From £44,75810

Does anniversary special make five-star sports car even better and more desirable?

What is it?

Porsche never knowingly lets a chance for a special edition pass it by, although this latest 25th-anniversary version of the Porsche Boxster carries with it plenty of extra special significance.

Its inspiration is taken from the original Boxster concept car of 1993 – a car credited with beginning the turnaround of the company that has become the dominant sports car (and SUV maker) of today.

The Boxster production car then went on sale in 1996, in case you thought Porsche had misplaced its abacus and was three years late getting this special out to mark the quarter-century of its baby mid-engined roadster.

This is a special edition based on the five-star 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, which is a fine place to start. So fine in fact that the changes to this model, limited to 1250 units globally, are solely cosmetic - not that that does anything to dent the appeal of what is a really nicely specified model.

Those changes include the gorgeous 20in alloy wheels finished in that same Neodyme copper colour as the original '93 concept – a trim colour that's also used for the side intakes, badges and front apron.

The three colour choices are a similar shade of silver to that show car (the one seen here, and what we would pick), black or white. The roof is either red (go for this for the full 1993 authenticity, too) or black and embossed with the Boxster 25 logo. There’s no 718 tag anywhere on the car, either.

Inside, more inspiration from the '93 show car comes in the form of red leather if you’ve gone for the full authenticity of a red roof, otherwise it's black.

2 Porsche boxster 25 years edition 2021 uk fd hero side...

What's it like?

To drive, the Boxster 25 Years is all as good as we remember from the GTS 4.0, already arguably the greatest Boxster in the model's quarter-century. 

At the heart of that wonderful drive is the 4.0-litre flat-six engine (naturally aspirated, remember), which urges you to rev it, pops and crackles and keeps you giggling.

Selecting the Sport driving mode improves already impressive throttle response and increases the howl from the sports exhaust at the same time. 

Mated to the engine is a six-speed manual gearbox, which feels a bit of a novelty these days in something with this level of performance. But what a welcome addition it is. The throw is short and the clutch is heavy but precise, all of which amounts to a drive that you fully feel immersed in. A PDK gearbox is optional still for those who would prefer automatic shifts.

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A great engine, then, and a great chassis to go with it. This is the kind of car that exhibits extraordinary balance and precision in engaging you at almost any speed on any road; it's all there, in making this one of the standout sports cars you can buy.

It’s not quite at Lotus levels of suppleness in the ride quality, yet that's to nitpick; this is a serious sports car, after all, yet never an intimidating one. It allows you to go looking for its limits while still remaining approachable and accessible.

8 Porsche boxster 25 years edition 2021 uk fd cabin

Should I buy one?

It’s a car seemingly without downsides, then. But there is a big one: it’s effectively already sold out, as both collectors and prospective GTS 4.0 buyers have seen the appeal of not only the 25 Years' bespoke features but also all the extra equipment included (the likes of electrically adjustable seats, more leather and aluminium trim inside, dynamic LED lights and plenty more) over the GTS 4.0. 

Porsche does this kind of limited-edition model really well, and it has executed another very special-looking and seriously desirable car in the Boxster 25 Years. It's a fitting anniversary celebration for the Boxster, then, and we will keep our eye in to hunt in the classifieds for another chance to buy one. 

3 Porsche boxster 25 years edition 2021 uk fd hero rear

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Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Comments
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squig 30 July 2021

Good lord, that red upholtery made me recoil from the computer screen!  Bit bold, dark with plenty alcantara more to my taste.

Purbert 30 July 2021

What a lovely car that Porsche have kept current - the gold bits on this version look rather chav-Essex, but still a great car....

si73 29 July 2021
I know it's 2021 and things have moved on, but when Boxters came out they were around £25-27k iirc, £70+ k was 911 money, and not a basic Carrera. Just seems like an awful lot of money to me.
Love it though.