Car Of The Day: February 28, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Hot Wheels' 1998 Porsche Boxster.

The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 550 Spyder.
The first-generation Boxster (the 986) was introduced in late 1996; it was powered by a 2.5 litre flat six-cylinder engine. In 2000, the new Boxster S variant was introduced with a larger 3.2 litre motor, and the base model received a more powerful 2.7 litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants.

In 2005, Porsche unveiled the new generation of Boxsters: the type 987. The 987 is more powerful than its predecessor and featured styling inspired by the Carrera GT. Engine output increased in 2007, when both Boxster models received the engines from their corresponding Porsche Cayman variants. In 2009, the Boxster models received several new cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, further increasing engine output and performance.

Production of the 986 began at the former Porsche 928 facility in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive also manufactured Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The Boxster was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in 1996 until the company introduced the Cayenne sport utility vehicle in 2003.

The Boxster's name is a portmanteau of the word "boxer", referring to the vehicle's horizontally opposed or "boxer" engine, and the word "roadster", referring to the vehicle's two-seat capacity and convertible top.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Porsche Boxster

The Boxster was released ahead of its big brother, the 996. Harm Lagaay's design, inspired by the 356 Cabriolet, Speedster, and 550 Spyder, stimulated a commercial turnaround for Porsche. Through consultation with Toyota, Porsche began widely sharing parts among models and slashed costs. The 986 Boxster had the same bonnet, front wings, headlights, and engine architecture as the 996. Many believe the introduction of the Boxster helped save Porsche from acquisition.

All 986 and 987 Boxsters use the M96, a water-cooled, horizontally opposed ("flat"), six-cylinder engine. It was Porsche's first water-cooled non-front engine. In the Boxster, it is placed mid-engine, while in the 911, rear-engine. The mid-engine layout provides smoothness throughout the rev range, a low center of gravity, near-perfect weight distribution, and neutral handling.