The bottom of each gauge shows information such as an odometer, a trip meter, and a digital readout of the car's speed front and center. There is a nice array of readouts on the instrument cluster display.
They look nice, but there could be usability issues as drivers try to make adjustments while also looking at the road. As opposed to the large dials seen on many cars, Porsche uses small buttons. And we like the design of the center stack, with its nicely refined climate controls. Two convenient slots in the glove box allow for CD storage. The whole thing folds up and buries itself behind the seats quickly and nicely. We merely had to unlatch the front by pressing a big button labeled "press," then hitting a switch on the center console. At $2,525, the full leather interior in cocoa brown is pricey, but it is well stitched and made us feel as if we were sitting inside an executive's briefcase.Īlthough not a retractable hard top, the power convertible top on the Boxster S worked well, with minimal fuss. At close to $65,000, we expect a bit of luxury, and the Boxster S delivers in the form of a very nice full leather interior. Unfortunately, our test car didn't come equipped with the PCM, so we aren't covering it in this review.
Porsche makes its Porsche Communication Manager (PCM) package available for the Boxster, a module that includes navigation, a CD player that can handle MP3 discs, and a hands-free cell phone module.
That's right, the speedometer goes up to 190mph, only 20mph more than the top speed of the Boxster S. Oh, the interior does have its luxury elements, but the Boxster S lets you know it's designed to go fast, from its minimalist three-spoke steering wheel to its instrument cluster, with the tachometer placed in the center and the 190mph speedometer off to the side. Porsche builds cars primarily for performance (or occasionally to fill a market niche, as with the Cayenne), which the 2007 Porsche Boxster S made clear the moment we got in the driver's seat.