The latest 911 has been revealed, and the third-gen Boxster will be Porsche’s next big debut. The mid-engined roadster is, after all, a close sibling to the iconic 911, although Porsche has certainly learned to hide the connection a bit better than with the pre-2002 996 911 and the first-gen Boxster; those cars had interchangeable front fascias. And as you can see from these completely undisguised photos, the 981, as the new Boxster is called internally, will differ significantly from the current 987 model—enough to call it all-new.
The front end looks similar to the outgoing car’s, although the running lights above the outboard inlets are slimmer and the lower intake’s frown has been turned upside down. The drama comes in the new car’s body sides, which now feature hard lines where the previous car had only curved sheetmetal. A crease sweeps back from the front wheel, along the rocker, and around the side intake (at least on this S model) before heading forward and terminating just before the leading edge of the door. It serves to better define and integrate the side port, which provides air for the mid-mounted powerplant and is rendered in black rather than the previous silver. The back end is nearly as simple as before, and the mid-mounted exhaust tips return, but the rear view has been sassed up by a more defined spoiler that bisects the taillights and appears to integrate LED turn signals into its tips. It appears as if the spoiler will again be of the active variety, too.
The mid-engine two-seater likely will be launched at the Geneva auto show next March, with its fixed-roof Cayman sibling (see spy photos here) following at least one year later. As it did with the new 991-gen 911, Porsche aims to significantly reduce weight with a number of aluminum components. Think 50 to 100 fewer pounds, which is great news, considering the Boxster already is one of the lightest sports cars on the market.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
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