Porsche has just started to hype the 911 Black Edition, but is already rolling out that car’s greatest rival: the Boxster S Black Edition. Like the 911, this one leaves a dark impression, with black finishes for not only the body, cloth top, and 19-inch wheels, but the air intakes, roll bars, and dual tailpipes, as well. The top is embossed with "Black Edition" lettering.

The same monochrome look from its 911 sibling dominates the interior. The seats—available either as cloth with leather accents or fully wrapped in cowhide—are all black, as are the instruments and the trim on the dashboard and center console. A badge on the glove box tells you the car’s place in the limited production run, which will number 987 units—that number being the internal model designation for the current- (second-) generation Boxster. The 911 Black Edition, for comparison, will be produced in a run of 1911.

Bargain-Basement Limited Edition

Like the big-brother Black Edition, this limited-edition Boxster packs a lot of extra equipment at a reasonable premium. At $66,150, it costs $6600 more than a Boxster S, but it includes navigation, a premium Bose sound system, xenon headlights, and a few other odds and ends, and is several thousand dollars cheaper than an identically spec'd S.

While the 911 Black Edition is powered by an unchanged version of the least-powerful engine in the 911 lineup, a 345-hp 3.6-liter flat-six, the Black Boxster is fitted with the strongest six in the Boxster armory. The 3.4-liter from the Boxster Spyder and Cayman S produces 320 hp at 7200 rpm, narrowing the gap between this car and its 911 counterpart to just 25 horses. The excellent six-speed manual is standard, while the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is optional. Like any Boxster, the Black Edition can be optioned up with an adaptive suspension and Porsche's carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Boxster is nearing the end of its life cycle, and its replacement is due in late 2011. But the high level of equipment and limited-edition appeal of the Black Edition represents a decent value, and it’s hard to put a price on that sinister look.