Porsche Boxster 987 – The Story
An evolution of the original 986 Boxster
The Story / Timeline / Model Guides / Performance & Specs / Data & Research / Pictures & Videos / News & Updates
The second generation Porsche Boxster came out in 2004 at the Geneva Motor Show and shared almost the same design with the first version of the car. It also shared a lot of components with its 997 generation 911 sibling which was released the same year. The second generation Boxster was known as the 987. Design wise, the second generation Boxster had distinctive front styling with different triangular headlights and a unique front fascia. The front air intakes got redesigned, as well as the rear bumper and stoplights. The wheel arches got bigger to allow the installment of bigger rims, while the interior got a more prominent circular theme. The interior still pointed to the racing heritage with the presence of a tachometer which was the main dial in the instrument panel and the ignition switch was placed on the left side of the steering wheel. The leather upholstery was standard and the trims could be ordered with a choice of materials such as wood, aluminum or wood. The additions list included a Bose sound system, bi-xenon headlights and a navigation system. Higher-strength steel in the cowl area and improved spot-welding and adhesive bonding techniques resulted in a body shell that was four percent more torsionally rigid than the 986 Boxster and 14 percent stiffer.
The 987 Boxster's base 2.7-liter engine and 3.2 Boxster S were largely carried over from the late 986, but a 12 lb weight savings was realized by eliminating the cast-iron bearing girdle inserts. During the 2006 model year, Porsche incorporated a larger ball bearing for the support of the intermediate shaft at the flywheel end, which mostly mitigated the infamous intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing issues that plagued the M96 series. The 2007 Boxster received engine updates to match those of its hardtop Cayman stablemate. This consisted of the VarioCam Plus two-stage intake valve lift to both the base and S versions. The base five-speed manual was no longer Audi-based but made by Japanese supplier Aisin; the Boxster S six-speed retained the Getrag unit. Both the manual transaxles and the five-speed Tiptronic S featured shorter final box-mounted flywheel drive ratios to compensate for the larger-diameter wheels featured across the 987 range (17-inch wheels were standard on the base Boxster, 18-inch rollers were standard on the S, and 19-inch alloys were optional). The 987's suspension was mostly unchanged from the 986. However, many detail improvements were made, such as stiffer and lighter castings for the aluminum uprights/wheel carriers and larger wheel bearings with embedded magnets, which replaced the separate tone rings for the ABS wheel speed sensors. The 987 also featured variable-ratio steering for its hydraulically-assisted rack and pinion gear. Porsche's Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system was now standard across the 987 range and offered more precise controls, which allowed the driver greater freedom before PSM intervention.
Porsche introduced the face-lifted 987 for the 2009 model year. The updated Boxster featured a family of all-new engines with new designation. It had a much more rigid two-piece rankcase/block assembly made entirely of silicon-impregnated aluminum alloy, which was much more rigid than the previous M96 and M97 engines and dispensed with the separate crankshaft main bearing girdle. The cylinders were reinforced and were a closed-deck design to minimize cylinder distortion; this was important as the crankcase/block configuration was to form the basis of all future turbocharged engines, as well as the street and racing versions of the high-revving GT3. Porsche engineers had gained enough confidence in contemporary timing chain technology to eliminate the separate intermediate shaft of previous flat-six engines and drive the camshafts directly via a pair of long chains and generous supporting ramps. The oil pump was driven via a separate chain. The pump itself was demand-controlled by the DME control unit to supply only the necessary amount of oil for the engine running conditions, which saved energy. The other big news for the engine series was direct fuel injection (DFI) for the 3.4-liter S versions of the 987.2 and for all 997.2s; the base model 2.9-liter 987.2 had port fuel injection. The other major change for the 987.2 was the replacement of the optional torque converter-equipped Tiptronic automatic transaxle with a dual-clutch automated transaxle that Porsche dubbed PDK. Still, in short, the quick-shifting PDK quickly became the transmission of choice for most buyers, eventually achieving a nearly 90 percent take rate among buyers of Porsche sports cars.
