Porsche Boxster T 2019 first drive

Take one entry-level Porsche 718 Boxster, load it up with all the tastiest hardware from the options list, then season with exterior decals, fabric loops for door pulls and contrasting grey mirror caps.

The 718 Boxster T’s recipe is a straightforward one and there are no comprehensive re-engineering works to speak of. But just like the 718 Cayman T previously reviewed, those apparently minor revisions are enough to make the Boxster T a substantially more involving roadster than the car it’s based upon.

On top of a standard Boxster the T gets Porsche torque vectoring (which includes a limited-slip differential), Porsche active suspension management with a drop in ride-height, Porsche active drivetrain mounts, Sport Chrono (incorporating a customisable driving mode and an intermediate setting for the stability control) and 20 rather than 18-inch wheels.

You could specify all of that on a basic Boxster, but it’ll turn out more expensive than the £53,006 Boxster T. And whereas ticking the box for Porsche Active Suspension Management will lower a Boxster by only 10mm, the Boxster T sits 20mm closer to the road.

With bigger wheels and a lower ride-height the Boxster T looks aggressive and poised. Within the cabin you’ll find an Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, smaller in diameter than a standard Boxster’s helm and exquisite to hold, and possibly even a large cubby hole where the infotainment system would ordinarily be (you can choose to have the stereo and touchscreen left in at no extra cost).

The turbocharged flat-four engine is just as you’ll find it in a basic Boxster, meaning 296bhp arrives at 6500rpm with 280lb ft of torque ready from 2150rpm. Equipped with the seven-speed PDK transmission, Porsche quotes a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds and a 171mph top speed.

The 718 Boxster and Cayman T follow last year’s 911 Carrera T. With no more power but all the right chassis hardware, the 911 Carrera T had a sharper edge than a basic 911 Carrera as well as its own character. The mid-engined cars now set out to do the same thing.

The standard Boxster is already a very capable two-seat sports car, but that 20mm suspension drop means the Boxster T feel appreciably sharper in bends. It finds its set the instant you turn into a corner, rather than taking a moment or two to transfer its weight onto its outer two wheels.

In fact, finding fault with the way the Boxster T’s chassis behaves along a winding road is close to impossible, for it deals with bumps in the road surface brilliantly, its keeps the mass of the body in check over crests and through undulations, the damping in heavy compressions is faultless, and once into a corner, the balance of the chassis is absolute.