There is no first place
 in 10Best. Officially then, the Porsche Boxster and its newly reworked 
tin-topped brother, the Cayman, are exactly equal to the other cars on 
our list.
But lean in close now because we’re going to let you in on a secret: The Porsches are the winners among these winners.
Unlike
 several of the other cars here, the Porsches’ place on the list was 
never in doubt. Over our morning (and midday, and afternoon) doughnuts, 
we’d debate the relative merits of the Honda Accord and the Mazda 6 and 
whether the combined forces of BMW’s 3- and 4-series would be able to 
meet the challenge presented by the Lexus IS350. But there was no 
discussion of the Boxster and Cayman. They were on everyone’s list, and 
that was that.
We’ve
 spilled so much ink in praise of these two, that this story could 
consist of two words: Of course. But in case you’ve missed our fawning, 
here’s the rundown.
The
 secret to this duo’s success is that they somehow manage to feel so 
organic, so genuine, in a world full of simulated, electro-distant 
experiences. That they achieve this while employing the same 
technologies that make other cars feel synthetic is a type of magic.
The
 Boxster and Cayman’s steering system isn’t of the non-assisted, 
purist-pleasing variety. It’s not even hydraulically boosted. It is an 
EPS (electric power steering) system, three letters that strike fear and
 revulsion into the hearts of most sports-car fans. That uniquely 
Porsche flat-six timbre is augmented by a facsimile of engine noise 
piped into the snug little cabin. Optionally available is the pricey 
sport exhaust system ($2825) that gives you effectively a two-stage 
volume control—those two stages being quiet and 11. There are available 
adjustable shocks (PASM, $1790), an automatic-shifting dual-clutch 
transmission (PDK, $3200), and a launch-control system that relieves the
 driver from even having to know what a holeshot is.
So how is it possible that, with all of this interference by technology, the Boxster and Cayman remain authentic feeling?
Don’t
 know. But when you turn the satin-aluminum-trimmed SportDesign steering
 wheel ($490), it’s like turning a high-fidelity rheostat of joy. With 
this level of feel, accuracy, and composure, the steering system could 
be boosted by flaming cow patties and we’d still park a Boxster or 
Cayman in our garage.
Your
 intentions zing from steering wheel to suspension to tire almost before
 you realize you have any such intentions. Yes, the car posts adult 
levels of grip on the skidpad (right around 1.00 g for both base and S 
Boxsters), but achieving those figures is child’s play compared with 
what these cars can do away from the calm of the asphalt lake and out in
 the scarred, undulating, unpredictable place known as the real world. 
Nothing is better at staying the course with absolute ease, come what 
may. These cars never lose their cool, never become perturbed. They 
simply go about their work with effortless tenacity.
Yes,
 Porsche makes extensive use of its own famed Weissach test track and 
the equally famed Nürburgring Nordschleife to hone the ride and handling
 characteristics of its cars, including these two. But then, developing a
 car at the ’Ring has become commonplace enough that its use alone 
cannot explain why the Boxster and Cayman have transitional behavior so 
lively, stable, and natural that their bodies feel like extensions of 
their drivers’, even as other ’Ring warriors leave us cold. Could it be 
that the difference here is just a group of the world’s best engineers 
developing a car with a clear and unwavering focus?
You
 can easily find quicker cars, cars with higher top speeds, and goodness
 knows you can find less-expensive cars, but you simply cannot find cars
 any more satisfying to operate than this duo. Oh, and they’re gorgeous,
 too.