Porsche Boxster – Photo Gallery: When people think of the culture of Southern California, words and phrases like flashy, hot (in several senses), fast, overpriced, and image-conscious come to mind. Coincidentally, they’re also terms associated with the 2007 Porsche Boxster, a popular automotive staple in the land of sunshine and wannabe celebs. To be sure, drop tops in SoCal are a great choice, but after a week of testing, we came away with mixed impressions. Yes, this entry-level Porsche (if there really is such a thing) is flashy, gets attention with its looks, and is sufficiently uncommon and badged to satisfy those yearning for upward social mobility. But it’s quick, not fast, and at more than $56,000 as tested, most definitely overpriced.

Pictured on these pages is the 2007 Boxster base model that the folks at Porsche loaned us for a week of evaluation. We didn’t get a window sticker, so we did some of our own calculating to determine how much it would cost to buy off the showroom floor. Starting price for the base Boxster is $46,395 including a $795 destination charge. Our tester added items such as dual heated seats, Carrera S 19-inch alloy wheels, a rear wind deflector, floor mats, and more, all of which helped push the final price to about $57,000.

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