Following swiftly on from last week’s 911 Black Edition, Porsche have revealed another Black Edition special, this time for the Boxster. Unlike the £67,000 911 Black Edition, which is priced to match the base 911 Carrera, the Boxster Black Edition is more than £3,500 more expensive than the Boxster S at £47,426 when it is launched in March 2011.
But before we start questioning such apparent inconsistencies in Porsche’s pricing, it’s important to note that the Boxster Black Edition is fitted with the same 315 bhp engine as the Boxster Spyder, 10 bhp more than a standard Boxster S.
Boxster Spyder = Boxster Black Edition ≫ Boxster S + Ingredient X
So what exactly is a Boxster Black Edition? Well, it’s probably best to think of it as the joint top model in the Boxster range, sharing the mantle with the Boxster Spyder. But whereas the Spyder is intended as the most sporting interpretation of Porsche’s ever-popular mid-engined sports car, the Black Edition focuses more on style and equipment for the non-trackday addict.
The Boxster S Black Edition will be limited to 987 cars and is naturally black all over: Black body, black hood, and black 19 inch Boxster Spyder wheels which are designed to accentuate the muscular appearance of the roadster. The colour concept of the Boxster S Black Edition is consistent in every detail. The rear side air intake grilles are painted in black as is the twin tailpipe of the exhaust system. The model lettering painted in black on the rear luggage compartment lid identifies the Black Edition as much as the embossed Black Edition model designation on the side of the fabric hood. The roll-over bars are painted in black, too.

The black line of the exterior is continued in the interior. The stainless steel door entry guards feature the “Black Edition” model lettering in black. The standard Sport Design steering wheel with its double-spoke appeal has a non-slip rim of smooth-finish leather and sporty grips. The trim strips of the dashboard and of shift lever or gear selector are painted in black. The dials on the instrument cluster are black as are the partial leather seats with the Porsche emblem embossed in the headrests. Also available upon request: black leather interior. The limited edition badge on the glove compartment identifies the sports car as a model of the Black Edition.
As a standard, the Boxster S Black Edition features the otherwise optional “Comfort”, “Infotainment”, and “Design” equipment packages, and therefore comes at a more favourable price than a standard Boxster S when fitted with comparable equipment options. The wind deflector is standard as are the anti-dazzle interior and exterior mirrors with integrated rain sensor, cruise control and a climate control system. The Porsche Communication Management (PCM) including navigation module are also standard as is the universal audio interface and mobile phone preparation.
Upon request, the Boxster S Black Edition can be further personalised. For example, the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) is an option as well as the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), as is the adaptive sports seats with memory function.
To raise its dynamic appeal even further, the Boxster S Black Edition may alternatively also be fitted with the seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). This will shorten acceleration times from zero to 62 mph to 5.1 seconds (manual: 5.2 seconds), whilst the top speed with PDK is 170.3 mph (manual: 171.5 mph). Fuel consumption for the Black Edition is the same as the standard Boxster S at 28.82 mpg, whilst the PDK equipped car raises this to 30.05 mpg.
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Written By

Steve Davies
Steve is an investor, private equity advisor and former Partner at KPMG, PwC and Bain. Most importantly he's a life-long car enthusiast, mountain biker and active sports enthusiast. He designs and builds technology platforms and is the architect behind Transmission.
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