Porsche sells 200,000 Boxsters

Porsche is celebrating a car that turned the struggling supercars fortune around. The 200,000th Boxster has just rolled off the production line at Porsche’s partner Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki in Finland. This landmark vehicle, a meteor grey metallic Boxster S, is being delivered to a customer in the US.

I am a big fan of the Porsche Boxster S, maybe only because its not just another 911 and although whilst I do think its more of a chicks car than a mans car (definitely for the standard Boxter), its still a work of art.

“Ten years ago, no one would have believed what a huge success this Porsche mid-range roadster has become. Thanks to our flexible production system, we can manufacture the Boxster model series at both our main plant in Zuffenhausen and at Valmet. Today’s milestone will especially inspire employees at both plants to continue the success story that is the Boxster.” Said, Executive Vice President Production and Logistics, Michael Macht.

At the roadster’s launch in 1996, Porsche had assumed an annual production of 15,000 units. In the past fiscal year 2005/06, total sales of this model series, since extended to include the mid-range Cayman coupé, amounted to 27,906. The most important market for the Boxster is North America, which has a share of sales of around 40%, followed by Germany with up to 20%.

For the current model year, which began on August 1, 2006, both Boxster models have been upgraded again. The power of the 2.7-liter component in the basic model has now been increased by five HP to 245 HP (180 kW). The boxer engine in the latest Boxster S, which has grown in size from 3.2 to 3.4 liters, can unleash 295 HP (217 kW), 15 HP more than its predecessor.