We drive the 718 Boxster 25 Years and original 986 to trace the story of Porsche’s redemption

If survival is on the line, acts of triumph, heroism and brilliance are often born out of necessity. This was the task facing some 150 British and colonial troops in January 1879 as a horde of 4000 Zulu warriors went on the attack. Defending the diminutive station of Rorke’s Drift in South Africa, it took two days to stave off the offensive. When your back is against the wall, the only option is to fight.

The British won because while they were outnumbered nearly 27 to one, their commanders were experienced in defensive tactics. As the Zulus wielded their assegai short spears and cowhide shields, they were cut down by accurate, modern Martini-Henry service rifles, firing through loopholes drilled into the external walls of the buildings. As a tale of using available resources to eke victory in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, there’s a lot to take from it.

This brings us to Porsche, which in the late ’80s and early ’90s was far from the powerhouse manufacturer we know today. It was dodging bullets from all corners; with sales trickling to just 15,000 per year, the expensive 944 struggling to take off and a reputation lacquered with the stigma of being ‘the 911 company’. With the 928 coming to the end of its lifecycle and the axing of the four-door 989 program, a global recession was the icing on the proverbial melting ice-cream cake.

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A rethink of how Porsche went about its business was needed. Enter Horst Marchart, Research and Development boss at the time, and Grant Larson, the man who designed the iconic concept car for the 1993 Detroit Motor Show (see breakout). While being overseen by Harm Lagaay, the proposal for the first new Porsche platform in 19 years was approved on the proviso its mid-engine layout shared parts with the upcoming 996. The 986 Boxster, its name a portmanteau of Boxer and Roadster, was to use a detuned and downsized version of the 3.4-litre 996 911 engine while sharing body and interior parts with it, too.

The outcome was something even Porsche probably didn’t expect. So impressive was the uptake of the Boxster that it became the sales hero of the brand, and was only latterly usurped by the Cayenne. From 1996 to 2003 the little drop-top that could was the saving grace Stuttgart had hoped for – and then some.

The mid-mounted 2.5-litre six-cylinder offered 150kW and the fabric roof could be folded to listen to the howling soundtrack. What’s more, it didn’t just share the 996’s face, the Boxster had enough dynamic verve when driven well to rival its sibling, of which it shared 50 per cent of its parts.

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By 1999, the Boxster gained a 2.7-litre six with 162kW and 260Nm as well as some styling tweaks to the controversial fried-egg headlights. Which brings us to James, who bought this immaculate Speed Yellow example off a mate in pre-Covid times when prices weren’t too crazy. It was serendipitous, as the seller was in the bittersweet situation of having too many cars and not enough time to drive them. The deal was done for a song and the five-speed manual drop-top was sold with the promise of less garage time.

That’s the car I’m driving up the Hume Highway to meet at the top of Falls Creek for a celebratory rendezvous. Its contemporary, the GTS-based Boxster 25 Years, of which just 1250 will be built, is doing a great job of crushing kays in comfort. With the roof up, tyre roar is far lower than expected.

However, the 4.0-litre six does have some odd acoustics depending on where you are in the rev range and an unappealing resonance comes through the cabin at about 3000-4000rpm. And for a car with a price tag so close to $200k, it’s inexcusable that it doesn’t have radar cruise control as standard. Nope, that’s an option.

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Thankfully it’s time to turn off the Hume and head towards Mount Beauty via Bright and the Tawonga Gap road. Avid readers might know this ribbon of tarmac, as it has featured as part of the PCOTY road loop in the past. We’ve done so for a reason. With a mix of gradients, tight hairpins and corners with varying cambers, it’s a real test. Switching out of Normal mode, past Sport and into Sport Plus amplifies the Boxster’s dynamic parameters to their raciest setting.

The 718 Boxster responds with the 4.0-litre flat six and its inherently excellent traction, all 294kW and 430Nm rarely troubling the traction control. Much like the 986, this is a 911-derived unit. Despite being endowed with intoxicating acoustics, the 3995cc unit isn’t a product of the GT line. Instead it’s an enlarged version of the Carrera 3.0-litre with the turbos removed. Still, its long pull through the rev range means that it rarely feels like a claimed 4.0-second-flat car in a straight line.

Through a twisty section of road reaching for the 7800rpm redline, however, it feels all that and more. Rapid doesn’t quite cover it. Then there’s the tune coming from the dual exhausts matched with an intoxicating induction roar. Echoing off embankments like an orchestral automotive delight, it’s a hedonistic privilege to listen to with the roof down, while roof up delivers those trademark delicate, breathy Porsche treble notes. Honestly, you can’t lose.

