Best Soft Top Convertible: 2009 Porsche Boxster S
MSRP: $57,650
Apart from shelling out millions of dollars for an original example or building your own replica from tube steel and Volkswagen parts, there's no better way to live out your Porsche 550 Spyder fantasies than by slipping behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster. We'd argue there's no better time to do so than now.
We've long lauded Porsche's entry-level offering for good looks, plentiful power, and outstanding handling. These characteristics are still present, but for 2009, Porsche adds a few new tweaks (chiefly to the Boxster S) worth saving for. For starters, you can now opt for Porsche's slick new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK), allowing you to blip through gears in a split-millisecond.
Should you spring for the Boxster S, that fancy gearbox is mated to a version of the 3.4-liter flat-six equipped with direct fuel injection. In this form, it churns out 310 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, up 55 hp and 52 lb-ft over a base Boxster. ...next page >>