Porsche Cayman to undercut Boxster

Porsche will downsize both the engine and price of its compact Cayman coupe when the upgraded version arrives next year.

Since its launch in 2006, the Cayman has defied automotive industry tradition by being more expensive than its convertible sister model, in this case the mid-engined Boxster roadster that appeared a generation earlier in 1997.

That will change around mid-2016, however, when a midlife makeover for both compact mid-engined sports cars is released, with Porsche sources confirming to motoring.com.au that Australia will be one of the markets in which the Cayman and Boxster will swap positions in the brand's sports car range.

Now in its third generation, the Boxster has consistently outsold both generations of the Cayman, and the repositioning is designed to boost sales of the Cayman globally.

Currently, the Boxster opens Porsche Cars Australia's sports car line-up at $104,700, while the Cayman starts at $106,200. There's a bigger price gap between the Boxster S and Cayman S, which cost $131,100 and $139,000 respectively, and the coupe extends all the way to the $189,900 Cayman GT4 (all prices exclude on-road costs).

That means potential price cuts of at least $1500 and up to $8000 for the 2016 Cayman and similar price hikes for the 2016 Boxster, which Porsche will justify by eliminating the Cayman's power advantage.

The Cayman has always come with more performance to go with its higher price relative to the Boxster, with 202kW/290Nm versus 195kW/280Nm in entry-level 2.7-litre six-cylinder boxer form and similar output differences in 3.4-litre S and GTS forms.

That will change in 2016, however, when both models come with a downsized 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine at base level, and a 2.5-litre turbo-four boxer for the Cayman S and Boxster S.

Exact power outputs remain unknown, but the UK's CAR magazine reports the standard models will be detuned from the current circa-200kW outputs to 180kW, while the 2016 Boxster/Cayman S will offer 224kW instead of their respective current outputs of 232 and 239kW.

CAR says the new GTS versions will come with a higher-output 275kW version of the new 2.5 turbo four, to replace the existing 243kW 3.4-litre six in the Boxster GTS (250kW for the Cayman S).

The turbocharged, downsizing trend follows a similar move Porsche is about to reveal for its flagship 911 sports car, an upgraded version of which will appear at September's Frankfurt motor show.

While the facelifted 911 will retain six-cylinder boxer engines, all non-GT models will move to smaller flat-six turbo engines displacing just 3.0 litres – down from a current 3.4 and 3.8 litres.

According to Autocar, the facelifted 911 Carrera will offer 272kW at 6500rpm (up from 257kW at 7400rpm), while the 2016 Carrera S will produce 309kW at just 1700rpm and no less than 500Nm of torque – up about 15kW and 60Nm over the naturally aspirated 3.8-litre boxer it replaces.

It's unclear whether the new flat-six turbo engines will lose any of the throttle response for which the 911's atmo boxers are known, but no doubt Porsche will claim vast improvements in midrange flexibility and in-gear acceleration, and the new 3.0-litre engine's ability to still rev to 7500rpm.

Of course, they will also make the upgraded 911 quicker and more efficient, with Autocar claiming 0-100km/h reductions of up to half a second in base PDK dual-clutch auto form, to four seconds. Top speeds should remain unchanged, and fuel consumption figures remain unclear.

The 2016 Boxster/Cayman twins will also follow the facelifted 911's lead in bringing only minimal cosmetic updates. While we've seen official 'spy' images of the 911 ahead of its world debut next month, these latest unofficial shots of the Boxster show only mildly revised front and rear light clusters and side air intakes. Also pictured here is the current Cayman S by Porsche Exclusive.

However, expect interior design and infotainment upgrades to be among the changes for all versions of the new MY16 Boxster and Cayman range.

The turbocharged '991.2' 911 range is anticipated to go on sale in Australia early next year, followed by the all-turbo four-cylinder '981.2' Boxster/Cayman line-up in late 2016.