Sunday 31st January 2016

Porsche 718 Boxster - full details

The four-cylinder turbocharged Boxster is here - vital info and stats now official

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It's one that we've known about for a while and the day some have been fearing, but details of the turbocharged Porsche 718 Boxster have now been confirmed. Boxster and Boxster S become 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S, lose two cylinders, gain a turbo and bang another nail into the coffin of the normally-aspirated sports car. At this stage Porsche is only releasing details for the 718 Boxster range; those for the 718 Cayman will surely follow soon, along with confirmation of the new pricing structure that makes the coupe the entry level to the Porsche sports car range and the Boxster the pricier of the two.

A far bigger change than the looks suggest!

Bear with us as there's quite a bit of number crunching to follow, condensed below in a comparison table with the outgoing normally-aspirated versions for reference. But the headlines are the change from a 265hp 2.7 to a 300hp 2.0-litre engine in the Boxster and from a 315hp 3.4-litre to 350hp 2.5-litre in the S. Both new engines are boxer fours with a single turbo. On the S this is a variable vane item - key technology previously reserved exclusively for the senior 911 Turbo models, the new 991.II turbo Carreras using two conventional ones. Porsche isn't going into details but you'd expect it's gone to the trouble to make sure the new motor's range and response sufficiently compensates for the loss of two cylinders, this being a bigger hurdle than faced by the Carrera.

Horsepower gains aren't the main story with the new engines though - the huge increase in torque and where it appears in the rev range will be the real difference. The Boxster leaps from 206lb ft to 280lb ft, the S from 265lb ft to 310lb ft, meaning the entry level Boxster has more torque than the outgoing GTS. All sounding good so far, right? Prepare your furrowed brow for the next bit...

Boxster now either with a 2.0 or 2.5-litre flat-four

In the modern style the turbo engines deliver their peak torque from very low revs; 1,950rpm in the Boxster and 1,900rpm in the S, both maintaining this to 4,500rpm. Which, in a twist of fate that'll not be lost on fans of normally-aspirated motors, is exactly the point where the six-cylinder engines were coming on cam and delivering their best.

Your opinion on this one key character trait will define any further conversation about the pros or cons of the Boxster/Cayman range going turbo. In the 911 it's made for a more tractable, flexible and exploitable car at the cost of the high-revving excitement diehards will say defines the Porsche experience. The difference in the 718 range will be even more marked, given the loss of two cylinders and significant reduction in capacity. More power, torque and performance will always be welcome. But Porsche needs its new engine to have the necessary fizz and zing, as well as do the impressive numbers. We'll have to wait and see on that. Will the normally-aspirated six live on in halo models like the Boxster Spyder and Cayman GT4? Porsche isn't saying so far but, if not, expect the desirability of these cars to be increased yet further.

Boxster S now a £50K car, £3K more than before

For the full performance stats see below; so far Porsche has only released 'best case' acceleration figures for cars with PDK transmission and optional Sports Chrono. Like for like with the existing cars the 718 S's 4.2 seconds is half a second quicker than an equivalent Boxster GTS and six tenths faster than a PDK/Sports Chrono equipped S. The standard 718 Boxster is a whole second quicker off the line than an equivalently specced current car too. The difference is less marked in terms of top speed but it's clear the 718s will feel a lot quicker at regular road speeds. This will no doubt be helped by a kerbweight that only climbs by 5kg for the Boxster and 15kg for the Boxster S.

Aesthetically more has changed than you might think from your first glance at the pics. Porsche says only the luggage lids, windscreen and soft-top are carried over, with new lights front and rear, bigger intakes on the front and sides and new Porsche script revealed when the rear spoiler emerges from the bodywork.

Chassis-wise steering is 10 per cent 'more direct', there's the option of PASM with a 10mm ride height drop and, for the S, PASM Sport which runs 20mm lower than standard. The optional Sport Chrono package adds an individual mode to the rotary mode switch; if you've got PDK too you get a Sport Response Button in the middle of it for a 20-second novelty 'push to pass' function.

Right move? Wrong move? The only move?

