Porsche Boxster

Rating:
Summary: Thoughts on "Porsche Boxster"
Review: A beautiful, well-bound book, with many rich, well-composed photos, yet its attempt to bring the reader into an intimate sense of the Boxster falls short. For one, many of the photos are merely self-congratulatory, and don't really convey anything more than placing the Boxster in its target market group. For instance, there are no photos showing people really driving the car passionately, nor does the visual narrative give any sense of the personality of the car in motion. The best section of the book is about the design process of the car, how people pooled their inspiration to bring forth a truly beautiful automobile. In my mind, the Boxster itself tells volumes about the vision and passion of the Porsche company. The book is less remarkeable, less passionate. Perhaps one reason is that the enthusiasm of the writers was sadly lost in the translation. And, since Porsche is so revered for design, I would've expected the design of the book to exhibit as much flair and daring as the Boxster itself. For all my criticism, I still enjoy the book--which I give credit to the strength of the Boxster design. --Kurt Story

Rating:
Summary: A Must for a Prospective Boxster Parent
Review: I started my journey into this book with an aching hunger for more knowledge of this spellbinding car. I was rewarded with a performance not unlike a practiced seduction - glimpses of a fully rounded curve here and more detailed shots there, calculated to fan the flame of desire. This book skillfully succeeds at taking that first flush of infatuation and turning it into an inferno of desire. The detailed technical data is available elsewhere - but nowhere is the personality of the 986 available so completely, except in the flesh. Having made a fleeting acquaintance on a Test Drive, this book confirmed my aspiration to acquire a Boxster. It is a book that I take pleasure in returning to again and again. The book celebrates the Car and I celebrate that I possess the book.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful "Coffee Table" book about the Boxster
Review: This is a book for lovers of Porsches and beautiful cars in general. It describes the genesis of the Boxster project at Porsche and puts in into the context of the company's history. There is a lot of information about the design and engineering of the car, but most of it can also be found in the promotional material produced by Porsche (indeed the book feels like it was written by Porsche's PR department). There is not a lot of practical, hands-on experience about the car, its performance, day to day experience, etc. The book is richly illustrated and the photography is beautiful. It is highly recommended to prospective Boxster owners so they have something to dream about while they are waiting six months for delivery, as I did.