Porsche Boxster 2.7 Roadster

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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 sportscar perfection.”

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

Initial versions had a 2.5-litre flat-six engine but this was soon replaced by a more powerful 2.7-litre unit. Producing 220bhp, it could launch the Boxster to 60mph in just 6.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155mph. Beautifully balanced with near perfect weight distribution, it was safe enough for your mother-in-law to drive, but quick enough to enthrall 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.

This May 2002 Boxster 2.7 has had just two owners from new according to the V5, these being father and son, passing from one to the other in 2011. Nicely presented in dark blue metallic with a butterscotch hide interior and a 5-speed manual gearbox, it has covered some 107,600 miles with a good service history comprising 8 stamps up to 93,476 miles in February 2014.

A LUX spec model with various goodies including extended leather, tinted windows, air conditioning, traction control and a wind deflector, it has a navy blue powered soft top that functions as it should. Complete with all its original handbooks and good tyres all round, it is said to drive well and is due to have a fresh MOT before the sale. One family owned from new, it is ready to jump in and enjoy.

Coming fourth from top in the 2002 Auto Express owner satisfaction survey, the Boxster is one of the most rewarding sportscars imaginable and this little cracker looks absurdly good value at the modest guide price suggested. The icing on the cake is the highly appropriate number plate.