Porsche keeps tight rein on Boxster pricing

PORSCHE has kept price increases to just $1400 with its third-generation 981-series Boxster, announcing a $107,500 entry point ahead of the redesigned roadster’s mid-July launch in Australia.

The bigger-engined Boxster S will start from $133,800 (plus on-road costs) for the six-speed manual, while the PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission for both Boxster models remains a $5300 option.

Porsche Cars Australia said it had been successful in keeping prices in check, “despite the significant advances inherent in the new model”.

As GoAuto reported from the Boxster’s international launch in Europe last week, the 981 series represents a huge leap forward for the roadster, which is lighter, wider, stiffer, quicker, more powerful and aesthetically much more aggressive than the outgoing 987 model.

Full Australian specification will be announced closer to launch, but a host of new standard and optional equipment will feature on the latest Boxster, including standard 19-inch alloy wheels (with 20-inch rims available for the first time), an electric park brake, all-electric adjustment for the steering wheel and seats, and a 911-style sports exhaust mode.

The baseline Boxster is now powered by a 2.7-litre six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine, down 200cc but employing direct fuel injection to produce more 8kW more power than before: 195kW at 6700rpm.

While maximum torque is down 10Nm to 280Nm from 4500-6500rpm, the Boxster’s 0-100km/h acceleration is one-tenth faster at 5.8/5.7 seconds for the manual/PDK respectively.

The launch control function on the optional Sport Chrono Package with PDK can reduce the acceleration benchmark to 5.5 seconds.

The lighter body and fuel-saving engine idle-stop and other technologies also serve to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 15 per cent to a respective 8.2L/100km and 192g/km (manual) or 7.0L/100km and 180g/km with the PDK.

The 3.4-litre flat-six engine in the Boxster S delivers 4kW more power than before (at 232kW) and the same 360Nm of torque, hitting 100km/h from standstill two-tenths quicker in 5.1 seconds (manual), 5.0 seconds (PDK) and 4.8 seconds (PDK Sport Chrono).

Fuel consumption in the S also falls 10 per cent to 8.8L/100km in the manual (down from 9.8) and 15 per cent to 8.0L/100km in the PDK (down from 9.4).

The 981 series heralds the introduction of an all-new lighter and stiffer steel-aluminium ‘hybrid’ body, a new magnesium-framed roof structure, electro-mechanical power steering, revised MacPherson strut front and rear suspension, ceramic brakes and Porsche Torque Vectoring.

Porsche is hoping the new model will attract a younger target audience and produce more sales. Last year it sold 132 Boxsters in Australia, which represented a seven per cent decline compared with 2010.

Porsche Boxsterpricing (plus on-road costs):
Boxster	$107,500
Boxster (a)	$112,800
Boxster S	$133,800
Boxster S (a)	$139,100