2016 Porsche 718 Boxster Roadster. 4th generation
The Porsche 718 Boxster is a two-door two-seater luxury sports roadster by Porsche (Germany), a member of the VAG Group. It has been produced since 1996. In 2016, the car started featuring the prefix ‘718’ in the name in honor of the famous Porsche 718 racing car, produced from 1957 to 1962. The legendary 718, like the new model, had a 4-cylinder engine under the hood. In addition to better handling, the new 2016/2017 Porsche 718 Boxster also offers more traveling comfort. The Boxster is part of the 718 range, along with the Spyder convertible, the 2-door 2-seater Cayman coupe and the Cayman GT4. The fourth generation of the Porsche 718 Boxster roadster is available on the Israeli market (as of 2021).
All modern Porsche 718 cars are designed for those who can’t live without driving. These mid-engine sports cars combine the sporty spirit of the legendary Porsche 718 with a modern interior. A stunning combination of traditions and advanced technologies clearly add emotion to boring everyday life. The Boxster is not made to stand in the garage. It is designed for thrilling driving experience.
Distinctive features
The fourth generation Boxster underwent a deep restyling, keeping only the windshield, body frame and trunk lid from the 2012 model. The rest of the body panels are new. A new era has begun for the Boxster. Now it features 2.0 (300 hp) and 2.5 (350 and 365 hp) turbocharged inline four-cylinder engines instead of 6-cylinder naturally-aspirated engines (do not worry, the car has retained the opposed 6-cylinder engines). Therefore, the numbers ‘718’ were added to the name as a reference to the racing Porsche 718 of the middle of the last century, which was also equipped with a 4-cylinder engine. The weight of the roadster increased by 5-35 kg due to improvements in the interior, more powerful front brakes and a rear suspension subframe reinforced with a transverse tube, but all the versions of the 2016/2017 Porsche 718 Boxster are much faster than its predecessor. The roadster is 4,379 mm long, 1,801 mm wide and 1,281 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,475 mm.
Exterior
The 2016/2017 Porsche 718 Boxster has an eye-catching design. The roadster has a unique silhouette with the typical Flyline of mid-engine sports cars. The wide rear end features a black accent plate. The cockpit is fully compliant with motorsport requirements. The horizontal lines of the air intakes make the front end look even wider, which makes the vehicle especially energetic. The fenders are positioned above the hood, as is customary for Porsche cars, and underline the striking design of the headlights with LED daytime running lights.
The wheel arches are large and suitable for wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches. The special shape of the door panels helps direct the oncoming air flow towards the large side air intakes, which ensures optimal ‘breathing “of the engines and thus powerful torque. The rear end has clear, laconic forms and looks completely individual. The horizontal lights surround the 4-point LED taillights. The accent strip located between the lamps visually widens the rear end. Above it, there is a spoiler, which automatically extends at 125 km/h, reducing lifting power and thereby contributing to better wheel traction.
Interior
The interior of the new Porsche 718 Boxster offers intuitive control, perfect ergonomics and precise design. Strong horizontal lines make the front panel look eye-catching. The tilted center console shortens the distance your hand has to travel from the steering wheel to the gear lever. The clear arrangement of all function buttons saves time. The infotainment system (Porsche Communication Management) with a 7-inch touchscreen display perfectly matches the design of the center console thanks to its high-quality glass surface. The screen of the multimedia system can recognize smartphone gestures. The dashboard has 3 round instruments with a built-in 4.6-inch color display. A typical Porsche solution: the tachometer is in the center.
The steering wheel and front seats are sporty. There are two steering wheel diameters to choose from: 375 and 360 mm. There may not be any buttons on the spokes. You can turn a roller on the steering wheel to select the driving modes: Normal, Sport, Sport+ or Individual. In the center of the switch is the Sport Response button, which, when pressed for 20 seconds, sharpens the pedal response and downshifts to the utmost. Overtaking is now carried out in the style of Formula 1. New air deflectors, a chronograph moved higher in the manner of a 911, a touchscreen multimedia system still keep the same mood!
Engines and modifications
Several modifications of the 2019/2020 Porsche 718 Boxster are offered on the Israeli market.
- The Base version is equipped with a 2-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 300 hp. It can be accompanied by a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automated transmission. This version is rear-wheel drive. The car with a manual transmission accelerates in 5.1 seconds and develops a maximum speed of 275 km/h, whereas the car with a semi-automatic transmission accelerates a little faster, in 4.9 seconds (the ‘maximum speed’ is the same).
- The Advanced version is equipped with a 4.0-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine with 400 hp. The gearbox is the same 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automated transmission. This version is rear-wheel drive. The car with a manual transmission accelerates in 4.5 seconds, whereas the car with a semi-automatic transmission does it in exactly 4 seconds. The maximum speed is 293 and 288 km/h, respectively.
Equipment
The new Porsche 718 Boxster comes standard with a rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, hill start assist, brake assist, navigation, multimedia system with Carplay, and high-class sound system (Hi-Fi Bose or Hi-End Burmester). The car is equipped with tinted glass and kicking plates. There is a 2-zone climate control. The front seats are sporty, electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated. There is a multi-steering wheel with paddle shifters and a fuel-saving start-stop system.
