The new Boxster has a quiet look that speaks volumes about Porsche design philosophy. Yet it's also modern in the many small touches that first made their way into the Porsche styling idiom through the high-powered Carrera GT (note the mirrors) and the new 911 Carrera. The area of most improvement, in our eyes, is up front, in the headlamp treatment. The revised layout now separates the main driving lamp from the foglamp and turn signal cluster, which not only gives the Boxster nose a more traditional Porsche look, it also allows the foglamps to be placed further toward the car's corners for a better spread of light.

The frontal area and grille openings are larger, the track is wider, and the enlarged running gear is covered by wider wheel arches, but the wind tunnel guys went to work on a solution. Their aero-science helped fashion a new rear spoiler, reshaped body panels, A-pillars and door handles and a fully covered undertray to create a more slippery profile with less lift and increased downforce, all good things when speed needs to fight the air. There are no extraneous ducts or style-influenced bulges to be seen. The inlets up front that feed air to the pair of front radiators (and a third cooler in the S) are bigger, and the large ducts in the rear fenders have been made bigger to direct more cooling air to the bigger brake discs, but hey, in the brake world, bigger is definitely better.

Even where the eye can't see, the attention to crucial detail contributes to the durability and sportiness of the Boxster. To cite just two examples: small spoilers on the front longitudinal suspension arms that direct airflow to the front brakes to help keep them cool; and small, flexible blades attached to the undertray that steer airflow toward the transmission for the same effect.

Saving weight is a constant goal for sports cars, but sometimes, we think things are taken a step too far. For instance, there is no longer a spare tire in the car; instead, an air compressor and tire sealant will have to do. We understand the advantages of this approach (it saves 22 pounds, some luggage room and a bit of cost), but we wonder about that poor driver, crossing the Nevada desert, whose tire sustains the kind of damage sealant can't help (sidewall punctures, for instance).

The redesigned tail clearly separates the new Boxster from the outgoing (pre-2005) model. The seam between body and tail panels now runs above the taillight cluster, which itself has been broken into three elements with more contrast between the red and white areas. And the center high-mounted stop light is now composed of 18 LEDs for a brighter warning to the daydreamers hovering just off your rear bumper. Boxster S models are distinguished from 2.7-liter Boxsters by their twin oval exhaust tips.

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