This time it’s the turn of the Boxster S, which gets the same Black Edition treatment as recently applied to the 911.
Predictably, given its name, there’s a certain theme going on: Black paintwork, black hood, black rear side air intakes, black exhaust tailpipes, black rollover bars, black model lettering, black dashboard trim, black half-leather upholstery and black 19” alloys borrowed from the Boxster Spyder.
Not that the end result looks at all bad, provided of course that you like black.
Standard equipment on the Black Edition is generous, featuring three packages which are normally cost options. The first of these is ‘Design’, responsible for most of the black bits and pieces including the wheels.
Secondly, ‘Comfort’ adds automatic climate control, cruise control, bi-xenon headlights, headlight wash, LED daytime running lights, a wind deflector, automatic dimming mirrors and a rain sensor.
Finally, ‘Infotainment’ includes the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with 6.5” colour touchscreen, radio with RDS twin tuner, Bluetooth telephone preparation, navigation module, universal audio interface and the Sound Package Plus.
The changes aren’t just cosmetic, though. Compared to the standard Boxster S, power from the 3.4 litre straight-six engine has been increased by 9 bhp (7 kW / 10 PS) to 315 bhp (235 kW / 320 PS), while peak torque rises to 370 Nm (272 lb/ft).
Those admittedly modest increases don’t dramatically improve performance. The 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time does drop by a tenth to 5.2 seconds, but top speed is more or less unchanged at 171 mph (276 km/h).
Anyone wanting slightly better acceleration could specify the optional, seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission instead of the usual six-speed manual gearbox. This lets the Boxster complete the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 5.1 seconds, although it reduces top speed a tad to 170 mph (274 km/h).
Sales of the Boxster S Black Edition are set to begin in March 2011, and volumes will be limited to just 987 examples - a nod to the current Boxster’s internal Porsche model code.
Pricing has been confirmed at £47,426 (£49,567 with PDK) for the UK, which represents a saving of around £2,000 compared to a similarly specified Boxster S.
In Germany, the Black Edition will cost €63,404.
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