RE: Porsche 718 Boxster S: Review

[Atmospheric]

I'd now expect late 6 cylinder 981s, 987s and especially early 986S prices to hold extremely firm within the next year. Late 2017 for a "mint" £20k early 986 methinks.

[Reed Hitchcock]

Shame, really, because the flat-6 is what made the Boxster unique among contemporary roadsters. It's still pretty, but could just as easily be a next-gen MR2 or MGF. Want to sell a four-cylinder Porsche? Great. Drop the price by 50% and make it a true entry-level car.

Damned shame. Buy the sixes while you can still find good ones reasonably priced.

[RacerMike]

God....it really sounds terrible. And I don't mean in an 'I wish it was a 6 pot' terrible. I mean that practically every 4 pot with a sports exhaust sounds better! It just sounds so course and unrefined If it had sounded like any of the numerous 4 pot hot hatches that are around at the moment, it would have been vaguely bearable!

I'm not naive enough to believe that the hyperbole of Pistonheads is a true representation of the buying public, or indeed that my opinion particularly matters, but I was under the impression that most Caymans/Boxters were bought by people like me. 30 something enthusiasts who've always wanted a Porsche, but couldn't stretch to a 911.

I have a 987 at the moment, and have just ordered it's replacement (a Focus RS). I considered lots of options, but the primary requirements were 'best in class' performance, driving involvement and soul and it had to be new. I genuinely was considering a 981, but realised that there wasn't a hope in hell I'd get a 6 pot as orders have switched the to the 718. Other choice was an M2 (which I came very close to taking the plunge on but was put off by a waiting list even longer than the Focus), but there is just no way I want a 4 pot Cayman. I'm sure it's a great car, but I'd just miss the 6 pot so much. It's one of the key components of my 987. Without it, I'm not sure I could put up with it's other foibles. Every time you rev it, it just puts a smile on your face.

I hope to god Porsche haven't got it wrong, but I really, really struggle to understand who's going to buy it. Those who buy a car 'cause it looks nice and is economical' are surely just going to go for a TT or a BMW of some description. It's completely lost it's USP....

[leglessAlex]

tyrrell said:

EricE said:

Porsche forces the Boxster back to the hairdresser image it started with and is about to find out that there aren't many hairdressers around than can afford a £70k car.

Zero 718 preorders at my local OPC as of Friday. The sales people had to spec the first two cars.

My OPC said the same they are quiet worried about it

That's very interesting. have said OPCs got any idea of why the orders aren't coming? As Kambites said above, I would have thought the majority of buyers neither knew nor cared how many cylinders the car had.

Something to do with the price maybe? It is over 10% more expensive than the previous one...

[MrBarry123]

I was a big fan of the previous Boxster and Cayman - they're gorgeous looking cars - however this new Boxster looks like a Chinese rip-off of an actual Boxster. I wonder if the same designers of the Land Wind were contracted on this?

[EricE]

leglessAlex said:

That's very interesting. have said OPCs got any idea of why the orders aren't coming? As Kambites said above, I would have thought the majority of buyers neither knew nor cared how many cylinders the car had.

Something to do with the price maybe? It is over 10% more expensive than the previous one...

My contact suspects people are waiting for reviews and test drives before deciding. He couldn't recall ever having to spec cars for lack of launch orders. I'm sure price also has something to do with it.

[RacerMike]

leglessAlex said:

tyrrell said:

EricE said:

Porsche forces the Boxster back to the hairdresser image it started with and is about to find out that there aren't many hairdressers around than can afford a £70k car.

Zero 718 preorders at my local OPC as of Friday. The sales people had to spec the first two cars.

My OPC said the same they are quiet worried about it

That's very interesting. have said OPCs got any idea of why the orders aren't coming? As Kambites said above, I would have thought the majority of buyers neither knew nor cared how many cylinders the car had.

Something to do with the price maybe? It is over 10% more expensive than the previous one...

I fear it's because potential buyers like me who could easily have been 'man maths-ed' into one just can't get excited about 4 pot Boxter of Cayman. I can't, in any way at all, stomach the idea of buying a 718. No amount of convincing would work.....unless it was £35-40k.

[Krikkit]

kambites said:

I doubt the majority of current owners even know their Boxster has six cylinders so I don't see that as being an issue beyond PHish circles.

Is that really the kind of person that spends £40-50k on a two-seater drop top? I'd be surprised if they didn't just buy a TT instead - it's cool, styled well, german, and available with 20" wheels.

[loudlashadjuster]

I'm sure it, erm...sounds better in real life.

Porsche said:

£1,344 for LED main headlights...£890 for Porsche Torque Vectoring including mechanically locking rear differential

£890 for a proper lump of finely-engineered limited-slip differential and associated electronic torque vectoring gubbins

£1,344 for some twinkly lights?

