FOR THE PAST 28 YEARS, I have had the good fortune to own several front-, mid- and rear-engine Porsches. All have provided me with many hours of driving pleasure accompanied by the all-too-familiar perma-grin. My favourite remains the mid-engine Boxsters, having owned the S version in 986, 987 and 981 variants. It’s hard to beat the sweet sound of the flat-six wailing just behind your head as it climbs to redline with the added bonus of the wind blowing through your hair, for those fortunate souls less follicly challenged than me.
My most memorable Boxster experience occurred in early June 2014 when I had the opportunity to take advantage of European delivery with my wife Isabel. The Agate Grey 2014 981 Boxster S with Amber Orange leather interior, which I had only seen on the configurator, did not disappoint when viewed in the flesh at the factory. The 16-day road trip to Pienza in Tuscany via the Strada delle Dolomiti and the Grossglockner, Stelvio and Susten alpine passes was blessed with smooth pot-hole-free pavement and unseasonably warm top-down weather, albeit with sunshine reflecting off the snow on the side of the road.
Upon my return to Zuffenhausen to drop off the P-car, I was quick to check this item off my bucket list only to find myself adding another European delivery to another list out of my wife’s view. — Stan Schnapp
