All-new Porsche Boxster revealed

These are the first official pictures of the third-generation Porsche Boxster, ahead of its first public airing at the Geneva motor show in March.

Porsche says the Boxster will go on sale in the UK on April 28, flaunting a lightweight aluminium body and a roomier 911-style interior. It will have the choice of two upgraded versions of Porsche’s classic horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine, both boasting direct injection, slight power gains and impressive reductions in fuel consumption. The Boxster is priced from £37,589, and the Boxster S from £45,384.

The most dramatic change surrounds the new Boxster’s styling, credited to designers working under Porsche design boss, Michael Mauer.

The new Boxster adopts a cab forward stance. Heavily sculptured flanks feature longer doors, larger wheel houses to accommodate wheels up to 20 inches in diameter, and a rear end reminiscent of the classic 911 ducktail.

Porsche confirmed the new Boxster has a longer wheelbase and wider tracks which allow for a roomier interior, which takes its cues from the new 911.

The new Boxster – codenamed 981 – comes with a fully automatic cloth hood, no longer requiring manual assistance. It stows behind the cabin in a fully exposed position, with no need for a tonneau cover.

Porsche hasn’t revealed much detail on the new structure, but officials involved in a prototype ride event attended by Autocar indicate it weighs over 100kg less than the outgoing model’s all-steel body. The base model should weigh less than 1300kg, despite offering more standard equipment.

The aluminium body is aligned to an all-new chassis boasting a longer wheelbase and significantly wider front track. The suspension retains MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, supporting wheels up to 20 inches in diameter – up from 19-inches previously. The bigger wheels can house larger brakes.

The steering is arguably the most significant change to the Boxster’s mechanical make-up. Like the new 911, it eschews hydraulic assistance for a new electro-mechanical system developed in partnership with ZF.

Porsche has provided the 981 Boxster with a downsized base engine. Previously 2.9-litres, the new model adopts a comprehensively reworked horizontally-opposed 2.7-litre six-cylinder.

Despite this, the new base engine produces 10bhp more than its predecessor at 265bhp. Featuring fuel saving features such as automatic stop/start, brake energy recuperation and a thermal management system that dispenses with the gearbox oil cooler, it delivers a claimed 36.7mpg on the combined cycle – a 15 per cent improvement.

The Boxster S retains the same 3.4-litre engine as the current model, revised for greater efficiency. Power climbs by 5bhp to 315bhp and consumption is boosted to a claimed 35.3mpg – up from 30.1mpg.