do u mean front engine v8 coupe?? i hope u do :happysad:

 

LOL. I acutally mean a FWD 3cyl beast from Porsche. If they price it for $7k.

 

:rockon:

 

The last time Porsche was in trouble, their lineup consisted of the 944, 911 and 928. While the 944 turbo S was an amazing car, from the outside it looked like a 924 (which had been around since the late 70s) with fender flares. Same deal with the 928. It came out in 1978, received periodical improvements in displacement and trim but for the most part it was the same car. The 911 carried over most of its body shell for the better portion of 35 years.

The 968 came out which was essentially the same thing as a 944 S2 but with a front end from a 928 and some new taillights. The 993 came out which was yet another evolution of the same old 911 body shell. These products didn't turn around the brand.

The Boxster was the sole reason that Porsche had a turnaround because it was the first time in a long time they showed they could actually make a modern car instead of an evolution of something that had already been around for 15 years or more. Not to mention the water-cooled engine, which was the first Porsche use of one behind the passenger compartment. The 996 came out shortly thereafter and was a huge departure not only because it was the first time a 911 had new windows but also because of the water cooled engine. The 944/968 and 928 got killed and Porsche sold its new interpretations of the 911 and Spyder.

The problem now is that even though in the Porsche scheme of things the Boxster and 996 are still pretty new, they've been pretty static since they were brought out. Unless there's another pretty big shakeup, Porsche isn't going to be able to attract the attention it needs to its sports cars that would creat sufficient sales.

As for the Cayenne, I don't have a problem with it. Sure the concept of a Porsche truck in and of itself is pretty much heretical against the purpose of the marque, but I don't plan on buying one. Porsche had a relatively minimal investment in the program because it was shared with VW, and the good sales numbers keep the company afloat until they can regroup their sports car operation and make it profitable again.

 

Usually a hardtop version is cheaper than its open-top version. I guess how much would the new Boxster hardtop be? May be under $45k base price? I always wish Porsche could lower its price a little so more people could afford.

 

The last time Porsche ever lowered its price so more people could afford one was the 924 and that wasn't exactly a prize vehicle if I do say so myself. The 914-6 was kind of cool but I'm definitely in the minority when I say that.

 

Porsche's popular mid-engine entry-level roadster is extensively reworked for 2005 with many changes that promise to make this second-generation model as memorable as the original when it was launched in 1996.

Codenamed 987, the 2005 Boxster will be built in both roadster and coupe guises in a move to boost Porsche sales beyond the record levels of the 2002 model. The roadster appears first, at the Detroit auto show next January; the coupe’s premiere comes at Frankfurt in September 2005.

Mirroring changes to the next 911 due in September, the Boxster’s exterior is subtly redesigned with oval headlights, separate turn indicators and new angular taillights. Bodywork is more muscular and 911 Turbo-style ducts are adopted up front to feed the front-mounted radiator. The engine is cooled by enlarged air ducts extending farther down the side of the body than on today’s model and dissected by four louvers to channel the air backward in a more efficient manner.

Other exterior changes include the door-handle pulls (vs. the current flap style) and a slightly wider rear spoiler to increase downforce at speeds above 75 mph.

Power for the revamped Boxster comes from two lightly reworked horizontally opposed engines—the existing 2.7-liter and 3.2-liter units each gaining around 10 hp and a considerable boost in low-end torque. An optional six-speed Tiptronic with steering wheel-mounted shift buttons will join a carryover six-speed manual. The double-clutch unit coming on the new 911 should be offered later on the Boxster, according to Porsche insiders.

The new Boxster rides on similar underpinnings to today’s eight-year-old model, but its MacPherson strut suspension hardware uses lighter components and a wider track for greater responsiveness and grip. The car also gets lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels—as seen on this prototype—to reduce unsprung weight.

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=05753133

It would appear that the headlights have some kind of stickers around them to make them look like the current multi-element ones, similar to what had been showing up on 997 911 prototypes. Personally I kind of wish the Boxster would get to keep its headlights instead of going to round ones like the 997. They were first introduced on the Boxster and while people may want the 911 to look more traditional, the Boxster is a more progressive-looking model and I think the headlights were one of its hallmarks.

The performance increases and restyling are definitely nice evolutions but I still feel similar to what I was saying a few months ago about there not being enough to differentiate these new models in the pipeline from the current ones. Porsche has never been a company to do much other than evolve, but the only thing that is going to bring large numbers of people into showrooms is a significant change in product. As the article mentioned, 2002 was the best year for the Boxster and that wasn't even tied into product, as a slightly upgraded version came out for 2003 which sold less.

Oh, and I really like the idea of a Boxster coupe.

 

Sounds good. I don't care for the current Boxer too much, but I would seriously consider this coupe model if I had the money and if I was in the market for such a vehicle...Or maybe I'd save some cash and get an S2000...

 

Too much Miata and MR2. Styling looks watered down.

 

I'm still interested in seeing what it looks like without the cladding. There's clearly stuff disguising both the front and rear bumpers and lights.