Clean triple black Boxster Tiptronic. Recent repaint. Runs and drives great. Working cold A/C, upgraded Pioneer stereo, functional black canvas power top. Recent tires. Still one of the best sports cars you can buy and this one is very easy to live with.

Porsche created one of the world’s great sports cars with the Boxster. Mid-engined, perfect balance, reasonable price tag, and enough practicality and reliability to make it a viable daily driver. Add in a typically Porsche long list of options, and you get a 2-seater that does everything well. This particular 2003 Porsche Boxster is a nicely maintained triple black example that shows rather well despite approaching its 25th birthday. It was repainted in its original black a few years ago due to sun fading of the original paint, and it looks awesome today. The Boxster shape is unmistakable and the little details that made these early cars special are still very much in evidence: the 911-style nose, the air intakes behind the doors, and the single center-mounted exhaust tip out back. Panel fit is typical Porsche excellent and everything fits well and closes without a heavy slam. There’s no evidence of rust or previous accident damage, just a sleek little sports car that still commands a lot of respect on the road and in the parking lot.

The black leather interior remains in good overall condition. There’s some light wear on the driver’s seat, but nothing critical that needs attention, and those twin bucket remain as supportive as ever. Carpets, door panels, and other soft parts remain in great shape and the fat leather-wrapped steering wheel features thumb controls for the 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Gauges are mounted in three separate pods ahead of the driver with the big tachometer in the center, Porsche style, with secondary controls in the center stack. It’s worth noting that everything works: the A/C blows cold, the power windows motor up and down easily, and the aftermarket Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo sounds great, top up or top down. And speaking of the top, it’s in good overall condition with only light fading but no rips or tears, and stows itself automatically with the touch of a button. The Boxster offers two trunks, one up front and one in back, and together they give the Boxster impressive carrying capacity—perfect for a road trip.

The 2.7 liter flat-6 is hidden under the top mechanism, so it’s difficult to show it to you, but we can assure you that it runs and drives great. There’s plenty of torque on hand at any speed and it makes typical Porsche sounds, which is awesome. It has been properly maintained throughout its life so it lights off easily, idles properly, and pulls the car around without any effort, all with the reliability of a New York City taxi cab. It’s pretty impressive. The 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was optional but it’s a good choice for those who want a responsive transmission but not a clutch—the aforementioned buttons on the steering wheel provide manual control if you want it, and you can also pull the shifter into the manual gate and bump it up and down through the gears yourself. It seems like a great compromise if you like a no-hassles sports car. Underneath you can see that this car has not seen winter weather (who would drive such a thing in the snow anyway?) and access to the mid-mounted boxer engine is quite good for routine service. The suspension is obviously capable but it rides surprisingly well and the brakes are massively powerful. It sits on unmarked factory 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in staggered 205/50/17 front and 255/40/17 rear performance radials.

Extras include a spare driver’s side taillight lens, just in case.

Porsche inadvertently invented their best ever sports car with the Boxster. They’re always careful to keep it from overshadowing the 911 in performance, but if you want a pure driver’s car, it’s really hard to beat a Boxster. Benign handling with exceptionally high limits, great engine sounds, and a top-down motoring experience all make these one of the biggest bangs for the buck in the automotive world. Take a closer look and imagine yourself on your favorite twisty road in a mid-engined Porsche. It’s easy!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.