As the world of sports car manufacturers continues to embrace the SUV as a way of staying afloat, Porsche was one of the first car manufacturers to pivot with the Cayenne. However, few people know that the Boxster was the vehicle that helped save Porsche.
By the end of the last Millenium, Porsche sales were faltering, falling from 50,000 per year in the mid-'80s to less than 15,000 in the early '90s. The then-new 993-generation Porsche 911 was the sole surviving model from the brand after Porsche dropped the 924/944/968 front-engined range.
The Porsche Boxster would change the 911's history forever, incorporating a water-cooled, flat-six engine fitted to the midship, as it was with the 550 Spyder race car of the 1950s. The 1996 Porsche Boxster stayed true to the 1993 concept car, and although the Boxster shared design attributes with the 996-generation Porsche 911, it managed to forge its own path, which the market liked. Younger buyers chasing top-down motoring made the Boxster Porsche's best-selling model.
This year the Porsche Boxster turns twenty-five. Building an impractical two-seater sports car was seen as an unconventional way to return to profit. But Porsche has sold more than 357,000 units, and the Boxster is now in its fourth generation.
By the end of the last Millenium, Porsche sales were faltering, falling from 50,000 per year in the mid-'80s to less than 15,000 in the early '90s. The then-new 993-generation Porsche 911 was the sole surviving model from the brand after Porsche dropped the 924/944/968 front-engined range.
The Porsche Boxster would change the 911's history forever, incorporating a water-cooled, flat-six engine fitted to the midship, as it was with the 550 Spyder race car of the 1950s. The 1996 Porsche Boxster stayed true to the 1993 concept car, and although the Boxster shared design attributes with the 996-generation Porsche 911, it managed to forge its own path, which the market liked. Younger buyers chasing top-down motoring made the Boxster Porsche's best-selling model.
This year the Porsche Boxster turns twenty-five. Building an impractical two-seater sports car was seen as an unconventional way to return to profit. But Porsche has sold more than 357,000 units, and the Boxster is now in its fourth generation.