Hot on the heels of the brilliant new Caymans come Porsche’s upgraded Boxster models in standard and S formats.

And a similarly fine job the company has made of them.

There are new engines, more power and refinement and a new set of sporty options previously only available on the mighty 911.

The test car, a Boxster S, wore deep, iridescent blue paintwork which drew much admiration; let’s face it, black and silver are dullsville these days.

In Porsche’s usual way, the important mid-term tweaks are under the skin rather than cosmetic. The new S engine is now 3.4 litres and power is up to 310bhp, with an accompanying torque boost to 266lb/ft.

It’ll hit 62mph in 5.3 seconds (add the optional PDK gearbox with Sports Chrono package and this drops to just five seconds) and top speed is now 170mph.

With direct fuel injection for the first time, the S also returns up to 15 per cent better fuel consumption and 16 per cent lower emissions.

Fortunately, nothing that’s been changed detracts from the thrilling Boxster driving experience.

The acceleration is spectacular, as is the flat six’s unique and fabulous rising harmonic howl as each slick and short-throw gearchange spins the big rev counter clockwise.

Throttle response is instantaneous and reminds you just how far most turbocharged engines still have to go before they can match an up-market normally-aspirated motor.

Steering is sublime, with every movement of the car or change in the road surface fed straight back to you, and even the brakes are superbly progressive and full of feel, rather than of the all-too-common on-off approach.

Those brakes have been given red calipers on the S and thicker discs to help cope with the higher performance.

Cosmetically, the new Boxster has enlarged front air intakes, black on the S, a more noticeable front spoiler and redesigned headlights with LED daytime running lights.

At the back there are, again, restyled lights, a centrally-located tailpipe (twin on the S) and a black diffuser.

The door mirrors are also redesigned and a little bigger, which noticeably improves rearward visibility and there are new, five-spoke alloys as standard – the S comes with 18-inchers as standard. Also standard is the hill-hold function.

The electric hood remains of excellent design, with good sound insulation, a quick deployment and one chunky lever to lock it in place.

The test car was fitted with a host of optional luxuries, like Porsche’s communication management and sat-nav system, heated and cooled seats, upgraded Bose hi-fi and special leather, etc, which boosted the price by around £10,000.

That obviously develops the car into a truly luxurious roadster; whether you want to do that is down to personal preference.

But even in basic trim, with the big front boot, comfy cabin room for two and a long top gear, the surprisingly practical Boxster could also serve as a splendid grand tourer.

Factor in excellent build quality all round, a good reliability record and, when properly looked after, a lifetime of 150,000 miles or more and most drivers agree the Boxster is probably the finest all-round roadster on the planet.

The new version simply and sensibly builds on what’s gone before and I finally submit – it’s my new number one, too.

The new Boxster S costs from £40,388 on the road with the Boxster starting at £33,704.