Boxster / Boxster S / Boxster GTS / Boxster Spider (Type 981)

A more relaxed and elegant style

Since its birth, the Boxster has been the younger brother of the 911, sharing many of its components with it. In 2012, six months after the 911 evolved from the 997 model to the 991 model, it underwent a full model change and was released as the 981 model.

The body design continues from the first generation, but although the overall width remains unchanged at 1801mm, the overall length has been extended to 4375mm, and the front window has been sloped, lowering the overall height to 1282mm, resulting in a more elongated and sleek style.

The chassis has also been significantly revamped, with the wheelbase extended by 60 mm, the front tread widened by 40 mm, and the rear tread widened by 18 mm to improve handling stability, and 47% of the overall body is now made of aluminum, with a magnesium alloy used for the center tunnel. As a result, torsional rigidity has been improved by 40%, and despite the larger body, the car is 25 to 35 kg lighter than its predecessor.

Downsizing and direct injection

The water-cooled flat-six engine mounted in the center of the vehicle has been downsized to 2.7 liters compared to the standard Boxster. Although the maximum torque has been slightly reduced due to improvements such as direct injection as a countermeasure for downsizing, it still produces 265 PS, 10 PS more than the previous model. Meanwhile, the high-performance version, the Boxster S, maintains its 3.4 liter displacement but produces 340 PS, 5 PS more.

In order to reduce weight, the gearbox is not the same 7-speed MT as the 911, but is available with a 6-speed MT and a 7-speed PDK (DCT). In addition, it is equipped with electric power steering, an idling stop function, and a coasting function (PDK only) that disengages the clutch and puts the engine into idling mode when idling, which is a major feature that has achieved a 12.8% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the previous model.

Another notable feature of the 981 model is its extensive range of electronic devices, including the optional Sport Chrono Package, which includes dynamic transmission mounts that use magnetic fluid to change the hardness of the engine mounts, as well as Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM).

The Spider, the lightest in the 981 series

In 2014, the sports version “GTS” was added, featuring exclusive cosmetics such as blacked-out parts. It comes with a 3.4-liter engine that boosts maximum output to 330 PS and maximum torque to 380 Nm, and the Sport Chrono Package as standard, boasting a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 279 km/h (both with 7-speed PDK).

The following year, in 2015, the Boxster Spyder, a Spartan top model, was released. The body, characterized by a rear cowl with two fairings, adopted the same design as the Cayman GT4 front and rear. To reduce weight, the manual soft top was changed from the previous model’s simple and time-consuming one to a simplified version that took weather resistance into consideration. As a result, the vehicle weight was reduced to 1,315 kg, the lightest in the 981 series.

The chassis also features a 20mm lowered sports suspension and PASM as standard. The engine is a 3.8-liter flat-six engine inherited from the 911 Carrera S, producing a maximum output of 375 PS and a maximum torque of 420 Nm. The gearbox is only available as a 6-speed manual, and it has a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/h.

Production of the 981 Boxster ended in 2016, and the car was replaced by the 718 Boxster, which was equipped with a 2.0-liter direct-injection flat-four turbo to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy.

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