Porsche Boxster ($42,600) comes loaded with leather seats, automatic climate control with a pollen filter, a double-lined power top with a glass rear window, telescoping steering wheel, AM/FM/CD, power windows, power locks, and a remote key fob with buttons to unlock the doors, the hood and the trunk lid. It also comes standard with side-impact airbags (and, of course, dual frontal airbags).
Powering the Boxster is a 2.7-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. Boxster comes standard with four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers and Bosch ABS. It's equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels and an automatic rear spoiler.
Boxster S ($51,600) differs primarily by its performance equipment. The S comes with a 3.2-liter engine, a six-speed gearbox in place of the Boxster's 5-speed, a sport-tuned suspension, and 17-inch wheels. The S is distinguished by its additional front air intakes.
Porsche is notorious for offering a lot of options and Porsche owners are notorious for ordering them. Among them: premium Bose audio systems, a wind deflector ($375) that reduces buffeting when the top is down, Park Assist ($530), Porsche Stability Management ($1,235), various wheel and tire combinations, and a long list of interior trim options that allow a buyer to individualize and enhance the car. It's easy to (happily) drive a $50,000 Boxster off the lot and it's not hard to spend considerably more.