| REVIEW
Porsche Boxster 986 Mark II [2002-2004] Retroview - Part 3
Interior
Design
From the outset it’s pretty obvious that the Boxster doesn’t have the biggest cabin in the world, I mean, we’re certainly not talking Land Rover or Bentley type roominess, but once you’re sitting in the car it is surprising how much space you can find.
At around 5’10” (175cm) I’m fairly average height and can just manage to achieve a reasonably comfortable driving position with the seat all the way back. The cars previous owner was over 6’ tall and told me he’d never really had any problems; however, I never saw that for myself and do have my doubts. Though some may find this a negative, for me the positive is that sitting in the car feels a lot more akin to sitting in a racing car, rather than your average family sedan. The driving position is low and the seat bolsters wrap around you like a race seat and the proximity of the door arm rest and centre console mean your elbows need to stay tucked in beside your body – the same way they are in a single-seater track car.
Another thing you’ll notice is that virtually every surface in the car is curved, there literally isn’t a flat or level surface anywhere – much like the exterior – and while it is a much-needed change from the angular, box-like styling of previous decades it can be a real problem if you want to put something down, even just for a moment, and not have it slide off onto the floor.
The interior is also quite ‘plasticky’ but I think that has more to do with the early 2000’s generally rather than the car specifically. This means it is quite easily scratched, so if you are looking at purchasing a similar model then you’ll find plenty of marks around the most used areas of the centre console – particularly around the hand brake, window controls and centre storage bin.
There are plenty of buttons to press, which are easily accessible in the centre of the dash, but if you have the optional BOSE® stereo and satnav system it does mean the air conditioning controls get stuck behind the gear stick – which can be a little frustrating. Obviously the aircon is set for LHD versions of the car, so in the UK the temperature setting and display is on the passenger-side making it hard to read and access. Another small detail is that the aircon display is still in what I assume is German, which you notice only when you’re in ‘MANUELL’ mode. You would think that with the number of units sold to the English-speaking world that they would have made an English version, but maybe that’s just me.
The full-leather seats are reasonably comfortable, enough for a good few hours driving on the motorway without too much of an ache in the backside.
Buyers Tip
- We definitely have to recommend that you look at a model with the upgraded head unit with the Bose stereo, satelitte navigation and CD changer. The additional rear speaker replaces what is pretty much a useless (and somewhat plastic) rear storage unit, so you will have less space. But as they say... if you're going to have a great car, you might as well have a great stereo to go with it!
- The only draw back is that because they changed the way the GPS sends date information, you will never be able to set the correct date on the system and seem to end up stuck in the year 2000 forever, but we think it's a small price to pay.
Function
Probably my favourite part of the interior on the Boxster is the pop-out cup holders, which seem standard on most Porsche models from the 996 onwards. The idea that they are completely stowed away in the dash only to be revealed when you need them is as brilliant as the way the roof folds away without sacrificing any of the available boot space. It also half-extends so if you only need one rather than two, then that’s all you get. We very rarely have drinks in the car (preferring to stop and take a break from driving if we feel the need for a refreshment) so permanent drink holders that are moulded into either the doors or console have always ended up being more of a dust trap than anything else.
Handy pop-out drinks holder.
Pretty much everything else is fairly standard, buttons to control the roof, the PSM (Porsche Stability Management or traction control) module, plus everything you need to control the stereo, the satellite navigation and the inbuilt car-phone – yes, you read that right – an inbuilt car-phone. While having an actual phone hand set in your car is pretty much ancient history, back at the turn of the century (now it sounds really old, doesn’t it?) it was all the rage
The sat nav display is so retro, it's sort of cool.
Boot space and storage
Believe it or not there’s a surprising amount of storage and boot space in the Boxster. Having the engine mid-mounted means the luxury of two boot spaces – one at the front (in classic Porsche style) and the more conventional one at the rear. Inside the cabin, there is a reasonable-sized glove box as well as storage in the centre console and both doors.
The front boot (or as it’s sometimes called, the ‘froot’ or ‘frunk) is especially deep and can easily fit a couple of regular-sized airplane carry-on bags or large grocery bags - more than enough for a weekend or even a week away if you’re a little frugal with your packing. The front boot also houses the spare wheel and associated tools and jack (which you could remove if you needed more space for a short journey (though not recommended for anything more than local driving), the stereo power amplifier and CD-stacker if you have one, as well the brake and windscreen washer reservoirs. You also access the headlights from here, using the removal tool (or 5mm socket) which pops the entire headlight housing out of the front quarter-panel giving easy access to all the bulbs. You’ll also notice that under the drivers-side (UK) lamp housing you’ll find the emergency release cable for the boot itself.
Front boot space.
