[Slate 01]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

That takes the cake for coolest company cars. Hands down.

As far as heritage, I may be in the minority but I think the Boxster has equal or more heritage than any 911. Calling it a "Boxster" at launch was just a marketing gimmick to get press for a nearly bankrupt company hanging on by a thread by proclaiming an "all new concept". But the reality was that there was nothing new here conceptually, just an updated purpose built roadster with a boxer engine in the middle. The RS '60 model being a very obvious inspiration for the '93 986 studio design. The Boxster is simply a modern day 550/718, re-interpreted to shock the company back into solvency at a time when, embarrasignly for Porsche, the U.S. economy was firing on all clylinders like no Bull market before yet they couldn't sell rear-engine cars.

Both 550 and 718 were giant-killing LeMans winners before even the idea of an updated 356 had entered Butzi's brain in '59, much less worked all those perilous handling issues that kept them from catching up with the midengine Porsches on racing cabability. Which to the engineer's credit they did remarkably well. But Porsche were obviously intent on manufacturing a new legend when one was already in their stable, one that collectors are now willing to fork over $3 million and higher for if you've been following auctions for the mid-engine cars. It might be a while before any limited production rear-engine Porsche hauls in that kind of coin. And technically, the 356 and 911 were both sold in the same year if I'm not mistaken which means the 911 heritage really begins in '64 so they were pretty late to the game as far as Porsche history. It seems to me that people who grew up driving in the 70's and 80's see Porsche prestiege as only a rear-engine story when the actual history is quiet different.

Good info, thanks for sharing. I like stuff like that.