By late 1995 Porsche production numbers were down. The only model being produced was the 911, with the 928 and 968 being discontinued during the year. Behind the scenes however, an exciting, two seat, mid engine Roadster was being developed, the Boxster. This model turned Porsches sales figures around when introduced in 1996.

Available in Australia from January 1997 from $109,900, the Boxster had a mid mounted 2.5 litre six cylinder water cooled engine. Later this increased to a more powerful 2.7 litre engine, with the Boxster S sporting a 3.2 litre engine. The initial Boxster shared a number of styling features with the 996 variant 911, however was smaller in size. In 2005 the Boxster was updated in styling, known as the 987 Boxster.

In 2006 a coupe variant of the Boxster was sold as the Cayman. Also available as a Cayman S, the Cayman suited drivers who wanted a two seat sporting vehicle with the rigidity of a coupe body styling. This created sharper handing and roadholding compared to the already excellent Boxster. Limited edition models such as the Boxster Spyder and Cayman GT4 are sought after worldwide for their rarity.

In 2016 Boxster and Cayman models used the 718 moniker, the big news being changes in body styling and the adaption of four cylinder turbocharged engines. The 0-100 kmh time was lowered to 4.9 seconds for PDK equipped vehicles, down to 4.7 seconds for vehicles fitted with the Sport Chrono option. The Boxster and Cayman continue in production and remain very popular amongst motoring enthusiasts.