Inside there's Porsche's new PCM system which, inevitably, can be "extended with optional modules to thoroughly adapt it to personal requirements." Ready that options list... Speaking of money the new 718 Boxster starts at £41,739 - nearly two grand more than the current model - while the S is £50,695, a leap of nearly £3,000. Deliveries start in the spring.

So that's the initial number crunching out of the way. But the debate about the merits of the new turbo engines promises to run and run with the proof, as ever, being in the driving. Noise, response, character - these things will matter to many on PH. Will they be as important for the broader customer base, raised on turbos, impressed by the significant spec sheet gains and considering the faster, more frugal 718 Boxster a demonstration of more bang for your buck?

This one will continue for a while...

Search for current Boxsters in the PH classifieds here

	Boxster	718 Boxster	Boxster S	718 Boxster S
Engine	2.7-litre 6-cyl	2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo	3.4-litre 6-cyl	2.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Transmission	6-speed manual/7-speed PDK	6-speed manual/7-speed PDK	6-speed manual/7-speed PDK	6-speed manual/7-speed PDK
Power (hp)	265@6,700rpm	300@6,500rpm	315@6,700rpm	350@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft)	206@4,500 - 6,500rpm	280@1,950 - 4,500rpm	265@4,500 - 5,800rpm	310@1,900 - 4,500rpm
0-62mph	5.8sec/5.7sec PDK (5.5sec Sport Plus)	5.1sec/4.7sec PDK (Sport Plus)	5.1sec/5.0sec (4.8sec Sport Plus)	4.6sec/4.2sec PDK (Sport Plus)
Top speed	164/162	170	173/172	177
Weight (kg)*	1,405/1,435	1,410/1,440	1,415/1,445	1,430/1,460
Combined MPG	33.6/35.8	38.2/40.9	31.4/34.4	34.9/38.7
CO2 (g/km)	195/183	168/158	211/190	184/167
Basic list price	£39,553/£41,475	£41,739/£43,661	£47,858/£49,780	£50,695/£53,532

*All weights EC inc. 75kg driver/luggage

[Edmundo2]

On the basis that this trend is only going to continue I can only hope the appreciate how important it is to make the noise sufficiently loud and interesting, ( without being piped in/contrived rubbish ).

[Some Gump]

I love this "contrived noise" concept.
Is it just the "via speaker" but that upsets people, or is the air box diaphragm also frowned upon?

I say that because most interesting cars have had contrived noise for a long time. My rs4 has an S button (basically a wker button) that opens a flap to bypass a silencer. This doesn't give any gain whatsoever in performance (although Audi use the same switch to change he throttle map, which makes it feel like it does). Can you get any more contrived than that? No-one complained tho. Same trick in various Ferraris and Jags too. No-one complains.
However, put a diaphragm in connected to the intake, and it's contrived, according to the Internet. Any different to drilling "cup" holes in the air box of a 964 (which sounds MINT, by the way)? Again, that popular mod doesn't improve performance one bit..

Tl;dr?
If it sounds good, then it sounds good. I don't care how they do it.

[xRIEx]

It's like a modern 914, brilliant!

[Nimerino]

Feels, as ever, like they're compensating the likely lack of response and character with bigger numbers. Question is, of course, who they are trying to impress.

I like the Porsche script on the rear wing, don't like anything else. The 981 is a stunning car, especially the GTS, and this does nothing to improve on it. The dark headlight treatment is particularly appaling. Cynical marketing exercise from start to finish, I say, and time will tell whether I'm wrong.

[80sMatchbox]

I'm can't imagine that the 718 bit will be referred to very often, and they will just be called a Boxster amongst owners. Time will tell.

[Quickmoose]

I for one didn't think they could improve much visually over the 981, but I think they have with this. A dramatic improvement, and I bloody love the 981.
Driving wise we can be assured it'll be great, but I don't think it'll be as involving as the NA 6.

I'm thinking Audi TT turned up to 11. in delivery plsu Porsche chassi know how.
Massivley competent but not as involving.

[A10]

Are there parts missing on the steering wheel spokes?

[Hugh Jarse]

Looks good.
206@4,500 - 6,500rpm versus new 280@1,950 - 4,500rpm means in the 2000-3000 range (90%? of driving) power is about doubled. Should keep the TDI generation happy.

