Porsche 718 Boxster S 2016 Review

Porsche 718 Boxster S
International Launch Review
Spain

Porsche's replacement for the Boxster may not look very different, but thanks to upgrades all-round and an awesome new turbocharged flat-four engine, it turns out to be the surprise of the year. In 2.5-litre Boxster S guise, the new four-cylinder Porsche kicks like a mule in the mid-range, giving the chassis plenty to think about and making it feel completely different to any Porsche that's gone before. We're very excited about the prospects of the next Cayman S.

You're wondering what all the fuss is about. So Porsche has renamed its Boxster and given it some new lights, so what?

Could you have said that? Then you in particular need to sit up and pay attention, as the first of the 718 models we've driven, the new 718 Boxster S (call it 'seven eighteen' if you don't want someone from Porsche to correct you), reveals a new direction for the 'juniors' of the line-up -- a trajectory about which petrol-heads the world over should be very, very excited.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves a little. What's so new that Porsche decided to resurrect the 718 number (used on mid-engined sports cars in the 1950s and '60s) and slap it on what looks like a mildly facelifted car?

Actually, in spite of the evolutionary design (does Porsche ever do it any other way?), the new 718 Boxster shares less than a handful of external body parts with its predecessor, such as the windscreen rail, the folding soft-top and luggage compartment lids.

Some won't notice that it's a new car, but park it next to the old one and the contemporary surfacing and sharper lines are obvious. They're complemented by smoother door-handles and new wheels (19-inch rims on the Boxster S, 20-inch optional).

Everything else is new too, including a beefier front bumper with larger air inlets, different wheel-arch and side sill designs for the Boxster and Boxster S and larger air intakes ahead of the rear wheels.

Most will notice the lights first. Bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights are standard, but everyone will want to upgrade to the much cooler all-LED arrangement, including the four-LEDs-in-a-square daytime running lamp signature. At the back there are more snazzy-looking new lights, again employing LEDs, and that four-point design is reflected in the brake light.

You'll not notice those at first though as you'll be too busy wondering if you like the massive 'PORSCHE' script that stands proud from a new accent strip running between the two lights, under the spoiler.

The interior is more obviously new, featuring the latest switchgear and technology rolled out on the 911 Carrera models. That helps the cabin take a step up in ambience, though as the test car was weighed down with options, we'll await a test on home soil in a more realistic specification before giving a final judgement.

Naturally, the 718 gains the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with its good-looking and relatively slick operating touchscreen interface. Just as importantly, there's a new steering wheel, shared with the 911. It's perfectly sized and we like the inclusion of the 918-aping satellite switch for choosing the driving mode. But it’s a shame that Porsche skimped on its construction and made the spoke inserts out of brittle-feeling plastic. No matter, keep your hands on the tactile leather-trimmed rim and you won't be disappointed.

And there's good reason to hold the wheel with care. The electro-mechanical power steering system is 10 per cent more direct, which immediately gives the Boxster a more agile feeling.

Before you even leave the carpark it's clear that you're going to have fun. That’s not to say it's nervous -- just more alive than before. And that's a theme that runs through the whole car.

Temper these views with the knowledge that we only had the chance to test the manual Boxster S fitted with optional Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), but it blew us away. At everyday speeds on everyday roads it's an absolute blast. The mid-engined balance remains, but it's tangibly more agile and somewhat surprisingly moves around under you, even at modest speeds.

It’s not lacking in grip (far from it), but it gives the driver plenty of feedback, enabling him or her to place the car precisely or, if conditions allow, indulge in some throttle adjusted attitude on the exit of a corner. Push too far and the stability control system smoothly helps you keep it on the black stuff, but there's not much fear of turning it off in the dry, such is the wonderful balance and how the chassis telegraphs its limits to your hands, butt and brain.

Aiding and abetting all this are upgraded brakes for both models, the new 718 Boxster gaining the previous S's stoppers while the new S borrows its larger discs from the 911. If you find the limits of these on the public road you need to sit yourself down and have a word with yourself, before a man in a uniform does...

The 718's chassis is a sensible exercise in Porsche parts bin raiding, as the Boxster and Cayman have always been. But that stops at the engine. Gone are the charismatic flat-six naturally-aspirated units and in their place a pair of turbocharged flat-fours.

The 718 Boxster is powered by a 2.0-litre version, while the Boxster S' is a 2.5-litre powerplant, basically a big-bore version of the same unit with variable-geometry turbine tech borrowed from the 911 Turbo.

The 2.5 makes 257kW (that's 350hp) and a chunky 420Nm produced from just 1900rpm all the way around to 4500rpm. The needle seems to whip around the rev counter from there to the 6500rpm power peak before naturally tapering out towards the 7500rpm rev-limiter so you don't find yourself awkwardly hurrying with the next gear. Indeed, that'd never happen anyway, as the six-speed manual is an utter joy to use.

While some will miss the mellifluous flat-six bark, the flat-four's mid-range bite more than makes up for it. There's decent acceleration available seemingly regardless of gear or engine speed and there's a serious kick in the kidneys as the engine homes in on 6000rpm.

An average driver in the old car wouldn't see which way an average driver in the new car went. It is undeniably faster more of the time, yet it retains a ballistic top end.

And what of the noise? It's unique. At idle when it's cold it doesn't sound the most refined (I swear the Volkswagen Beetle came to mind for a second), but on the move it's full of intent and with the optional sports exhaust (don't buy this car without it) downright loud.

It sounds like no other four-cylinder engine on Earth and nothing like a Subaru's Boxer, in case you were wondering.

That engine sound is new to a modern Porsche and it clearly differentiates the new 718 line-up from its big brother, the 911.

No longer is there a whiff of 'wannabe 911' off this car; it now stands on its own four tyres as a unique proposition with its own distinct personality.

We'd go so far as to say it has the potential to usurp the 911 as the keen driver's model of choice from Stuttgart. And this is 'just' the Boxster roadster. Betcha can't wait to try the 718 Cayman out for size.

Get in line buddy.

2016 Porsche 718 Boxster S pricing and specifications:
On sale: June
Price: $143,400 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 257kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual / seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 184g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A

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