New Porsche 718 Boxster Spied With Flat-Six Engine
Porsche could be introducing a new Boxster sandwiched between the GTS and Spyder. A few weeks ago, we got our first look at the new Porsche 718 GT4 Touring. Compared to other models in the 718 family, we noticed the two exhaust pipes were more spread out. Now, our spies have spotted what appears to be a new version of the 718 Boxster with the same exhaust and sound as the recently spotted 718 Touring. In contrast, all regular 718 Boxsters have the dual exhaust tips positioned next to each other in the middle of the rear bumper below the license plate. While all current 718 models utilize a turbocharged flat-four engine, this suggests Porsche could be working on a new six-cylinder Boxster that will slot between the GTS and the Spyder. What we don鈥檛 know at this point, however, is whether the new six-cylinder versions positioned below the GT4 and Spyder will utilize the same specification of the flat-six engine. If so, the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter unit will allegedly produce around 420 horsepower. Also expect the new six-cylinder Boxster and Cayman to be lighter than the GTS and receive additional hardware tweaks. 82,800 and packs a 365-horsepower turbo-four engine. Rumors suggest the new 718 Cayman GT will be unveiled in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, so its twin Boxster sibling will also likely be unveiled alongside it.
The displacement is shared with 3-box family sedans now! FI is here to stay. On paper, the smaller 2.0 engine delivers 300 BHP at 6500 rpm and max torque of 380 Nm between 1950 and 4500 rpm. What's impressive is that the torque delivery starts off at 1900 rpm, thanks to turbo-charging & direct injection. On normal highway commutes or enthusiastic driving, you'll barely notice the turbo lag. However, drive with a light foot in-city and you can distinctly observe a bit of a hesitation from the engine as the turbo spools up before generating boost. Power is transmitted down to the wheels with a 6-speed manual or 7 speed dual clutch gearbox called Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). We did not get a hand at the manual tranny as it won't be coming to India (unfortunately). Sport chrono package. Engineers at Porsche have made a commendable effort to derive every last bit of power from the 4 cylinder motors. The bump up in power sees the 718 reach 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds on the PDK box; add the Sport chrono package and you further shave another 0.2 seconds off your earlier time.
Quite remarkable for a smaller engine to take 0.7 seconds off the earlier Cayman 2.7L. Interestingly, the PDK gearbox outshines the manual tranny in all performance aspects. Loaded with launch control and Sport chrono, the gearbox offers lightning quick shifts, with its dual clutch mechanicals working in tandem as you bury the pedal to the floor and 1.4 bars of boost push through the intake. It is highly recommended that you pick the Sport chrono package with the PDK box. In normal mode, the gearbox is eager to upshift to keep up fuel efficiency figures. As you let go of the throttle, the gearbox is disconnected from the wheels to coast the car in order to chew up miles without burning fuel. Once I engaged sport mode, it was hard to drive in normal, as the character of the car changes completely with a sharp throttle response and instant power delivery. The gearbox holds onto gears much longer across the rev range. 6,500 rpm. Fast overtaking manoeuvres are a cake walk.
But redlining isn't as much fun as in the straight-6; there is a distinct dip in response past 6,000 rpm. It must have been tough to keep the trademark engine sound similar to bigger motors from erstwhile cars. Our test cars featured an optional Sport exhaust that is distinctly louder than the stock unit. A clear identification to spot a Cayman with a sports exhaust is to find twin tail pipes at the rear. A button on the center console makes the exhaust much louder, but the note isn't 'trademark Porsche-like'. It is more bassy and the crackle pops after you let go of the throttle at high rpm are distinctly louder. That 6-cylinder sweetness at high revvs is sorely missed. The big brother Cayman S gets the impressive 2.5L motor that is more suited to the dynamics offered by the car. The S motor delivers 350 BHP at 6500 rpm and a massive 450 Nm of torque between 1900 to 4500 rpm. 80 Nm jump from the 981!
Extra horses see 100 km/h 0.5 seconds quicker than the standard Cayman @ 4.4 seconds. Add the sport chrono package and you'll see 4.2 seconds! Top speed is 10 km/h higher at 285. If you are spending big bucks, the Cayman S is the version to get. Porsche isn't getting the S variant to India right now, although we're sure it will follow soon as there is no investment cost in a CBU. It's a simple procedure. The S - like it's younger brother - has oodles of torque lower down the revv range. Turbo lag isn't prominent and boost kicks in early. As the turbo kicks in, enough thrust is generated to dart the car down freeways - the needle climbs sharply on the speedometer and you'll do silly speeds without even realising it. Mid-range is again power packed and responsive, facilitating fast acceleration as you eat up highway miles. In both the engine variants, Sport plus mode makes the acceleration aggressive.