2001 Porsche Boxster S review from North America

Nothing has gone wrong with this car yet.

Absolutely gorgeous car, a dream come true. The seats grab you in a bear hug, and the engine sounds as beautiful as any out there.

A very quick car, although a bit underpowered. In the drivers seat you don't notice the 'lack' of power, I am saying that after comparing it to the 911.

I picked the boxster over the 911 because I found that it handles somewhat better, presumably due to the midengine design, and it's lower cost. This allowed me to purchase pretty much every option available, including a custom interior from Porsche.

The car stays planted, dancing through tight turns with almost no roll. While accelerating and braking the car does not pitch at all, something whiched really amazed me coming off my Camaro.

All the controls are crisp. The clutch is extraordinarily smooth, and the shifts, although very tight, are extremely easy to execute.

Although the deep blue of my boxster is not quite as flashy as red or yellow, the loud engine and beautiful styling still attract attention, both good (pedestrians and fellow drivers) and bad (traffic cops).

Perhaps the Boxster's best feature is it's soul. Nothing surpasses the thrill I get of waking up early Sunday morning with my girlfriend, firing up the engine, dropping the top and finding a deserted road. When I open the throttle, I am free, leaving any and all problems behind, along with a long patch of Pirelli rubber.

It is worth every last penny. For kicks, I test drove an Aston Martin DB7 cabrio, and that car, while gorgeous and sexy, couldn't touch my boxster. It seemed very soft. I understand that a GT such as the ASton is a different breed than a sporty roadster, but even a car three times the price didn't provide as much thrill as the Porsche Boxster.

Drive several different cars, and pick the one you like. Don't get the Boxster and come bitching about value. Get the car because you love it, because it stirrs something deep inside you. The Boxster should be purchased from your heart, not your head.