MotorMouths

The 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder looks great, drives great and is undeniably desirable. And oh would I like one — if only I lived in California.

A base Carrera is not this friendly. A GT3 is not this forgiving. No 911 pivots this well. The Boxster Spyder is the best-handling car Porsche currently makes, which puts it high in the running for best-handling new car, period.

New lines, more room and a stronger and more efficient engine make the 2013 Porsche Boxster one of the best sports cars in production.

The luxurious morphing of the 2013 Porsche Boxster has not diminished our enthusiasm for its driving performance one bit. It is everything that it was, and more, and everything you expect in a Porsche. While no car is perfect, in the vaunted world of sports cars, the Boxster is astonishingly close.

The Boxster impresses as the rare great car at a price accessible by many. It finally feels like Porsche didn’t hold back its engineering or design geniuses to protect the big brother 911.

Looks mean, drives like hell and is more fun than a barrel of German monkeys. The Spyder takes everything you love about the drive of a Boxster – the slinky gearbox, the powerful lithe engine, the roadster feel – and pushes it to the tenth degree.

Perhaps stung by criticisms of “diluting the brand”, the iconic German speed factory has countered with the Boxster Spyder, a sporting piece nearly as pure and purposeful as James Dean’s 1955 550 Spyder.

The Boxster S’ steering and handling are absolutely impeccable. The svelte look of the past gives way to a more muscular appearance. Inside, the new Boxster has an upscale feel.

The Boxster Spyder is one of the most enjoyable enthusiast-oriented cars we’ve driven in a long time. It delivers raw driver involvement in a completely modern sports car. It is a throwback to the old-fashioned roadster experience that most automotive enthusiasts crave.

The 2011 Boxster Spyder is an open-air roadster that is as close to a time machine as you’ll get in a modern car, let alone a Porsche. Looks mean, drives like hell and is more fun than a barrel of German monkeys. We like it, very, very much.

The new 2013 Porsche Boxster is an absolutely terrific car to drive. I liked driving this car a great deal. Which leads to my biggest issue, and one that likely won’t get resolved: I think there should be a cheaper version.

If you’ve admired the Boxster in the past, you have no reason to stop now. Improved in all regards and sporting a near-perfect new look, the baby Porsche remains the one to beat for the segment. The real beauty of this car lies in its impeccable performance-minded driving manners.