Recovered from the shock of
turbocharged 911s
? Well here's the next drastic change in Porsche powertrains: the
Boxster
Cayman
will have a 2.0-litre flat-four turbocharged engine option 'in the future'.
So will it sound like an Impreza?
It's part of a major refresh of the Boxster and Cayman range, both of which will be rebadged 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman as part of a 2016 update. The Boxster will also be 'positioned at a higher price level' than the Cayman, a change in the current pricing structure. The 718 nomenclature comes from 1957 718, successor to the 550 Spyder and a high point for Porsche's four-cylinder racing cars. The flat-four 718 won the Targa Florio in 1959 and 1960, while a 718 RSK took a class victory at Le Mans in 1958. So now you'll know if anybody asks why your Boxster isn't just a Boxster anymore...
Porsche of course wants to link back to the recent motorsport success of the 919 Hybrid too, but has not yet released any more details of the Cayman/Boxster facelift. Expect a typically modest visual change, plus the tech tweaks seen in the 911 like Apple Carplay and updated nav. More details on that flat-four and a launch when they're available!