2005 Boxster
 By  Greg N. Brown 
$43,800 to
$53,100

Harrier 25
 By Capt. Stuart Reininger

from
$89,135

Much to love in all-new, second generation models.

It was entirely appropriate that our first taste of Porsche's new, second-generation Boxster was on a race track. Porsche's heritage is closely tied to motorsports and its production cars reflect the attention to detail that separates winners from also-rans. We found the Boxster right at home on the track, but don't mistake it for a race car. The new Porsche Boxster is far too comfortable, far too full of electronic amenities, far too useful for the daily grind, than to relegate it to the short-term abuses of the track. This is a car meant to be enjoyed every day, rain or shine.

It's been a long eight years since the Boxster first wowed us with its high fun factor, and it was definitely due for a major overhaul. Never rushing to market, Porsche responded as it usually does, building upon the Boxster's essential goodness with a completely new layer of cockpit friendliness and open-road performance. This is no merely freshened platform. Some 80 percent of this newest Boxster is new to the model. More than half of the car is borrowed from the 2005 911 Carrera, including the steering, front structure, seats and electronics. And it's all good.

The Harrier 25 from Hunt Yachts is a swift day boat with an impeccable offshore lineage. The heady aroma of testosterone overlaid the usual mix of gas and diesel fumes as the knife-sharp bow of one boat nuzzled the prop wash of another in Sealine Marina's narrow channel. The muscle-craft with their multicolored hulls and ear-shattering engines were out in force during February's Miami International Boat Show. Nestled peacefully among that horde of high performance machines was Hunt Yacht's new Harrier 25. That baby-blue hull surrounded by all that brawn looked (dare I say it) sweet, even docile.

From the waterline up, this boat has the clean lines and traditional layout of a classic New England runabout. Two swiveling console chairs flank a louvered, wooden companionway hatch that leads to the cabin. The amidships, box-type engine cover doubles as padded seating for four passengers; three more will occupy a stern bench (if you're really into socializing, you can opt for an L-shaped settee to port or starboard). The bolted-on, teak-planked swim platform is reminiscent of the days when boats were made of wood and their owners had to be iron to maintain them.   

In contrast to its go-fast neighbors at the Sealine Marina, the Harrier's seats provide no flip-up bolsters, electrical adjustments, wraparound armrests or five-point safety harnesses. But I bet those speedboats don't offer electrically heated seating. The Harrier does. New England, remember?

Now for the irony: Lurking under the Harrier's waterline is evidence of a lineage that's responsible for the existence of so many high performance boats. Without the deep-V hull, those boats would be pushing water instead of skimming on top of it. The Harrier is the latest from the drawing board of C. Raymond Hunt Associates, the company founded by Ray Hunt, who designed the first deep-V hull. It was Hunt's early deep-V that enabled Dick Bertram to win the 1958 Miami-Nassau race while at the helm of the Bertram 31 Moppie. That win was the beginning of a boating era that hasn't peaked yet. In short, there are nearly 50 years of engineering know-how under the Harrier's innocent-looking, baby-blue exterior. With its stiletto entry-hidden by its spray-reducing bow flare-and 23-degree deadrise at the transom, the Harrier's hull is as deep-V as they come..........More>>>>