2005 Porsche Boxster S review from UK and Ireland

None.

Firstly I have to say I have a bias towards anything Porsche. This is not a bad thing, because until owning the Boxster I wrote it off as being 'not a proper Porsche'. My previous car was a 944 Turbo, which was an absolute joy to own, but in anything but the dry, it had to be treated with extreme caution!

I test drove a 2003 986 Boxster S and was impressed, but the build quality was lacking and didn't feel exclusive compared to the 944 (this applies to the 996 as well). The equipment was basic and I didn't feel enough reward for £23K.

Visiting my OPC and testing the 987 blew me away; the feel of quality was back with a bang. This instantly wrote off the notion of buying an older 996 for the same money; it had to be the 997, but funds didn't allow.

Around the corners this car is fast as it gets in the real world; in a straight line could do with a bit more, but model politics will never allow it near 911 pace, however a 993 is slightly slower around Nurburgring. The engine is a masterpiece; it cannot be matched by anything BMW or Merc can deliver; musical instruments don't sound as good!

After buying, the best bit was to come. Porsche Centre Mayfair sent me to a test track to receive one on one tuition with 917 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood, to show me the cars' capabilities. The 944 turbo taught me not to lock up the brakes and control wheelspin. Richard had me emergency brake (in the wet) at 90mph in a corner! I obliged after being reassured he had no death wish – the car stopped at a breathtaking pace, and you could still steer accurately with ABS working overtime. Richard pointed out that trusting modern brakes could be the difference between life and death, and I reckon I can now stop 50ft sooner.

He did say he can't understand why all Porsches are not 4wd, and that traction control was the way forward (remember this guy raced the deathtraps of the 70s, including F1), so I thought he'd have an old school attitude to these things.

Trust me, you wont care what people think once you're behind the wheel – a very pure driving experience.

One word of advice when buying; make sure your car has some desirable options (sat nav, leather etc). Too many cars are way too basic for the money. In a few years this will make selling a problem.