Sourced production or model lifecycle range used by the main catalog timeline.
Porsche986 Boxster
The Porsche 986 is the internal designation for the first generation Boxster, a mid-engine two-seater roadster built by German automobile manufacturer Porsche. Introduced in late 1996, the Boxster, based on the 1993 Boxster Concept, was Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the Porsche 914. The Boxster's name is derived from the word "boxer", referring to the vehicle's flat or "boxer" engine, and the name "speedster", first seen on the 356.
Powered by a 2.5-litre flat six-cylinder engine, the base model was upgraded to a 2.7-litre engine in the year 2000 and a new Boxster S variant was introduced with a 3.2-litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants. The 986 was succeeded by the 987, which retained the Boxster roadster and added the Cayman fixed-roof coupé body style.
Text adapted from “Porsche Boxster (986)” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07
Dates with their meaning intact
First-admission years observed in Dutch vehicle registrations; this is market evidence, not a worldwide production range.