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Arriving in Falls Creek, the light is soft and fading fast. Golden hour is approaching. Photographer Brook snaps some shots of the 25 Years solo and it’s a good chance to take in some of the details. Painted in GT Silver with Bordeaux red leather interior, the long wheelbase and cab-forward design is best viewed topless. The Neodyme 20-inch wheels look the business and the copper accents signify it as a special edition – as does the 25 Years motif of the roof and the boot. The incoming yellow 986 breaks the reverie, yet to the tuned ear it’s truly glorious.

Not merely one to wait for the upper reaches of the rev range, the M96 2.7-litre produces a more organic tone no matter where the tacho lies. Later I find out that the central ‘peashooter’ exhaust so entwined in the original’s makeup has been swapped out for an aftermarket item, but it doesn’t dull the gravity of the soulful acoustics.

At 1600m, Rocky Valley Lake is the highest significant body of water in Australia. It provides the meeting point. Old unties with new. Paired next to the 25 Years it’s hard not to see the lineage. Both are gorgeous with their electrically folding roofs down, delicate yet purposeful with wide hips featuring active cooling ducts.

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And despite expanding waistlines, the 718 is only 100kg heavier whileoffering a heavily extended complement of safety kit. Length and width have increased by 76 and 21mm respectively, but overall height has actually dropped 17mm. The Boxster remains resolutely compact, but with a frunk (or should that be a froot?) and a boot, it’s more practical than most roadster rivals.

The sun sets, coating both Boxsters in creamy natural light. While it might be early summer, nightfall sees the outside temperature reading plummet. I’ve made a grave error. My jacket is with my luggage at the accommodation in Mount Beauty. The cabin, which juxtaposes the exterior dimensions by being surprisingly spacious for tall occupants, becomes my respite and a cocoon of warmth. Seat heaters, on. Heated steering wheel, on. Blowers set to FNQ ambient.

Despite appearing antiquated against the likes of the 992 911 and the screen-fest Taycan, the 718 is an ergonomic win. All the controls are where you expect them to be with a physical button. This is where new feels closest to old with the three-dial instrument cluster remaining a quarter of a century later. While the driver-orientated 986 lacks modern tech accoutrements – you could, however, option sat-nav – it takes ease of use to another level. Stefan Stark, the interior designer for the 986, wanted body-coloured accents within the cabin. The original owner of this car was blessed with both taste and restraint, having chosen silver for the cabin.

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Driving down the mountain is decidedly nerve-wracking. As the air temperature rises, so do wildlife sightings. With Brook heading the group in an MX-5, we convoy down and our three sets of eyes spot deer, wombats and rabbits. Closing in on Mount Beauty it’s a fresh 16.5 degrees, so I drop the top, which you can do on the run. Despite some close calls, no wildlife was harmed as the powerful LED headlights cut through the darkness.

Parking up at the deserted motel, the 25 Years emits a rather gruff idle sound. It’s almost like an orchestra of crickets have found their way into the engine compartment. It couldn’t be further from the aural delights of hitting the 7800rpm crescendo. Keying off requires the twist of an in-dash fob, mimicking the classic 986 procedure.

Grabbing morning sustenance causes quite the stir. Oddly, it’s isn’t either Boxster that’s gaining attention in the Alpine town. Instead, upon seeing the trio, the chirpy lady behind the cafe counter taking our order of bacon and egg rolls asks about the camera car, the Soul Red MX-5, and whether or not it’ll drift. It seems the high-end Germans fail to excite the locals. Nonetheless, I’ve just grabbed the keys to the yellow Boxster and it’s time to rewind the clock.

Sliding behind the wheel of the 986 is a very different experience. The seats are flatter and covered in firmer cow hide. The steering wheel is without button clutter, but it is noticeably larger in diameter if not rim thickness. Returning to Tawonga Gap Road, I can’t help but think I’ve chosen a precarious point to experience the 986. Driving other people’s cars in any sort of spirited fashion is a pet peeve of mine. Start with the basics. “Don’t stall it” I tell myself.

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By sheer luck I don’t, but with the bite point being at the top of the travel, I ride the clutch more than intended. And immediately apologise. Although I’m not alone in thinking the left pedal is a bit sticky, with Peter Robinson making a similar remark for sister publication Wheels at the 986’s launch. From there the five-speed manual has a rather long throw, but like a modern Porsche, the controls feel positive. The driving position isn’t as ‘correct’ as the low-slung, legs forward 25 Years, but it’s still good. Turning left to ascend the mountain road I resist the urge to slot down to first gear. Old or new, it seems tall ratios are part and parcel of the Boxster deal.

