By the turn of the 1990s, Porsche future model planning was in chaos, as were their finances. Porsche had been conceived that modern, front engined models such as the 944and 928 would win out, as the ageing (and in some ways archaic) 911 would wither and die. Unfortunately, the reverse happened. Demand for the 928 and 944 faded badly as the 1980s boom faded, with the 928 being built in tiny batches at huge expenses. No surprise, then, that Porsche had to seek Toyota’s help with radically reducing engineering coasts and making its cars easier and quicker to build. Rebuilding its product strategy, Porsche decided to keep things simple and base its revival on building two cars based on the same basic components. One would be a modern re-invention of the 911 and other would be a less expensive roadster, which should have been more recession, proof giant GTs such as 928. The Boxster concept was unveiled at the Detroit motor show in the first few days of 1993. A compact two seater roadster, it was clearly inspired by the classic 1950s Porsche 550 Spyder.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the Boxster concept was a massive hit and US dealers started taking orders in autumn 1993. However, the Boxster didn’t arrive in the show rooms for four years and the reception was muted, as the production model looked slightly tame compared with it glamorous forerunner. Once behind the wheel, attitudes changed very quickly as it become clear the Boxster was an absolutely first rate performance machine. Admirably, Porsche resisted the temptation to over engine the car and it became the company’s best seller for the first four years of its life.
