OK, so you’ll have to squint a bit to tell the difference, but this new Boxster is more powerful, faster, sharper and a shade more efficient.
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The initial range-topping version of Porsche’s all-new turbocharged horizontally opposed 4-cyl. gasoline engine will boast displacement of 2.5L and deliver 345 hp in the 718 Boxster S, the name the German automaker is resurrecting for its ’16 Boxster roadster line.
Porsche unveiled the 718 Boxster and the 718 Boxster S with new engines. The 718 Boxster S’ boosted 2.5-liter engine lays down 300 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque, which makes it 15 horsepower less powerful than the outgoing Boxster S but bumps the torque by 43 pound-feet.
While using turbocharged flat-fours will undoubtedly be panned by purists, automobile magazine Road & Track says that Porsche can cleverly justify it with the 718 nameplate and leverage on the car’s history. Its nimble handling made up for the power produced by its contenders such as the V12 Ferraris.
The 718 models internationally come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard but we expect the India spec cars to come only with the 7-speed PDK dual clutch automatic. The PDK has new “fuel-saving virtual gears”, which are supplemental virtual intermediate gears that reduce engine speed during constant cruising when the next higher gear would reduce engine speed too much.
Available to order now, prices for the new Porsche 718 Boxster start from £41,739 for the entry-level Boxster, while the Boxster S is priced from £50,695. The fuel efficiency figures are still unknown but the cars are expected to be around 14% more fuel efficient according to the New European Driving Cycle. Every body part except for the luggage compartment lids, the windshield and the convertible top has been changed. The 718 Boxster – when equipped with PDK and the Sport Chrono Package – sprints from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds (0.7 seconds faster than the previous model). Redesigned Bi-Xenon™ headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights are another striking feature. The cockpit and dash have also been revised.
The rear bumper is the most telling sign you’re looking at a 718 Boxster. thanks to a vent-like accent strip linking the tail lamps with a bold Porsche badge set within, the 718’s rump is immediately identifiable as being unique to the turbo Boxster. For the first time, the PASM sport chassis with a 20 mm lower ride height is available as an option for the 718 Boxster S. The active chassis, which has also been retuned, offers an even broader spread between longdistance touring comfort and dynamic sporty stiffness.
Porsche has also re-tuned the car’s chassis to enhance cornering performance, added uprated brakes for more stopping power and tweaked the power steering for more accuracy. It now gets an Individual program along with the regular Normal, Sport and Sport Plus settings.
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The cabin is fitted with the latest generation of Porsche’s touch screen-based infotainment system and a three-spoke steering wheel whose design is loosely inspired by the one found in the sold-out 918 Spyder. This package sharpens the responsiveness of the engine and transmission to offer best possible acceleration.
