Porsche of course

Most everyone agreed: the Porsche Boxster is a delight, a car to covet - but the chassis could easily cope with more power.

That was a couple of years ago, when the mid-engined Boxster wowed the motoring world.

Since then demand has outstripped supply to the point where Porsche had to crank up production in Germany and set up a second assembly line in a plant in Finland.

Now the car's popularity will widen further with the addition of the Boxster S, a more powerful variant, expected later in the year.

The S uses a 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine which boosts power over the 2.5-litre model by 35kW and torque by 60Nm.

For the record, the 2.5-litre Boxster delivered 150kW and 245Nm. The S produces 185kW and 305Nm.

The new model will come with the choice of six-speed manual transmission or five-speed clutchless Tiptronic.

The chassis and suspension have been redesigned, and spring and damper rates have been stiffened to suit the higher performance.

The interior has been upgraded and a notable feature includes the twin-pipe exhaust instead of the familiar oval shape.

The present manual Boxster costs $119,000. The price of the Boxster S is not yet known but it will be dearer again. - Alastair Sloane