2008 Porsche Boxster S Convertible

 The 2008 Limited Edition Boxster S offers all the power and handling prowess of the Boxster S with a visual statement that can't be missed. Porsche has designed 250 of these sweet road warriors to leave mouths and eyes agape.

The Limited Edition is painted in a very special orange - previously available only on the track-ready Porsche 911 GT3 RS. A special "Limited Edition" plaque graces the glove compartment, in case you somehow missed the paint job. But with the sport exhaust system, safety bars, interior trim pieces and even the font on the gear shift pattern carrying bright orange, it would seem nearly impossible to miss this car's exclusivity.

But Porsche, being Porsche, didn't stop at the paint to set off this Special Edition. They also added the SportDesign package, which includes an aggressive front spoiler lip, a revised rear spoiler that automatically extends, an integrated rear diffuser that Porsche says reduces aerodynamic lift, and a dual-tip sport exhaust, which is claimed to add a few more horsepower.

The Limited Edition Boxster S gets 19-inch wheels painted an eye-catching black with silver edges to compliment the orange. There are other black bits added as contrast: black exterior side mirrors, black front and side air inlets, and, again, just in case you missed the point, the car's model designation in black is added to the rear deck. The convertible top is black, as are the seats, carpet, dash, door panels, and other surrounding surfaces. The interior is further contrasted with Alcantara (a suede-like grippy material) trim on the seat inserts, three-spoke steering wheel (borrowed from the 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS), gear shift, and handbrake lever on manual transmission models.

At the heart of this orange delight beats last year's Cayman S engine. Until 2002, this engine was almost a 911 series engine - the 911 had a higher compression ratio, giving it 300 horsepower. This Boxster S engine is a 3.4-liter flat-six with Porsche's VarioCam Plus system, producing 295 hp. While Porsche says the Boxster S gets from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, Car and Driver did it in 4.9 seconds in a 2007 model. Top speed was an observed 169 mph "with a slightly more baritone exhaust note" compared to the previous 3.2-liter Boxster S engine. The EPA estimate is 20/28 mpg city/highway, and the combined average is 22 mpg.

At the heart of the Limited Edition Boxster S and all Boxster models is the spirit of Porsche's diminutive 1950s 550 Spyder, carrying on the proud tradition of "outbraking, outmaneuvering, and outsmarting" the competition. Now you can do it in brilliant orange!
 

This is car number 144 of just 250 made.