2009 Porsche Boxster

Both Boxster PDKs are rated at 20 mpg city, 29 highway-thriftier than the six-speed manuals in either (19/27 base, 19/26 S). Thank the super-tall seventh gear for boosting highway economy by 11% and 16% relative to the heavy old Tiptronic five-speeds.

The base 2009 Porsche Boxster grows by 206 cc (to 2.9L), and the S motor gets direct injection and a hefty compression bump. Both engines migrate to the new 911 architecture, becoming lighter, stronger, and freer spinning in the process. Output increases by 10 hp and 13 lb-ft (to 255/214) in the base car, and by 15 hp and 14 lb-ft in the S (for 310 and 265).

Word that the Porsche Boxster's steering assist had been altered to reduce effort caused some initial alarm, but the target was 911 steering feel (requiring some additional hydraulic boost in this nose-heavier mid-engine machine), and the result is reassuringly Porsche-precise, communicative, and as sublime as the perfectly balanced handling and retuned engine note.

Model year 2009 upgrades start where they do for any enthusiast machine: in the engine bay. The previous base Boxster's 2.7L flat-six has given way to a new 2.9L unit. Power rises from 245 to 255 hp; the Cayman's 2.9 is rated at 265 hp. There's no displacement increase for the S versions; it remains 3.4L, but the powerplant is largely new and boasts direct fuel injection. It spools out 310 hp in the 2009 Porsche Boxster S and 320 in the Cayman S, increases of 15 and 25 hp respectively.

A lot of 911 has trickled into the new Boxster and Cayman. For example, you can now order a Boxster / Cayman with ceramic composite brakes; it wasn't so long ago that these race-inspired binders were reserved for limited-production models such as the GT3 and GT2. The Sports Chrono package is also now a Boxster / Cayman option.

The early Porsche Boxster interior was rightly criticized as being too cheap and chintzy, something Porsche began working on early and has continued to upgrade. The '09 Boxster boasts a first-class cabin with a new center stack and new audio options.

The base 2009 Porsche Boxster and Cayman receive power and displacement bumps, while S-model engines clear the 300-hp hurdle for the first time thanks to direct fuel injection, a higher compression ratio, lighter moving parts, and reduced friction. The 3.4-liter flat six's redline has been raised to 7400 rpm.

They're light on their feet, impeccably balanced, and easy to drive to and through the limits of adhesion. Compared with their big brothers (911s), the steering is more communicative and the tail is less likely to pass you by when control is relinquished to Sir Isaac Newton. A new limited-slip differential working in conjunction with revised suspension calibrations enables heavier corner-exit throttle tromping without wobble or wheel spin.

The 2009 Porsche Boxster benefits from more power, higher fuel efficiency, quicker acceleration, and the latest automatic transmission technology.

Boxster and Cayman models are equipped with 2.9-liter versions of the new engine fed by port fuel injection and rated at 255 hp for the convertible and 265 hp in the coupe. That's a rise of 10 and 20 horsepower respectively over the 2008 models. Stepping up to the more expensive 2009 Porsche Boxster S models hikes the displacement to 3.4 liters and ups the power to 310 and 320 hp respectively, in no small part because the larger sixes benefit from direct fuel injection

Another benefit for 2009 models is the six-speed manual finds its way into the base Cayman and Boxster.