BEHIND THE WHEEL: 2001 PORSCHE BOXSTER Entry-Level Never Looked So Good

Jan. 1, 2020

No matter what kind of car it is, when you can put the top down, all shortcomings are forgiven. When the car is a Porsche, there’s precious little to complain about anyway. The Boxster may be Porsche’s ‘entry level’ car (it&rs

Jacques Gordon

No matter what kind of car it is, when you can put the top down, all shortcomings are forgiven. When the car is a Porsche, there's precious little to complain about anyway.

The Boxster may be Porsche's 'entry level' car (it's about $3,500 less than a Corvette Convertible), but it's still a world apart from anything else on four wheels. The standard Boxster 2.7L engine generates 217 hp at 6,500 rpm, but unless you're on the wide-open road, you find yourself driving this engine on the torque curve. Peak torque (192 lb.-ft.) arrives at 4,500 rpm, but with more than three-quarters of that torque available from only 1,750 rpm, this engine has low-end grunt that the Porsche flat-six has never been known for. That doesn't mean it won't scream, but serious speed can be attained without attracting too much unwanted attention. Well … that's not quite true, because the car looks like it means business just sitting in the driveway.

The handling capabilities of this car are far beyond what can be explored on the street, but in urban traffic one is tempted to drive it like it's a motorcycle: Power and handling are better than brakes for staying out of harm's way. Still, we did feel the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system clamp the inside rear brake when we intentionally overcooked a turn, bringing the nose back to the 'correct' line.

This brings us to our only complaint about the car: It's drive-by-wire, so the PCM must close the throttle when the brake light switch closes, meaning one can't trail a little left-foot brake through a turn to keep the chassis settled. That's something most drivers - even experienced Porsche drivers - will never miss. However, it seems to be the future of all cars and we regret the removal of control from the driver.

Still, we were sad when the car was returned to the manufacturer. We doubt any owner will ever get tired of driving their Boxster.

Click to view "Boxster Tech Specs"

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About the Author

Jacques Gordon

Former Technical Editor Jacques Gordon joined the Motor Age team in April 1998 with almost 30 years of automotive experience. He worked for 10 years in dealerships and independent repair shops, specializing in European cars. He later moved to a dyno-lab environment with companies such as Fel-Pro, Robert Bosch, and Johnson-Matthey Catalyst Systems Division. From there, Jacques joined Chilton Book Co, writing diagnostic and repair procedures before joining Motor Age.