Porsche did a good job turning the 997 into 991, both in terms of design and performance. But they did a simply awesome job with the new Boxster. What used to be a clinical sports cars for those who cannot afford the 911, or for girls who wanted a soft and cuddly Porsche, has been turned into a fabulous, full-blooded sports car that is great to look at, to drive and to live with. Check out GRIP’s review of the car here. It’s in German, but you don’t need no words to appreciate the great engineering work Porsche has done here.

Now, if you want to buy one of these, and you obviously do, make sure the badge has an S at the end of it. That S makes all the difference.Without that S you get a 260-hp car that doesn’t really move.

Porsche Boxster S: 3.4-litre boxer engine with 315 hp (232 kW); rear-wheel drive, six-speed manual transmission, optional seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK); acceleration 0 – 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, with PDK in 5.0 seconds (4.8 seconds with Sport Chrono Package); top speed 279 km/h, with PDK 277 km/h; fuel consumption (NEDC) 8.8 l/100 km, CO2 206 g/km; with PDK 8.0 l/100 km CO2 188 g/km.