Porsche has confirmed its next Boxster and Cayman sports cars will be powered by four-cylinder engines – and they also get a new name.
Both models coming next year will wear a 718 prefix. The range has also be reversed too – just like the 911 range, the convertible will be positioned above the coupe so the 718 Boxster will cost more than the 718 Cayman.
But the big news is the engine line-up. In a move to drive down emissions, the Stuttgart-based sports car firm will introduce turbocharged flat-four boxer engines for the first time in the Cayman and Boxster.
Boxster and Cayman boss Dr Stefan Wechbach told Auto Express at the Frankfurt Motor Show the move to smaller capacity turbocharged engines has been prompted by emissions, although turbo engines will: “offer the advantages our customers want: performance, acceleration, high speed and torque”.
It’s unclear whether Porsche will continue to offer six-cylinder engines in the Cayman and Boxster range, but Wechbach hinted feedback on the existing Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder’s 3.8-litre naturally aspirated engine was “overwhelming”. Porsche is believed to be considering continuing to offer six-cylinder engines for the hottest variants of the next-gneration Cayman and Boxster.
The new name is a reference to the Porsche 718 of the 1950s. It was the successor to the 550 Spyder and used four-cylinder engines with great success – a 718 RSK won its class at the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.