Porsche throws back the clock with ‘90s-inspired Boxster

The age of 1990s throwbacks is well and truly in full swing, with Porsche being the latest brand to release a homage to its pre-millennium self in the form of the new Boxster 25 Edition.

While at first glance it looks as bang up to date as any other 718 Boxster, the 25 features a series of tweaks that all hark back to the nameplate’s debut at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show. The Porsche 944 had gone out of production, and attention had turned to what Porsche would produce as its new entry level sports car. And the resulting Boxster concept was the answer.

It featured familiar 996-style ‘fried egg’ headlights and a pinched rear end, evoking the iconic 356 along the way. Its proportions were refined for production, but much of the initial look remained. Twenty five years on, Porsche has paid tribute to its legacy.

The 25 Edition comes with striking Bordeaux red leather all over the cabin; from the seats, to the dashboard. The front and side intakes get a lick of copper-coloured paint. There’s a new Boxster 25 badge on the rear. And three colours are available; GT Silver metallic, Jet Black metallic, and Carrara White metallic.

The best visual touch on the limited edition Boxster, though, are its new wheels. It trades the set of thin multi-spoke wheels it normally comes with for a 20-inch set of simple, chunky, five-spokes — the spokes painted copper, the rim silver.

Being based on the Boxster GTS, the 25 Edition comes with the slightly more powerful 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six producing 294kW of power and 419Nm of torque. Customers can either get it with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch. Being a high-spec model, it comes with Porsche’s Sport Chrono package, active suspension management, and torque vectoring with a limited-slip differential.

Sadly, for the moment anyway, the model is a North American market exclusive — meaning you’re highly unlikely to see one roaming Kiwi roads any time soon. Over there, it’s priced from US$98,600 ($137,600) plus on-road costs.