While some people think that owning a Boxster is admitting you couldn't afford a 911, Porsche's sales trends prove there's room for both models in the world. For me, being able to have 97 per cent of the fun with fewer risks, while spending less than 60 per cent of the outlay is worth noting too, plus you get a power roof thrown in.
The previous Boxster wasn't a heavy car, and was never unwieldy, but new 2013 entry- point Porsche has been put on a weight-saving programme anyway, with an aluminium body, all manner of lighter materials under the skin and a pair of reworked flat-six power units, which now get direct injection technology and put out more power and torque, while the whole car is bigger than its predecessor.
The car's shorter front and rear overhangs are obvious from first sight, though less easy to spot is its extended wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks. As with the recently launched 991-series 911 model, Porsche has also given the mid-engined Boxster a windscreen whose base starts much further forward, giving the glass a gentler, shallower rake, while the cleaner lines of the aluminium body imbue the car with a more mature appearance.
So much so, the company's least expensive car now looks like a downscale rendering of Porsche's only other recent mid- engined car: the V10 Carrera GT.
Borrowing the changes already wrought on the 911's interior, the new Boxster's centre console now rises to the front, placing the gear lever closer to the wheel rim. It has a larger information screen and rows of switches now run along the edges of the tunnel, a la Cayenne and Panamera.
Improved space for the car's occupants is a by-product of the longer wheelbase and wider-set tracks, while a new power hood has been designed for the car. It's simpler, takes up less space when stowed and doesn't need a lid when it's folded.
We're not yet privy to the specific increases in the car's dimensions, and neither have we been able to put a number on the kilograms the new aluminium body will have saved on the previous all-steel item, but suffice to say it will be significant.
Full details of the car's changes will be made available closer to its official launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March, though we have gleaned details of the improvements in the car's engines.
The base Boxster has a 200cc smaller 2.7-litre flat-six now, though it produces 7.5 kilowatts more at 198kW, and can reach the zero to 100kmh sprint in 5.4 seconds. The Boxster S retains its old capacity of 3.4 litres but gains 4kW at 235kW for a zero to 100kmh time of 4.7 seconds. Both engines are available with a standard six- speed manual gearbox, while a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission can be optioned.
The 2.7-litre and 3.4-litre engines return EU economy figures of 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres and 8.0 litres per 100km, respectively.
Slightly disappointing is the fact that Porsche didn't announce its long-awaited flat-four turbo engine, but it's thought that after the leak of the rest of the car's specification and design changes, it was a good idea to leave something for the Geneva show.
We'll keep you posted.