The Porsche Boxster is the first car designed by Porsche to be a roadster since the 1950s. Introduced in 1996 as a ‘97 model, the word Boxster is a play on words, referring to the boxer (horizontally-opposed) layout of the engine and the roadster design of the car. We have several car engines for sale, but Porsche is one of our favorite manufacturers.
Initial Porsche Boxster engines were a 2.5-liter flat (or horizontally-opposed) six with 204 horsepower for the Boxster. In 2000, a 3.2-liter flat 6 for the Boxster S was introduced which gave 253 horsepower. The Boxster S not only has an uprated engine; its brakes, suspension and wheels are also upgraded to match the horsepower increase.The 2000 Boxster engine also received a displacement increase to 2.7-liters, resulting in an increase in output to 220 horsepower.
The original 2.5-liter M96 engine has similar specifications used in the 996, which displaces 3.4 liters. Through this component sharing, build costs were reduced. It also means that for doing engine rebuilds, Porsche Boxster engines and Porsche 911 engines can be cross-referenced for component interchangeability. The M96 is notable for the fact that it is the first water-cooled engine used by Porsche in a non-front-engined production car. There are reports that some early production M96 engines suffered engine failures due to failures in the cylinder liners. In 2000, a minor redesign of the engine saw and end to these problems.
The 2007 model year saw the base Boxster receive revisions to its engine, notably the VarioCam Plus system, which provided an additional 5 hp, providing the entry-level Boxster model 245 hp. Meanwhile the Boxster S engine received a 200 cc displacement increase to 3.4 liters. This gave an additional 15 horsepower, boosting output to 295 hp for the Boxster S.
The second generation Boxster, internally referred to as the 987, replaced the 986 Boxster in 2008.
For the 987 Porsche Boxster engines, displacement for the type M96 engine found in the standard Boxster was increased from 2.7 to 2.9 liters resulting in an additional power gain of 10 hp, to 255 hp at 6400 rpm. Torque figure for this engine is 214 lb-ft. With the addition of DFI in the Boxster S engine, plus a bump in compression ratio to 12.5:1 (from the standard Boxster’s 11.5:1), output was increased beyond the 300 hp mark, to 310 horsepower at 6,400 rpm. Torque figure for this engine is 266 lb-ft. Extensive use of aluminum for the engine, as well as a dual-mass flywheel, gives the mid-engine Boxster better balance and handling, as well as giving improvements in fuel efficiency.
There are a few derivatives to the Porsche Boxster engines and except for the current Boxster Spyder, these were limited-edition models. Included in this list are the RS60 Spyder from 2007 which Porsche produced to celebrate Porsche’s 12 Hours of Sebring win in 1960. Only 1,960 units of this commemorative model were produced worldwide. A sports exhaust gave the engine in the RS60 Boxster 299 horsepower. A limited edition, 500-unit run of the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 was also produced in 2008 as a 2009 model. It also featured an upgraded exhaust which raised power to 299 hp.
The Boxster Spyder, announced by Porsche in 2009, is claimed to be the lightest production Porsche on the market, tipping the scales at 1,275 kg. Through the deletion of various non-essential accessories, Porsche was able to shave a significant 80 kilos from the Boxster S, from which the Spyder is derived. Two humps in the back and a lower ride height signal the visual difference in this unique Porsche. The M96 engine is carried over from the Boxster S but a higher rev limit of 7,200 rpm gives an additional 10 hp, giving the Spyder 320 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque.
