more throaty sound. Perhaps Porsche too should consider seeking a patent for that sound, the way Harley has.
Ride and Handling
Only the mid-engine Boxster and Boxster S handle better than the Porsche 911. Mid-engine cars have most of the weight located between the centerline of the front and rear wheels, so that the vehicle has perfect weight distribution. However perfect weight distribution isn’t the only factor that makes for a great handling car.
The 2005 Boxster features an all new steering system. Race car steering wheels need be turned only one, full turn in order to move the wheels as far as they will go in either direction. This is also known as "one turn lock to lock." Most passenger sedans require over three turns. Porsche reduced the Boxster’s from 2.9, to 2.6. Combining the smaller radius sport steering wheel with the new steering system, a wider track and larger tires for better road grip gets Boxster very close to having race car quality steering response.
The chassis has been stiffened to make handling more precise. Handling is traditionally a problem for open-top cars because they loose rigidity without the structure that supports the roof. To increase rigidity Boxster added a complete underbody that better channels the under-car airflow. This dramatically reduces lifting forces making the car more stable. This is how most modern race cars are structured, except for those in NASCAR.
Boxster is now available with the Porsche Active Suspension Management system (PASM) first introduced on the 2005 911 Carrera. The systyem provides two suspensions settings. One is for normal driving conditions providing a more comfortable ride. The other is a very dynamic setting used for performance-driving situations.
By pressing a button on the center console, the driver switches from PASM “Normal” to PASM “Sport.” The PASM suspension lowers the car 0.39 inches (10 mm) from the standard suspension setting. In the sport setting, PASM activates a firmer, damper-control map providing extreme agility and dynamic control minimizing body roll.
This is the best handling Porsche we have ever driven. The car responds to steering inputs just as you would expect. This make the handling very predictable. The car is incredibly stable, even at 100 miles per hour, and is not easily upset by uneven road surfaces. All of this gives the driver confidence. And the driver is the most important active safety device in any car.
Safety
Some of the features making the 2005 Porsche Boxster such a great handling car also contribute to it being among the safetest sports cars on the road. The stiffer body structure that helps to make the handling so precise, has the added benefit of increasing the car's crashworthiness. Larger, cross-drilled, ventilated brakes stay cool preventing brake fade thus increasing stopping power.
Boxster is equipped with six airbags that surround the driver and passengers in a protective cocoon. In addition to the standard driver and passenger front airbags there are seat-integrated, side airbags - a first in the roadster segment. The 2005 Boxster also comes with head protection airbags that pop-up out of the top of the doors.
The rollover bar that is behind the occupants is now is nearly an inch taller, and it has been moved 1.22 inches backward providing protection for taller drivers.
Perhaps the best safety feature of the 2005 Boxster and Boxster S is the performance of the car itself. It has the power to accelerate quickly out of danger, which, more often than not, is the best course of action in a bad situation.
