The starter supercar

SINGAPORE — Let’s suppose your faith in Toto numbers has finally been rewarded, or you have just made equity partner or that start-up you invested in did not turn out to be such a daft idea after all.

If you suddenly find yourself in a position to shop for a car in Singapore that is fast, exotic and has no more than two doors, put the new Porsche 718 Boxster at the top of your shopping list — even if you have the money for something twice as powerful.

It might be tempting to head straight for the million-dollar supercar league and scratch that Ferrari or McLaren itch, but trust us on this one: The Porsche Boxster (or preferably the Boxster S that TODAY drove this week) is the perfect starter sportscar, a crucial first step into the world of supercars.

Here are five reasons.

IT’S PROPERLY FAST NOW

Boxsters seem to have a girly reputation, possibly because of the original model’s sensual lines and relatively petite dimensions. But the latest 718 model (it was named after a highly successful car from Porsche’s racing history) has hard-edged lines and the performance to match.

The Boxster S has only a 2.5-litre engine with four cylinders — a Toyota Camry’s engine has the same size — but a turbocharger adds plenty of power.

If you add the Sport Chrono Package (an S$8,474 option), it gains a Sport Plus mode that sharpens up the engine and gearbox responses to knock 0.2 seconds off its 0 to 100kmh sprint time, bringing it down to just 4.2 seconds.

Just a few years ago, such performance figures would have been the stuff of Lamborghinis, and even today, it makes the Boxster S (at S$316,588 without COE) quick enough to encroach on supercar territory.

To put this into perspective: The Boxster S may have only four cylinders, but it is a faster car than most of Aston Martin’s current line-up.

IT’S GREAT FOR LEARNERS

The Boxster S is quick enough to set your heart racing, but it will not make your vision blurry under hard acceleration, like some supercars with twice the power. That makes it a great car for easing yourself into the supercar world. No matter how good a driver you think you are, it is not possible to jump into an exotic machine and rule the roads. Inexperience might not cause you to crash, but you certainly will not get the best from your new Ferrari or McLaren straight away.

The punchy new turbo engine means the Boxster S is like that now, so if you are rough with the steering and impatient with your right foot, it will wiggle around under you while the electronic stability control system reins in the engine, to keep you from spinning off into the scenery. It just will not happen at a frenetic pace that your brain cannot keep up with.

The Porsche is a perfect example of how fast cars reward smoothness, decisive steering inputs and careful, well-timed force on the accelerator pedal. It is not difficult to drive quickly, but it is much more satisfying to drive smoothly and with a dedication to improve your skills.

IT’S A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO HOW SPORTSCARS HANDLE

The vast majority of cars have the engine up front, propelling the front wheels. The Boxster S, on the other hand, is laid out like a Formula One car, with the engine behind the driver and ahead of the driven rear wheels.

That lends itself to some handling traits that need some getting used to. The front end turns into bends with breathtaking eagerness, so you can corner much faster than you would ever have thought possible.

The 718 Boxster S can generate enormous cornering forces, and lets you sail through them at high speed without feeling an ounce of intimidation. That makes it a great car to help you build your confidence. There is nothing worse than buying a fast car that ends up scaring you into tiptoeing through corners. As speedy as it is, the Boxster is not that car.

IT HELPS YOU SAY HELLO TO SPORTSCAR COMPROMISES

The Boxster is a two-seater, which is either an advantage (no family taxi duties here) or a disadvantage (no family taxi duties here), but apart from that, you will have to get used to other quirks.

It has two luggage compartments, a deep (by supercar standards) 150-litre boot up front and a shallower 130-litre one at the rear. Still, do not expect to take your Boxster S on a golfing trip or make an airport run with a large suitcase.

Seeing out clearly from the driver’s seat is a challenge, too, particularly over your left shoulder. Even with the roof down, the muscular curve of its rear haunches tends to obstruct your view. And since the driving position is sportily low, you will have to guess at the car’s extremities (even at S$3,583, the front and rear parking sensors are a worthwhile option).

Yet, even though it is harder to see out of a Boxster than a normal car, the Porsche itself is not dauntingly wide, the way some exotic cars are. And it is comfortable enough to be driven every day.

Sure, the firm suspension provides a bumpier ride than in a luxury sedan, and the engine chatters away behind you with a constant mechanical thrum, but a 718 Boxster is something you could drive for hours without the need for chiropractic care after.

IT’S NOT FRAGILE OR EXPENSIVE TO RUN

Like other Porsches, the 718 Boxster has a five-year warranty and five years of free maintenance. But it is a well-built car to begin with, and nothing in the cabin feels like it would come off in your hand.

So it is a terrific way to ease yourself into supercar ownership without worrying about heart-attack-inducing maintenance bills or fragile build quality.

That said, the car’s quoted fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km is laughably optimistic, and in real-world driving, you will not get anywhere close to it. If nothing else, the raw pleasure of enjoying the torquey new engine’s substantial power means you will not be able to crawl along at a fuel-saving pace.

That said, the Boxster S is not ruinously thirsty. Even when driven hard, it does not gulp petrol down any more eagerly than a large luxury sedan.

That final bit of civility cements the Porsche’s position as an ideal starter supercar. It acquaints you with the compromises of driving a two-seater roadster without putting you off the whole idea of driving a high-performance car.

And above that, it is fast and agile enough to provide genuine thrills, while being demanding enough to encourage most drivers to upgrade their skills to suit.

Ironically enough, that means the Boxster S has the ability to fulfil opposite roles: As perfect as it is to serve as someone’s first proper sportscar, it is actually good enough to be the last high-performance car a person could ever want.

Porsche 718 Boxster S

Engine: 2,497cc, flat-four, 350hp, 420Nm

Performance: 285kmh, 0-100kmh: 4.2s, 7.4L/100km, 169g/km CO2

Price: S$316,588 without COE

On Sale: Now

PROS: Properly fast now, and as agile as always

CONS: Hard to see out of the cabin