Porsche 718 takes shape
New video and images hint at Boxster, Cayman's radical 718 four-cylinder faceliftLast week German sports car maker Porsche confirmed it would rename the Boxster and Cayman the 718 as part of a significant facelift, and now it has revealed a little more about the cars… including the sound of their new four-cylinder engines.
Although shrouded by blankets, it's clear from a new teaser image – which shows the silhouette of both the Cayman and Boxster – that the Boxster in particular will adopt the swoopy headlight design pioneered on the Porsche 718 racecar from the late 1950s.
Why is Porsche going all out with the new name and new look for its upgraded mid-engined coupe and roadster, which are expected to be publicly revealed in early March at the 2016 Geneva motor show – and possibly earlier online?
Because it's downsizing the engines and therefore has to add appeal in other areas. Indeed, the biggest news surrounding the new Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman revolves around their adoption of 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo boxer engines, in lieu of large-capacity non-turbo six-cylinder boxer engines.
Two versions of the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engines are likely to make the cut, the entry-level 200kW/350Nm unit and a more assertive 230kW/400Nm engine for the 718 Cayman S and 718 Boxster S.
Despite dropping a couple of cylinders, the new 718 coupe and convertible twins are likely to maintain if not improve in term of both engine performance and dynamics due to lighter engines.
The 0-100km/h sprint is predicted to take around 5.5 seconds, so they certainly won't lack performance.
As part of the short video released this week, proclaiming "The Legend 718 is about to return", Porsche has also snuck in an exhaust note at the end of the vid, suggesting it'll still prick up ears as well as turn heads.
Although it's not as brash as a lumpy WRX STI with a serious exhaust kit, it still has a resonant boxer note and bodes well for Porsche's new four-cylinder engine family, which will almost certainly find its way into other Porsche vehicles.
What do you think of a four-cylinder Porsche – blasphemy or brilliant?
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