I'll have to look for my old Porsche Excellence Magazines tonite, but in a quick check on the net I found the following in relation to the 2.7 versus the 2.5:
Porsche Boxster 986 / 987
"The displacement of 2687 cc was made by means of lengthening the stroke to the same 78 mm as the Boxster S. Therefore they share the same connecting rods. Bsides, two-stage variable intake manifolds are added to improve mid range torque. Electonic throttle is adopted."
"Instead of 204 BHP and 181 lb/ft, the enlarged engine pumps out 220 hp and 192 lb/ft. Not big numbers, but in reality the difference is more than that. From 4,000 RPM to 7,000 RPM, the increase of punch is more noticeable, as seen by the 0-100 mph of 15.5 seconds. That is far quicker than the old car's 18.0 sec. and not far behind Boxster S's 14.2 sec."
"The additional punch gives the driver more opportunity to enjoy the at-the-limit balance and communication of the wonderful chassis."
"The bottom line is, Porsche has cured the only weak link in the Boxster." And take note - they were not talking about fuel consumption!
Again, I am merely trying to point out that the 2.5 needed a lower final drive ratio and gearing than the 2.7 precisely because it had less overall torque and a torque curve that was less flat. As is mentioined above, because of the tuned runners in the 2.7, the difference is greater on the road than the peak torque numbers alone would suggest.
Tomorrow I will try to find excerpts from an article in Porsche Excellence which points to the significant improvements to the performance/driving experience in the 2.7 over the 2.5 as a result of both the changes to the engine AND the new gear ratios.
Brad