Porsche Boxster and Cayman to get new name and flat-four engines

Porsche has announced that its mid-engined Boxster and Cayman sports cars will both undergo a radical facelift in 2016 that will see them renamed the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman.

Named after the 718 racing cars made between 1957 to 1962, the renaming will also reposition the 718 Boxster above the 718 Cayman, as we predicted in August. It’s not yet known what price premium the roadster will carry.

As well as the new name, both cars will receive new styling tweaks and a significant interior upgrade.

But the big change happens under the bonnet with a new turbocharged 2.0-litre flat-four engine introduced to both the coupe and roadster.

Two versions of the new engine are expected to be offered -- a lower-output variant with around 200kW/350Nm and a more powerful 230kW/400Nm version that will be badged the S.

Performance is expected to improve over the flat-six motors it replaces with the standard 718 expected to hit 100km/h in less than 5.5 seconds while the faster Boxster and Cayman S should post a sub-five second sprint to the performance benchmark.

The existing six-cylinder engines are tipped to live on in the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, but only under the bonnet of the GTS models and the Boxster Spyder and Cayman GT4.

Reducing emissions and boosting fuel consumption are the driving forces for the introduction of the more powerful and more efficient flat-four. The added benefit is the new engine is expected to significantly reduce kerb weights, hence the facelifted four-cylinder models will come with their own specific suspension tunes.

After its launch next year, a more powerful 2.5-litre turbo flat-four is expected to join the range that will produce at least 300kW.

Rumours are also rife that the small flat-four engine will provide space in the engine bay of both the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman for an electric motor that could herald a hybrid version.