Redesigned, featuring new engines, transmissions.

The Porsche Boxster is a delightful sports car that is equally at ease being pushed to its limits or sauntering through traffic jams. The engine note is invigorating, the handling crisp, the ride elastic, the brakes sublime and the interior ideal for driving, but it is how all this works in harmony that makes the Boxster such an entertaining car.

Porsche does not make major changes very often, preferring to get the basics right from the start and continue fine tuning from there on. So the 2009 Boxster that is heavily revised is still instantly recognizable as a Boxster. Length and track have changed by fractions of an inch and the basic shape and size remain.

The major upgrade for 2009 is completely revised powertrains, with new engines giving the Boxster and Boxster S their biggest power increases yet and improved efficiency. A six-speed manual replaces a five-speed as standard on the Boxster, and both plain and S versions may be offered with a new seven-speed double-clutch gearbox (PDK) that is Porsche’s most advanced transmission.

Boxster is perhaps the most practical mid-engine convertible sports car available. The cabin has plenty of room and can accommodate tall individuals, and insulation, refinement and equipment match many sedans. There are two compact trunks to carry a week’s worth of groceries or luggage in soft-sided bags, and they won’t get singed on a sporting road.

The Boxster is so well-rounded it could come up on many shopping lists. Convertible luxury with a driver bias might pit it against a BMW Z4, Audi TTS, or Mercedes-Benz SLK, while the performance shopper may also have a Lotus Elise or Exige, Honda S2000, or maybe even a Mazda RX8 on the list.

Virtually no one buys a Boxster for base price, and the many options can drive the price up, but we’d certainly recommend the PASM active suspension.

Major upgrade with new engines, transmissions, suspensions.

2009 marks the first redesign of the Porsche Cayman. But wait, you say, it looks like last year’s car so where’s the redesign? To the naked eye it’s only in the ends of the bodywork and some wheels. The primary changes are to the engines and transmissions, and upgrades to suspension and other systems, in short, to the primary ingredients that make a Porsche a Porsche.

Porsche styling rarely changes over time. The basic shapes of the 914, 924 (and 944 and 968), and 928 were always the same, as have been the Boxster and Cayman, and, of course, the 911. Adjustments are made over time for technological and performance improvements, or government mandates, hence the evolutionary appearance changes. Underneath it’s a different story, however.

The 2009 Porsche Cayman gets a 265-horsepower 2.9-liter flat-six, replacing last year’s 245-hp 2.7-liter engine. The 2009 Cayman S features a 3.4-liter engine, now boasting 320 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, a dramatic increase over the previous 295 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque and just 25 horsepower shy of a 911 Carrera. Both 2009 Boxster engines are more efficient than last year, and if every Porsche car in the world was switched off no measuring equipment would detect a change in C02 levels.

Transmissions are upgraded for 2009. A six-speed manual now comes standard on both Boxster models, and Porsche’s newest, most sophisticated, seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, called the PDK, replaces last year’s six-speed Tiptronic automatic. For the first time, a limited-slip differential joins the performance option list.

Among colors and interior trims alone there are thousands of combinations so exclusivity is well within reach; Porsche’s line of Exclusive options and paint hues to order merely expand the realm of possibilities. They also expand the budget since you can get almost anything on a Cayman but doing so can as much as double the price.

You can argue the Cayman is merely a fixed-roof Boxster but we disagree. The Cayman has its own feel and character, and resets the Boxster’s benchmarks a notch higher. It can serve as a luxury grand-touring car for two with heated and ventilated leather seats, Bose sound system, and navigation system. It can serve as a sports car with superb driving dynamics, wonderful sounds, and excellent driver involvement. It can serves as an entertaining commuter car with decent mileage, a view out, dual trunks and drive-everyday-versatility. It can serve as a weekend racer with adjustable suspension, advanced drivetrains, and racing-style brakes. Its two trunks offer significantly more cargo space than the Boxster does. Plus, the Cayman is one of the best-looking sports cars on the road.

Potential Cayman shoppers may also look at the Audi TTS, BMW Z4, Lotus Exige, Nissan 370Z or GT-R, Mercedes SLK AMG and maybe the Chevrolet Corvette or Dodge Viper.

Pricing for the new model represents a steep increase, but buyers do get more for their money. In addition to its revised styling and folding hard top, the base car gets the more powerful 255-hp, 3.0-liter I-6 that was standard on the sportier ’08 Z4 3.0si. The new top performer for 2009 is the twin-turbocharged sDrive35i, which yields 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque.

BMW will also offer a full set of options for the new convertible. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will set you back $1525 and is only available on the sDrive35i. Other options include $550 for metallic paint, $2100 for a navigation system, and $750 for the extra safety of BMW Assist.

Buyers can deck out their Z4 with a sport package with sport seats, adaptive M suspension, 18″ wheels, and an increased speed limiter for $2300. For $1000 a cold weather package comes with a heated steering wheel and front seats, and for $2000 a premium sound package includes a premium hi-fi stereo, 6 DVD changer, and iPod integration. A premium package with auto dimming mirrors, power seats, ambient lighting, and a universal garage door opener is also available.