Autoweek
APRIL 12, 2016

Porsche’s entry-level sports car retains its lusty chassis, but the flat-six is missed

Stuttgart has not only slotted three new numbers in the middle of the Porsche Boxster’s name, it’s also added two new four-cylinder engines. This is big news. A 911-derived flat-six has powered Porsche’s midengined roadster for two decades. Its disappearance worries enthusiasts, so Porsche has dusted off its 718 badging in an attempt to legitimize the switch. It references the midengined four-cylinder 718 that raced with success in the 1950s and ’60s; 914 — the last Porsche to use a mid-mounted flat-four — didn’t make the cut.

The entry-level 718 Boxster uses a 2.0-Liter turbocharged flat-four, the 718 Boxster S a 2.5-liter version of the same. With 295 hp/280 lb-ft, the 718 Boxster gains 35 hp and 74 lb-ft over its predecessor’s 2.7-liter flat-six; the S (345 hp/310 lb-ft) gains 35 hp and 44 lb-ft over the old 3.4-liter. Mpg is TBD, but Porsche claims up to a 14 percent improvement on the European test cycle.

This is much more than a midlife facelift: Porsche says only the luggage compartment lids, the windscreen and the electric fabric roof carry over. The exterior is noticeably wider and tauter-looking, and the lightly updated interior features 911 touchscreen infotainment.

What’s it like to drive?

Adapted from the 911 Turbo, the electrically assisted steering is 10 percent quicker, while the brakes are upgraded (old Boxster S rotors for the 718 Boxster, 911 Carrera hardware for the S), and the chassis is tuned with larger pistons for the dampers, stiffer springs, larger antiroll bars, half-inch wider rear wheels, new tires and a strengthened rear subframe. Three suspension tunes are available: standard, 10mm lower with Adaptive Dampers (Porsche Active Suspension Management: PASM) or 20mm lower with adaptive dampers (PASM Sport).

The Boxster S borrows the 911 Turbo’s Variable Turbine Geometry turbo technology, and it responds with an urgency to the throttle that makes the new 911 Carrera feel downright laggy. The S’s performance is much easier to access than earlier Boxsters: no longer must you drop a ratio or two to feel the thrill of speed. But drop those cogs — either with the tactile six-speed manual or fast-acting PDK dual-clutch — and the S revs all the way to 7,500 rpm.

It gains so much in so many ways, but it’s all at the expense of character. At typical lower rpm, the 718 thrums like a Subaru Impreza; rev it harder and it mimics a Toyota GT86, both flat-four powered cars. The base 718 is harder to love, because it doesn’t have VTG and lags noticeably below 2,400 rpm.

What about the smaller engine saving weight? Well, adding the turbo ancillaries means the new engine is just 11 pounds lighter, and in fact that’s canceled because the 718 has more of the old car’s optional equipment standard. Additionally, despite the extra mpg in the lab, an engineer admitted there was no real gain in daily motoring; it’s just that there’s no penalty for the extra performance.

This is a terrible shame, because the 718 Boxster remains a beautifully balanced roadster. You notice the swifter steering and that fantastic midengined feeling when you turn hard and start to feel the chassis yawing; it’s such a satisfyingly agile sensation. Despite the extra torque, traction is also terrific, the brakes are strong, and the ride felt controlled and supple enough on both the PASM and PASM Sport setups we tested.