#2011 porsche 911 sport chrono plus drivers

The Boxster's classic, clean lines and flowing fenders seem to erupt right from the design studio-or from a historic collection. It's a bit of oversimplification, but the Boxster is so convincing in its style because it's so close to the original Porsche Spyders, seen through modern eyes.

#2011 porsche 911 sport chrono plus drivers

Cornering grip is abundant, natural-feeling steering lures drivers to every next corner, and the tightly suspended Boxster won't usually rattle their teeth, even with 19-inch wheels and tires. Every Boxster will drop a 0-60 mph run in less than 5.5 seconds, whether you choose the hefty six-speed manual or the definitive seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Six cylinders hammer away behind your head long enough and you might get restive-if you're lame.

Twist the key to life, and the Boxster wakes up with Porsche's trademark sonorous growl. You'll want the interior wrapped in leather, we think, as the base cabin's plastics are a little bit of a jolt once you step inside.

The more the Boxster ages, the more it gains in grace. They're sculpted to bring up the past without using a dredger, and they're faired in with modern, elliptical headlamps and rhomboid taillamps that cap the shape's tidy, race-inspired surfaces. It starts from the fenders, just like the ones you've seen in historic images of Porsches past.

All the numbers prove out its spectacular performance, but it's not until you get a hand on its wheel and a foot on its pedals that those those figures turn into a huge, never-fade grin. The 2011 Porsche Boxster is a rare sportscar-emotional and rational.