It doesn’t take long until I’m goaded into upping the tempo. Like the 718, the 986 wears 235/35 and 265/35 boots front to rear, just in a smaller 18-inch size (an inch larger than standard). It isn’t grip deficient. Refreshingly, the family lineage is present from the get-go in the dynamics. The front axle arrows for the apex crisply , the hydraulic steering full of genuine, not coded, feedback. Okay, there’s more flex in the body with slight scuttle shake and rack rattle is evident, but for the age, it’s as engaging as it is capable. It’s now seemingly the car egging me on as if to ask, ‘is that all you’ve got?’

The biggest difference surrounds the electronic aids. There’s a stark lack of acronyms attached to the 986. ABS covers it. And it makes its presence felt by being a rather rudimentary system that intervenes early, pulsing through the middle pedal. Power-down traction never needs to be electronically culled anyway. The specs quote a 0-100 time of 6.6 seconds but straight-line prowess isn’t the 2687cc flat-six’s forte.

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However, it’s not without meat, and there’s just enough torque to counteract the tall gearing. It’s very much a ‘put it in second gear and leave it’ proposition. You can hustle the 986 at a fair lick; it’s talented no doubt. But personally I find the joy in driving it semi-spiritedly, listening to the revs build with the mechanical stereo right behind my ears.

Those tables turn getting back into the 18-way adjustable adaptive sports seats of the 25 Years. Consider this a fey convertible at your own peril. Like the original, the front end is strong and unless you get on the throttle too early and elevate the nosepast the apex, refuses to unstick. The steering is light, but remains reasonably tactile for a modern system, while ride quality beggars belief given the rolling stock. Troubling the rear Pirelli P Zeros for traction isn’t an issue. Even on a left-hander with a steeply ascending exist, the electronically controlled differential resists some wanton provocation to break purchase.

This is, in part, also due to the tall gearing. Given the manual Cayman GTS 4.0-litre placed a lowly sixth at PCOTY because of this issue, there was hope that the seven-speed PDK ($5390) would solve this problem. And it does, but only to a point. You’ll still be breaking the national speed limit in second gear. Thankfully, the PDK ’box accepts first gear readily where you might have used second, firing out of tight hairpins with real verve. The shifts are ridiculously quick and left to its own devices, is supremely intuitive. In this regard, the game can’t move much further forward compared to the 986.

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Travelling from Tawonga Gap road to the final stretch before Falls Creek the tarmac becomes a veritable slalom course. Left right, left right. There’s no sign that the open-air chassis is flexing as the 25 Years rotates into each corner in turn, digging in and remaining supremely tied down. There’s little hint of body roll and no unwanted flex in the chassis. Ultimately, the 25 Years is a car that flatters you to seven-tenths, insofar as its natural balance and dynamic capability will make most drivers look heroic. Breaching that barrier requires more from you, and it’s at the outer limits where this 718 truly shines.

The image the Boxster projects can be one that doesn’t sit well with all driving enthusiasts. It’s as if the fact that there’s no fixed roof overhead means that its performance credentials are somehow adulterated. This is a fallacy, one that the 25 Years gleefully demolishes.

Yes, we all understand the physics, but the difference between the conceptual and the practical seems to evade some. I can’t see the disadvantage in the Boxster format over the Cayman when it offers so much more in lifestyle benefits. You’d have to drive them hard back-to-back to notice any difference in dynamics, and even then it’d be negligible.

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If this is part of the final curtain call for internal-combustion Boxsters, with the next-gen rumoured to be electric, it deserves a standing ovation. Hearts should weigh heavy given the 25 Years feels more like the build up to a farewell rather than a true celebration of the original. It’s a somewhat cruel twist of fate that the car deemed a saviour is now largely relegated to standing stage left in the Porsche portfolio; the bit part player.

In a world where SUVs reign, with the Macan and Cayenne now being Porsche’s heavy sales artillery, it’s heartening to know that a purist roadster saved one of the truly great motoring marques. As a proof of concept, the 986 sold 164,874 units before being replaced by the 987 in 2005.

It’s telling that, back in the design and development phase, the team creating Boxster went above and beyond, working long overtime hours in the pursuit of the shared fight. They knew failure wasn’t an option. Porsche’s desperate rearguard action created something that continues to ignore the odds.

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The original concept car that started it all

There’s more than just a hint of connection between the concept car that stole the 1993 Detroit Motor Show spotlight and the 25 Years. Both were designed by Grant Larson, who now heads up Porsche’s Special Projects department. The interest by the motoring media and the public alike for the Boxster was so strong that it was given the green light. The 25 Years gains Neodyme accents on the grille, air intakes and wheels as well as a Bordeaux red roof and cabin to resemble the concept. However, there’s no central exhaust.

718 Porsche Boxster 25 Years specifications

986 Porsche Boxster specifications