No-one can say Porsche don't know their customers...

[kambites]

Krikkit said:

kambites said:

I doubt the majority of current owners even know their Boxster has six cylinders so I don't see that as being an issue beyond PHish circles.

Is that really the kind of person that spends £40-50k on a two-seater drop top? I'd be surprised if they didn't just buy a TT instead - it's cool, styled well, german, and available with 20" wheels.

A surprising number of people care about what journalists say about how a car drives without actually caring how it drives. I think you perhaps also under-estimate the value of the Porsche brand amongst non-petrolheads.

Whilst Boxsters have always been lovely cars to drive, driving enthusiasts have never really been the primary target demographic.

[Leggy]

dandare said:

Is it me, or are they taking styling cues from Toyota?

Spot on I knew it reminded of something but couldn't place it.
It is not a thing of beauty like its last incarnation.

Seeing as most of them are driven by middle aged permanent tanned blondes where I live it will still sell unfortunately.

[kambites]

Wasn't the MR2 at launch generally reckoned to be a copy of the Boxster?

[RacerMike]

kambites said:

Krikkit said:

kambites said:

I doubt the majority of current owners even know their Boxster has six cylinders so I don't see that as being an issue beyond PHish circles.

Is that really the kind of person that spends £40-50k on a two-seater drop top? I'd be surprised if they didn't just buy a TT instead - it's cool, styled well, german, and available with 20" wheels.

A surprising number of people care about what journalists say about how a car drives without actually caring how it drives. I think you perhaps also under-estimate the value of the Porsche brand amongst non-petrolheads.

I'm not sure that's right though. I think the stereotype that the Boxter is a hairdressers car is totally wrong. I honestly think most Boxter and Cayman owners are very technically aware and buy the car precisely for that reason!

[swimd]

I think the board of directors tried to get the Cayman/Boxster off the 911's back and inadvertently killed the whole car in the process.

I'm a fan of 986-981 but would rather drive a TT-RS (= fancy Golf with a decent engine) than a 718. Even the Mazda MX-5 hardtop concept compares favourably in looks, fun and value.

[ITP]

Leggy said:

dandare said:

Is it me, or are they taking styling cues from Toyota?

Spot on I knew it reminded of something but couldn't place it.
It is not a thing of beauty like its last incarnation.

Seeing as most of them are driven by middle aged permanent tanned blondes where I live it will still sell unfortunately.

My mrs used to have an mr2 just like that. It was good fun to drive, also a 4cyl roadster........but, can be had for less than the price of the boxsters led lights!

[Krikkit]

swimd said:

I think the board of directors tried to get the Cayman/Boxster off the 911's back and inadvertently killed the whole car in the process.

I'm a fan of 986-981 but would rather drive a TT-RS (= fancy Golf with a decent engine) than a 718. Even the Mazda MX-5 hardtop concept compares favourably in looks, fun and value.

For roof-down 4-cylinder thrills I'd agree that an MX5 with a roof + £40k sounds like a better idea! Hell, you could get a supercharged conversion for a bit more poke, retrim the whole cabin at a custom fitter in fancy leather and alcantara and still get £25k back off a Boxster S's price.

Not really in the same category by design, but it is a convincing idea.

[GroundEffect]

cseven said:

£62k for a 4 cylinder drive train....not sure about that

Powertrain

Drivetrain = transmission and driveline.

Powertrain = Engine, Transmission & Driveline.

[kambites]

RacerMike said:

I'm not sure that's right though. I think the stereotype that the Boxter is a hairdressers car is totally wrong.

I'm not quite sure what "hairdresser's car" is meant to mean, as far as I can see it's always been a term used by people to dismiss a car that doesn't actually have anything wrong with it. I think a very large target demographic for the Boxster is the "mid-life crisis" - children have left home, endowment has come through freeing up some cash, what do we spend it on?...

Obviously that doesn't represent all buyers, it almost certainly doesn't even cover the majority, but I suspect it's the single biggest group.

[RacerMike]

kambites said:

I'm not quite sure what "hairdresser's car" is meant to mean, as far as I can see it's always been a term used by people to dismiss a car that doesn't actually have anything wrong with it. I think a very large target demographic for the Boxster is the "mid-life crisis" - children have left home, endowment has come through freeing up some cash, what do we spend it on?...

Obviously that doesn't represent all buyers, it probably doesn't even cover the majority, but I suspect it's the single biggest group.

I think I'd agree with that. And I think this group tend to be fairly clued up, having known a few through motorsport. They tend to be enthusiastic about cars (hence choosing a Porsche over something else) and want one for the engine and handling, as much as they do the badge and image.

[kambites]

I think the fact that you know them through motorsport is probably skewing the sample set somewhat. Obviously petrolheads have mid-life crises too; but most people who go and buy a sports-car in their middle years aren't petrolheads.