Type: 987 (987.1, 987.2) / Generation: Second Generation / Manufacturer: Porsche AG / Production Years: 2004 - 2012 / Model Years: 2005 - 2012 / Body Style: 2-Door Roaster / Layout: Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout / Engines: 2.7 L M96.25 / M97.20 flat-6 (2005–2008), 2.9 L M96.26/MA1.20 flat-6 (2009–2012), 3.2 L M96.26 flat-6 (2005–2006), 3.4 L M97.21/M97.22/MA1.21/MA1.22 flat-6 (2007–2012) / Transmission: 5-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 7-speed PDK / Official photos: 2004 September 7 / Premiere: 2004 September 23 at Mondial de l'Automobile Paris motor show press day / Market launch: 2004 November 27
This graphic breaks out the second generation Porsche Boxster in terms of timelines and how to tell all the models apart. Click on the image to see it in higher definition. The initial range was known as the Boxster 987.1 and ran from 2005 through 2008 model years. There was an engine update in 2006 for both the base and S Boxster, but they were still considered 987.1s. The 2009 model year refresh was considered the 987.2 update. Several special editions also existed and are shown.
2nd Gen Porsche Boxster Model Guides (2005 - 2012)
There were two core models of Porsche Boxster for the second generation, the base Boxster and the Boxster S. Both second generation models were released as 2005 model year cars. By improving air flow, tweaking intake manifolds and reducing exhaust back-pressure, both got considerable power increases even though engine capacities stayed the same. Output of the standard 2.7-litre boxer engine increased from 228hp to 237hp, while the 3.2-litre engine for Boxster S was up 260 hp to 276 hp. For 2007 model year, Porsche introduced the Cayman and updated the models. The interior and exterior remained mostly the same, but the Boxster S received the Cayman S 3.4-liter flat six while the 2.7 in the Boxster received VarioCam Plus, which bumped horsepower up to 245 hp. In 2009, the second generation of the Boxster received new technologies and more power. The 2.9-liter unit replaced the older 2.7-liter engine and offered 10 hp more than the older engine. It was paired as standard to a 6-speed manual, and a 7-speed PDK (Porsche dual-clutch) automatic was available as an option. The Chrono Package featured the Launch-control system, which allowed the 2002 Boxster to cut an additional 0.1 seconds from the 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) time when compared with the regular PDK version, without the Chrono Package. For better handling, the Boxster was fitted as standard with Porsche Stability Management. Besides the new technological improvements, the Boxster received some minor aesthetic changes.
2nd Gen Porsche Boxster Special Models
Several special edition cars were released during the second generation (987) Boxster. In November 2007, Porsche announced a commemorative RS60 Spyder edition of the Boxster to celebrate Porsche's 1960 win in the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. There were also a limited production Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 debuted in October 2008 as 2009 model which was basically a design exercise. Speaking of design exercises, Porsche unveiled its 2008 Limited Edition Boxster and Boxster S models at a private gathering at the occasion of the 2007 New York Auto Show. Largely inspired by the 2007 911 GT3 RS, only 250 examples of each model were produced in brilliant orange. The most exciting special model was the Boxster Spyder. It was announced on 5 November 2009 and it was the lightest Porsche on the market at the time, weighing just 2,811 lbs (about 18- lbs lighter than a Boxster S). The lightweight diet made it an absolutely gem of a drive, especially with its sportier and firmer suspension setup and its inch lower ride height.
2nd Generation Porsche Boxster Specs & Performance Summary
These cars were slightly faster and more performance focused than the first generation Boxster, but saw improvements made over the years which you can see below.
Porsche Boxster (2005-2012) Technical Specs
Forget the summary, here is every second generation Boxster broken out by model year and variant and the technical specifications for each one. Car data nerds, let us unite.
2nd Gen Boxster Pictures, Galleries & Videos
The Porsche Boxster was a revelation when it was first released, but the updates in the second generation made it a more complete package as a sports car. The video reviews when the second generation came out basically support this statement. Enjoy our interactive galleries and awesome videos of the second generation Porsche Boxster.
Porsche Boxster News & Updates
Recent auctions, awesome review videos and all the latest news and posts regarding anything to do with the Porsche Boxster.
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