Porsche Boxster S (987)

The Porsche Boxster S (987) sits in an unusual corner of a 600-car catalogue: it is the least expensive flat-six car represented, with a used price of £22,000, yet its place is not defined by chasing outright numbers. That position makes it a distinctive choice for a collection where character matters as much as ranking. Its power figure of 306 bhp places it 496th of 600 cars, while its 0-100 km/h time of 5.3 seconds ranks 492nd, faster than 108 cars in the catalogue. The argument for this Boxster S begins elsewhere, with what it brings that few others do.

Only 47 cars in the catalogue use a flat-six engine layout, and just 36 combine that layout with rear-wheel drive. Narrow the field further to naturally aspirated flat-six cars and the number falls to 28. The Boxster S belongs in that small group, pairing a naturally aspirated 3.4-litre flat-six with rear-wheel drive. Its 360 Nm of torque and 274 km/h top speed place its performance in a broader context: this is not the catalogue's fastest machine, but it occupies a very specific mechanical category.

That focus becomes clearer when the numbers are considered together. The Boxster S is a Porsche from Germany, from a manufacturer founded in 1931, and Porsche represents 65 cars in the catalogue. Against that wider selection, the 987 variant stands apart through its combination of layout and accessibility. A cost per bhp figure of £72 reinforces the point that the attraction is not simply paying for maximum output. It is the opportunity to own a sports car with a naturally aspirated flat-six formula at a lower price point than any other flat-six car in this collection.

With its 2+2 seater convertible/cabriolet body style, the Boxster S introduces a different kind of presence to a dream garage. Without it, the collection misses a rear-wheel-drive, naturally aspirated flat-six option that sits apart from the search for the highest rankings. With it, the garage gains a car defined by a rare combination within these 600 choices, where engineering layout and position in the catalogue tell a more interesting story than numbers alone.