RE: Porsche 718 T Boxster and Cayman - official

RE: Porsche 718 T Boxster and Cayman - official

Thursday 20th December 2018

Porsche 718 T Boxster and Cayman - official

2.0-litre Boxster and Cayman get the Touring treatment, with a new look and more standard kit



You knew this was coming, right? The 911 Carrera T was well received, the Cayman T badge had been rumoured, and Porsche does like to occupy a niche. So here we are, the 718 T Boxster and Cayman, featuring "a tailored specification that further emphasises the renowned handling of the mid-engine, two-seater sports cars."

Like the 911, this Cayman and Boxster pair are derived from the least powerful model - in this case the 2.0-litre, 300hp version - with a range of dynamic tweaks and special equipment. Here that means a standard PASM sports chassis previously reserved as an option for the 2.5-litre cars, a shorter manual gearshift (PDK is still an option) and Sport Chrono fitted from the factory as well. Encouragingly, and again following the 911 equivalent, both Boxster and Cayman T will include Porsche Torque Vectoring with a mechanical limited-slip diff.


There's new equipment for these cars as well, most notably Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts; said to further minimise vibration from the engine and gearbox as well as control mass better, they're meant to give "increased precision and stability during acceleration, braking or dynamic cornering."

The other upgrades are as we've come to expect: PCM deleted to save weight (which will surely be added back in immediately as a no-cost option), model specific logos, Agate Grey mirror shells, black exhaust tips, GT sports steering wheel, door pulls instead of handles (obvs) and 20-inch wheels. Kerbweight is fractionally less for the T than the standard 2.0-litre 718s by dint of that missing stereo at 1,350kg, but performance remains identical: 5.1 seconds to 62mph (or 4.7 with PDK) for both cars, and a 171mph top speed.


The 718 T models are on sale now, priced at £51,145 for the Cayman and £53,006 for the Boxster. That represents a premium of £7,071 over the equivalent 2.0-litre 718s. It also puts them within just a few hundred pounds of the 2.5-litre, 350hp Cayman S (£51,853) and Boxster S (£53,714). So does the T represents a worthwhile premium over the 2.0-litre cars? Is a sharper, less powerful 718 preferable to the larger engined car for similar money? And can any 718 story be written without mention of the six-cylinder predecessor? Oh. Perhaps not. All views and opinions welcome...

 











 

 

Author
Discussion

Porsche911R

Original Poster:

21,146 posts

266 months

Tuesday 18th December 2018
quotequote all
I have no words, these are really Poor.

FerdiZ28

1,355 posts

135 months

Tuesday 18th December 2018
quotequote all
Genuinely shocked at the price. 53k before options?

So many ports my 53k ejaculate would be aimed at before these.

Mannginger

9,065 posts

258 months

Tuesday 18th December 2018
quotequote all
Such a shame they sound so uninspiring

Prinny

1,669 posts

100 months

Tuesday 18th December 2018
quotequote all
Not going to buy one, but that Cayman side profile in that red, with those wheels. cloud9

I think that looks really good, and it’s been a while since I’ve thought that about any new car.

CastroSays

182 posts

77 months

Tuesday 18th December 2018
quotequote all
Like all 718s the engine IS st.

2 litres in a Porsche sports car? Are they having a laugh?
Pish.

WCZ

10,536 posts

195 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Hahaha
Even more of a joke than the 911t

Chuck328

1,581 posts

168 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
I loved my 986.

It wasn't the fastest car around but it had a character from its engine. Sometimes that's enough. Also, perhaps irrelevant but given how much modern hot hatches have come on with well over 300hp....

Yet again, it's no here.



Chestrockwell

2,629 posts

158 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
I can tell it’s going to kick off in this thread, big time hehe

aka_kerrly

12,419 posts

211 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Prinny said:
Not going likely to buy one, but that Cayman side profile in that red, with those wheels. cloud9

I think that looks really good, and it’s been a while since I’ve thought that about any new car.
+1

Onehp

1,617 posts

284 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
I welcome the dynamic improvements trickling down in the range.

I do wonder about this one:
"a shorter manual gearshift"

Is this the much needed shorter gearing, or just a lower gear knob?

Sport220

641 posts

76 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Looks good.

Still heavy and missing two cylinders though

anonymous-user

55 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
7k more for a hole in the dash and red seatbelts is clearly a triumph of Porsche marketing over common sense. Four cylinders ? Turbo ? Outrageous, how dare they, they’ll never sell a single one... oh yeah... https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/company/porsche-ne...




Nimerino

295 posts

114 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
If the Carrera T was a cynical, pointless marketing excercise (and it was) designed to plug the tiny hole in the range between the regular Carrera and the S while offering little personality of its own, what does that make this thing, which plugs an even smaller hole with even less differentiation?

PaulD86

1,666 posts

127 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
The road to the Quiraing really is pretty. Car looks decent too. It'll probably be brilliant to dirve - the 718 and 718S are both superb drivers cars. But the engine. If it was slotted into a Focus ST I'd call it very good. In a Cayman.... absolutely not. It's a hot hatch engine in a sports car.

Miserablegit

4,021 posts

110 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
by dint of that missing stereo at 1,350kg

That's a heavy radio....

Rumblestripe

2,952 posts

163 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Not enough cylinders, wrong noise, old engine was better, blah, blah, blah...

Yeah whatever.

The Cayman in particular is one of the best looking new cars you can buy and I would include exotica like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, 911s and hypercars in that, it is just lovely to look at.

greenarrow

3,600 posts

118 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Chestrockwell said:
I can tell it’s going to kick off in this thread, big time hehe
Ha Ha, I thought that. Wait for the Porsche fanboys to arrive and read the comments on here, there will be carnage!

I do think these are very pretty cars, but unfortunately now when I see these I just think "Alpine". By undercutting the Cayman by about 250 KG (on the featured model), the Alpine just makes the Porsche seem very lardy. Its not like they have 2 extra seats or anything practical to justify the weight.



DaveTheRave87

2,091 posts

90 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
Modern Porsche marketing turning 50+ years of heritage into trim levels.

Can't wait for the Cayenne T...

AmosMoses

4,042 posts

166 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all
I guess it will drive fantastically and like the 911T it will have that light feel in the steering etc. But £53k with that exhaust note, i just couldn't!

the_hood

771 posts

195 months

Wednesday 19th December 2018
quotequote all

I do think these are very pretty cars, but unfortunately now when I see these I just think "Alpine". By undercutting the Cayman by about 250 KG (on the featured model), the Alpine just makes the Porsche seem very lardy. Its not like they have 2 extra seats or anything practical to justify the weight.



[/quote]

The Porsche is better built and (maybe) better equipped.