[Sam All]

80sMatchbox said:

I'm can't imagine that the 718 bit will be referred to very often, and they will just be called a Boxster amongst owners. Time will tell.

618, 718, 818,918 - think it will catch on eventually.

Good looking car.

[RoverP6B]

Will it still be possible to order a Cockster with a six-cylinder engine at all?

[Leins]

Think I still prefer the last 4-cyl turbo they produced, but they're fairly rare and a bit pricey these days

[scenario8]

Ballsy price rises in evidence there but I expect very many very clever and well paid marketeers will have shown those rises will be accepted. I await Cayman pricing strategies with interest.

Seems a shame to lose the six cylinder option but I should remain open minded, I guess. Let's see how the cars drive.

(I dislike inane comments on styling over engineering but I must admit the changes appear a bit fussy - to these eyes at least. The model naming feels unnecessary and contrived, as well. I imagine those marketeers are to blame here, too).

[patch5674]

Is it me, or does the front looks like a Panamera the lower DRL's are Panamera parts bin I swear.

Also, is the interior realllllllyyy good for the money, or is the 911's bad, because I really can't see much difference apart from the vents. I am course happy to be corrected because the Range Rover Sport and FF Range Rover interiors look the same in the pictures but then you realise the big dog is a lot nicer in reality.

[jamesaevans]

The big unknown at this point is how much weight they have saved by downsizing from 6 cylinders to 4. If power is up and weight is down this could be a really good car assuming the turbo engine has a good response and makes a great noise. If not the last of the 6 cylinder Boxster and Cayman are going to hold their value very well as used cars.

Along side this I understand that for the first time the Boxster is going to positioned above the Cayman in the range (as all other convertibles are), therefore a price increase was inevitable. So we should see the new 718 Cayman get a price reduction, but lets wait an see on that when the official prices are revealed!

[Chuck328]

Looks good so far, but can a four pot ever sound as good as six?

[Joratk]

Beautiful rear end in my opinion. Wonder how it will look on the Cayman. The 981s were beautiful but the rear end on the Cayman was always a sticking point for me, never thought it looked right with the coupe roof - although looked great on the Boxster. Really can't get turned on about the 4 pot though which is a shame. Will the 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS have a flat 6 or is that engine just reserved for GT4/Spyder?

[Baryonyx]

Chuck328 said:

Looks good so far, but can a four pot ever sound as good as six?

Without VTEC or a supercharger...I wouldn't have thought so.

The rev range on these sounds appalling. Out of puff by 4500rpm? Dear me. Might as well stick a diesel in an be done with it.

[MikeGalos]

xRIEx said:

It's like a modern 914, brilliant!

Of course the 914 was co-branded as a Volkswagen and didn't try to compete with the base 911T. And the 914 cost in what would now be well-optioned Mazda MX-5 range (It competed with the TR-6 and MGB and Fiat 124). And was, in many ways, a state-of-the-art car that brought mid-engine design to Porsche street cars and was the first mass-market mid-engine sports car in its market (The Matra and Lotus and Lamborghini and Dino mid-engine cars all being much smaller production and from a little to a lot higher priced).

But aside from being twice as expensive, competing in a higher market and not introducing new basic architecture...

Nah. Sorry. Still don't see it.

Edited by MikeGalos on Wednesday 27th January 02:19

Edited by MikeGalos on Wednesday 27th January 02:21

[stuckmojo]

The looks are not doing it for me.

I can't see a single reason why I would want this over the current Boxster, which is very pretty and has a lovely sounding engine. Fast enough, too.

The commoditization of the engine to turbo 4 pot was inevitable. Porsche are good at segmenting their market and this perhaps carves a larger gap between this and the 911.

Thinking of it, the only new Porsche I like is the 918.

I'd take the previous generation of 911 (991.1), for example.

not interested in Cayennes or Panamera or that other Q5 car.

But then I don't fit within their new car buyer demographic, so they have it right.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

More power, more torque and quicker and I'd bet a bit more economical to boot, What's not to like?
A good looking car too.