Both the Boxster and the more powerful Boxster are powered by six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines. Originally the car was available with a 2.7-litre standard engine and a 3.2-litre S variant with 285hp. The 2.7-litre was upgraded from 240hp to 245hp in November 2006 making it capable of 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and at the same time the Boxster S swapped its 3.2-litre for a 3.4-litre engine that boasts 295hp and can cover the benchmark sprint in 5.4 seconds.

There was a further round of upgrades for the 2009 facelift, which saw the standard car receive a 255hp 2.9-litre engine and the 3.4-litre S go up to 310hp, dropping the 0-62mph times to as little as 5.8 and 5.2 seconds where the optional PDK dual-clutch automatic was fitted. Manual gearbox cars are 0.1-second slower over the sprint.

Full technical details can be found on our Porsche Boxster 987 specs pages.

Regardless of exact size or variant, all of these engines sound wonderful, with a distinctive noise and acceleration that is both is smooth and predictable. For most owners the standard car offers more than enough performance but enthusiasts will enjoy the S which has more pulling power and came with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard throughout its life; up until the facelift, the ordinary Boxster came only with a five-speed manual – though both were also offered with a Tiptronic S automatic.

The S feels more enthusiastic on twisting roads and doesn’t need to be stretched as much when pressing on.

Porsche has an unrivalled reputation for pure driver appeal and that’s evident even in the Boxster. It corners with a precision and incisiveness that few cars come close to and the perfectly weighted steering also has a delicacy to it that allows you to engage with the car at all times. Endless grip and virtually no body roll make it reassuringly surefooted and composed – even on rough surfaces – while the brakes are exceptional too.

There is plenty of compliance in the ride and, as a result, the Boxster is ideally suited to bumpy A-roads. A system called Porsche Active Suspension Management (or PASM for short) was available when new – this stiffens the suspension via a button on the dashboard. At the time we felt there seemed little point in choosing it as the conventional suspension felt sharp enough.