NEW DAY - NEW HEIGHT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE NEW PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER ON TEST DRIVE AND DEPARTED TO CONQUER THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN THE ARAB EMIRATES - JEBEL AL JAZZ.
GO?
And here he is, the new Porsche Boxster! This is our first opportunity to independently test the luxury 4-cylinder red roadster on the roads of the UAE. Without thinking twice, we plan a route to Mount Jebel Al Jazz in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Climbing 2000 meters along the most picturesque mountain serpentine in the country is just right for this beauty. We get out of the bustling Dubai, bypass the golden sands on the road to Ras Al Khaimah and now, away from the noisy crowd and busy traffic, we drive into the silent valley of the Hajar Mountains. The temperature drops a little, there are almost no people. We are starting the climb. Performance indicators can not but rejoice. With a 2-liter engine, the car accelerates to 100 km / h in 4.7 seconds, and the maximum speed at a fuel consumption of 5.7 liters is 275 km / h. For a larger model S turbo engine equipped with adjustable blades, the figures are even higher: acceleration up to a hundred in 4.2 seconds, a top speed of 284 km / h and a fuel consumption of 6 liters per 100 km. These numbers are true for the model with the optional dual-clutch gearbox - they are higher than for a standard car. And this despite the fact that the new Boxster kilograms are 50 heavier than its predecessor.
The driver's seat is located quite low, making the impression that the interior of the car seems to hug the driver. Inside, everything is done with good sense and taste, in the style of Porsche - no flashy details, everything is in place. Sports design, quality materials - ideal for driving, nothing more. If life is not nice for you, you can order the Porsche Boxster Exclusive with additional equipment, although such modifications are more typical for the 911 and Panamera models. Inside, everything is done with good sense and taste, in the style of Porsche - no flashy details, everything is in place. Sports design, quality materials - ideal for driving, nothing more.
At our disposal was a Boxster with the Sport Chrono package (“normal”, “sport”, “sport plus” and “individual” modes, which switch in the lower right sector of the steering wheel), sports seats and 20-inch wheels. In general, compared with the previous generation, the forms became smoother and more streamlined, but retained the former harmony of proportions and grace of lines. The 2017 Boxster is undoubtedly a beautiful compact roadster. The roof drops easily and smoothly (this trick can be turned on the go - up to a speed of 50 km / h). The steering wheel seemed a little high, but the view from it opened up normal, it was not difficult to get through the heavy traffic.ADAPTATION TO SPEED
You will not confuse the sound of the Porsche engine with anything - it is loud, aggressive and bass. Naturally, Porsche previously produced 4-cylinder engines: the 718th model, famous in the 60s, won several races in a fair fight, and the hybrid 919th Le Mans with a 4-cylinder turbo engine under the hood managed to prove itself with its racing characteristics.
The standard two liters give an increase in torque of as much as 100 Nm. And I must say, you really feel this additional power and torque. What about speed? In this regard, the new Boxster is much cooler than the old. Seriously, don’t even try to overtake it - four turbocharged cylinders lightly do away with six. There are no complaints about the power of the new engine, but it “sways” quite smoothly. After a maximum of 6500 rpm, the remaining thousand revolutions goes almost exactly. However, we did not succeed in slowing down just as quickly.
On the way back we had to speed up. It so happened that from the very top of Jebel Al Jazz it was urgent to get to Dubai in an hour and a half. Impossible? Maybe. The sun began to decline, large shadows crept along a winding serpentine. The temperature dropped to 33 degrees - it's time to ride with the breeze, lowering the roof. And just at that moment, the Boxster showed us all its dynamics and beauty. Despite the complexity of the mountain serpentine topography and the cunning of turns, intense acceleration and deceleration and a very decent speed (we will not give an exact figure), Boxster ideally kept the road, without any delay going into turns. From an external bump stop to the opposite side of the road, only three or four meters, Sport Plus mode is activated, maximum concentration on the road, but the car seemed to know how to react, giving the driver a feeling of complete control over the road and safety. In combination with a powerful engine and stylish design, aren't these the main characteristics of an ideal sports roadster? Comfortable, easy to operate, quite affordable and powerful in technical terms. Needless to say - in his class he is still a leader.
Author Irina Malkova
