What's all this then?
This is the four-cylinder future of Porsche.
Don't you mean the four-cylinder past?
Ah, you'll be thinking of the likes of the 968, 944, 924, 912, 914 and the original 356 - all four-pot Porsches and all great cars in their own rights. The updated Boxster, now called the 718 Boxster, follows in their footsteps with a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which replaces the old naturally-aspirated flat-sixes.
You can have it in 2.0-litre form (in the 718 Boxster, with 300hp, 380Nm of torque, 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds with launch control and 40mpg) or as a 2.5-litre (that's the 718 Boxster S, with 350hp, 420Nm, 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and 38mpg). Either way, it's impressively powerful for such a small, light engine and Porsche reckons it's 13 per cent more efficient than the old flat-sixes, as well as being 35hp more powerful. Top speeds are 170mph for the 718 Boxster and 177mph for the 718 Boxster S.
It's not just an engine change - Porsche has updated the styling too (new lights, new sills and bumpers, new air intakes and a redesigned rear-end), as well as making some minor tweaks to the cabin, which now includes Porsche's new touch-screen infotainment system as well as the Sport Response button brought in from the new (also turbocharged) 911 Carrera - press it and you get maximum possible power for a short burst, to aid overtaking.
The 718 Boxster is priced from £41,739 and the 718 Boxster S from £50,695 and you can order one now, for delivery in a couple of months.
Why the name change?
Well, the addition of the 718 number is both to align the Boxster with the other Porsche sports cars (911 Carrera, 918 Spyder etc.) but also to call back to a classic racer from Porsche's history. From 1957 to 1962, Porsche campaigned the 718 Spyder, which in the hands of drivers like Jean Behra, Hans Herrmann, Masten Gregory, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Dan Gurney was good enough to take two class wins at the Le Mans 24hrs and a second place on the Targa Florio. Oh, and it had a four-cylinder engine too. Good enough for Stirling Moss? Good enough for you...
Neil Briscoe - 27 Jan 2016