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Porsche Museum Director Achim Stejskal on new Boxster

by | Mar 15, 2012 | Classic Porsche Blog, New Models

The team at Porsche have put an interesting video together with Museum Director, Achim Stejskal, talking about the new Boxster at the Geneva unveiling. I always enjoy Achim’s easy way of pulling different ideas and elements together: no wonder he does what he does for Porsche, and was so good in the same job at Mercedes.

I’ve read nothing bad about new Boxster so far. Chris Harris’ Drive review on Youtube raises a few issues with the electric steering, but as his video shows, the car looks and goes beautifully.

Achim presents the new Boxster as the latest in the genesis of Porsche roadsters that started with the 356. “The original Boxster concept was presented at the Detroit Motor Show in 1993 and became the car of the show. Three years later, the (production) Boxster was launched and now this third generation of Boxster is more attractive than ever.” This is true.

Achim then links Geneva Motor Show to his “living room of the Porsche brand” by way of DNA. “New Boxster is not just a new model line. This is also the climax of our almost 60-year history of Porsche sports cars. All the DNA starting with the very first Porsche 356 and 550 is combined in this new Boxster.

“All these cars – 356, 550 or 718 Spyder – have the same philosophy. This (Boxster) is a mid-engine concept in a lightweight body, so a very agile car. It all combines to make a great thing called the fun of driving. This is what Porsche presents and it is working very well: it is almost overwhelming. This car is a pure roadster and it’s a perfect car, in my opinion.”

Much has changed since the Detroit launch in 1993. That new Boxster was launched in Geneva says it all: Europe is now the heart of the motor industry and the epicentre of brand determination. How Europe buys its cars is how most manufacturers now build and price their cars.

As Harris says in his Drive video, new Boxster is quite a different car to the old one. It looks better, goes better and feels of an all-round higher quality. And Porsche will happily charge for the experience: a generous Boxster S is £65K now.

The excellence of new Boxster may be the best indication yet of how new Porsche has repositioned itself higher up the VW food chain: back to its primo price, primo reward self. As this is the self that spawned the 718 RSK, the ’73 RS and all of our favourite hewn-from-granite classics, new Boxster could be the best news yet for fans of old Porsche. I mean proper old Porsche.

Here’s the video:

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