Boxster 25 Years Celebrates One Of Porsche's Most Important Cars

With only 1,250 units being built and based on the 718 Boxster GTS, this special 25 Years version is a new limited edition that commemorates the release of the iconic 986 Boxster from 1996. 

If you're familiar with that, you might not immediately notice the visual cues on display here. That's because the Boxster 25 Years is designed as a modern day homage to the Boxster concept car, which preceded the production car's launch by 3 years and was first shown at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show.

(Remember when Motor Shows were a thing? Good times. Also remember when the Boxster was priced LESS than the Cayman?)

The first element that leaps out as a nod to the '93 concept is the unique Neodyme colour that's used to contrast the GT Silver Metallic body that best captures the original look, though buyers can also spec the car in Jet Black and Carrara White Metallic. 



This copper-like shade appears on the front and side air intakes as well the specially designed two-tone, five-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Bordeaux Red leather interior is another nod to the concept car, as is the fabric soft top finished in a deep red. 

Obviously, being based on the 718 Boxster GTS, this limited edition also shares its 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine, which is mechanically unaltered and produces 400PS and 420Nm, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or, optionally, Porsche's 7-speed PDK dual-clutch. This, combined with the standard Sport Chrono package, allows the car to rocket from 0 to 100km/h in as little as 3.8 seconds.

For a long time, the Boxster might have just seemed like Porsche's entry-level sports car, created to fill a gap beneath the staple 911 while offering a then-new and exciting mid-engine sensation that was more balanced and easier on the inexperienced. 

The story of the 986, though, runs much deeper. Introduced in the mid-1990s, the car came onto the scene at a time when Porsche was bleeding cash and in pretty dire financial straits, setting out to be the polar opposite of the slow-selling 968 (notice the reversed internal code). 

Where Porsche's previous sub-911 offerings traced their origins to the front-engined 924 from the late 1970s, the Boxster's name left nothing about its intention to guesswork by combining 'Roadster' with 'Boxer', clearly stating that it will be an open-top sports car with echoes of the iconic 550 Spyder and powered by Porsche's signature flat-six engine. 

In fact, it would be Porsche's first production water-cooled flat-six and is essentially a lower displacement version of the 3.4-litre unit that made its debut in the 996 a year later. Fast, nimble, and fun, the Boxster was basically everything that customers wanted from an entry-level Porsche, and unsurprisingly the car flew off the showroom floors. 

Though its importance is sometimes downplayed, this single car is often (and rightly) credited with saving the company from going bust and - much like the original Apple iMac - set the template of success and innovation that's synonymous with the Porsche of today. It owes a lot to the 986 and the concept car that preceded it.