The Porsche Boxter was first released in 1996 and has been overwhelmingly popular since. By 1998 the demand was so great that production in Zuffenhusen was not keeping up so Porsche signed a contract with a Finnish factory called Valmet. The contract was to only be for two years since it was thought that by that time the plant in Zuffenhausen would be able to handle the workload, that hasn't happened and as a matter of fact the majority of Boxters headed to North America are built in the Finnish plant. It is now not even possible to guarantee that you get a Stuttgart built car because even the vehicles designated for Tourist Delivery are sometimes coming from Valmet. The popularity of the Boxter shows no signs of waning and if anything the introduction of the new second generation model of 2005 will only increase popularity even more. The Boxter and the Boxter S are super fast and powerful and are by the estimation of many, the best handling mass production sports cars in the world. They have hardly changed in nearly 10 years aside from minor tweaks to increase horsepower and adding to interior options. This strategy keeps the Porsche tradition of maintaining the look of a successful model for long periods of time which is totally opposed to American car manufacturers' philosophy where they change vehicle designs as often as every three years. Like its precedent first offered in 1996, the second generation Boxster is a mid-engine, six-cylinder two-seater that resembles the Porsche Spyder and yet the majority of Boxster's construction and electronics are taken from the 911 Carrera. The 2005 Boxter has increased horsepower by 15 and its performance in acceleration and top speed is just about identical to the expensive 911 Carrera. The base transmission offered is a 5 speed manual but a six speed is optional as is the availability of the 5-speed Porsche designed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The overall look of the exterior of the Boxter is not overly decorative or ornate but sexy and the interior has been improved a good deal due to the earlier versions being considered too Spartan or cheap looking. The seats in the second generation are supportive and body conforming which not only makes them look good but increases comfort as well. One of The Boxster's features that I like best, being in Florida, is the powered convertible top, which is very fast and easy to retract or put up. In the 2005 Boxster, the top can even operate while driving up to 30 mph, which is an added plus if you are caught in a sudden shower. The triple-layer padded cloth tops with a heated-glass rear window is as weather-tight and offers as much quiet as most fully enclosed metal roofs. Porsche continues to prolong their tradition of building quality sports cars with the second generation Porsche Boxter.
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