Porsche Boxster 3.2 S

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“It can commute Monday to Friday but sprint race at the weekend. Take it on a long journey and it won’t dislodge your fillings. And a visit to the dealer between services is rarer than a frog with feathers. The Boxster is the nearest thing we have to sports car perfection.”

This Sunday Times review by Jason Dawes is typical of the rapturous reception which greeted the Porsche Boxster at its launch in 1996. Fast but not ferocious, beautifully built and with superb handling thanks to its mid-mounted engine, it had none of the vices for which earlier 911s were notorious.

Early versions had a 2.5-litre flat-six engine but this was soon replaced by a more powerful 2.7-litre unit, a top-of-the-range 3.2-litre Boxster S version being available from 2000. Producing 250bhp, it could launch the S to 60mph in just 5.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 162mph.

Beautifully balanced with near perfect weight distribution and superb brakes, it was safe enough for your mother-in-law to drive, but quick enough to enthral even the most sporting driver. Strictly a two-seater, it also had a fabulous electric soft top that could be raised or lowered in a record-breaking 12 seconds.

First registered in September 2004, this Boxster S is one of the very last 986 generation cars benefitting from all the ’03 face-lift features including clear indicators, glass rear screen, electro-mechanical hood and a more chiselled bumper design over the earlier cars. These later 3.2 S models develop 258bhp, up 8bhp on earlier examples due to a revised exhaust and air intake.

It also has the desirable 6-speed manual gearbox with full blue leather and has covered only 106,000 miles with a good service history comprising 10 stamps plus a file of invoices documenting the thousands spent by its fastidious owners. Supplied with the original handbooks in their original wallet, it is MOTd until May 2019 with only two minor advisories for the tyres showing signs of perishing.

Perfect for top-down Indian summer posing, this scintillating sportscar is ready to enjoy right away.