2004 PORSCHE BOXSTER NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2004 Porsche Boxster?
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 550 Spyder, the car in which Hollywood screen idol James Dean perished almost as many years ago, Porsche debuts the 2004 Boxster S Anniversary Edition. It comes equipped with the most powerful motor ever offered in a Porsche Boxster, a 3.2-liter flat six-cylinder engine developing 264 horsepower and accelerating the car to 60 mph in about 5.6 seconds. The 2004 Porsche Boxster S Anniversary Edition also gets a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch Carrera alloy wheels, shortened shifter travel for the six-speed manual transmission and unique GT Silver metallic paint. The convertible top is Cocoa colored (dark brown), the wheel spokes are Seal Gray (dark gray) and the brake calipers have an aluminum finish. Inside, Cocoa leather covers many parts of the cabin and GT Silver trim offers sharp contrast. Standard equipment includes Porsche Stability Management (PSM), Litronic headlights with dynamic beam angle adjustment, and a wind stop. Options are limited to a Tiptronic manually interactive automatic transmission, GT Silver seatback shells and Dark Gray leather upholstery for the seats. Porsche will build just 1,953 units of the $59,900 2004 Boxster Anniversary Edition to commemorate the debut of the legendary 550 Roadster at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. In other news, the Porsche Boxster S can be equipped with a new sports exhaust system, and both regular production models can be painted in two new colors – Atlas Gray metallic and Carmon Red metallic – for 2004.

Advantages of the 2004 Porsche Boxster:

• Handles, steers and stops with the best in the business
• Comfortable front seats
• Throaty exhaust note

Objections to the 2004 Porsche Boxster:

• Cheap interior buttons and switches
• Muddled control layout and operation
• Heavy clutch

Editor's Advice:
This is our favorite Porsche. Adhering to the German automaker’s sports-car heritage by virtue of its balanced mid-engine layout, strong boxer six-cylinder engine (and its sonorous exhaust note), and emphasis on performance over luxury, the 2004 Porsche Boxster also boasts the lowest price of any Porsche model. We’d splurge for the Boxster S, which includes a 258-horsepower engine, six-speed manual transmission, sport-tuned suspension, bigger brakes and larger wheels. Like most Porsches, driving the Boxster is more rewarding on the racetrack than on public roads – this is a car whose limits are best explored under controlled conditions. On regular roadways, the 2004 Porsche Boxster’s lightning-quick steering feels darty over bumps, the suspension provides a rough ride, and the clutch is heavy and difficult to operate in traffic. Plus, the interior is littered with glossy, cheap plastic buttons – you expect better for the price you pay. On the track, however, these are non-issues, and the 2004 Porsche Boxster comes together for a thrill-ride unlike any other at this price point. Certainly, there’s no arguing that this is the least expensive pathway to Porsche ownership, and the dirty little secret is that the Boxster provides 90 percent of the 911 Carrera’s performance perks at about half the price.