Porsche 718 Boxster review, test drive

What is it?

It’s the mid-life facelift for the current-generation Porsche Boxster, a car we at Autocar India have a big soft spot for. We love its quick, sharp, communicative steering, we love its wonderful mid-engine balance and we love how easy it is for you to get comfortable driving it seriously fast. But more than anything, we love the addictive wail its normally aspirated flat-six makes just behind your ears, especially with the roof open.

Or rather, we did. That’s because this facelift has heralded the end of not just natural aspiration in all Boxster (and Cayman) models from now on, but also the end of the flat-six in these two mid-engine sportscars altogether! That’s right, from now on, all Boxsters and Caymans will only be powered by turbocharged four-cylinder motors (unless Porsche decides to do a six-cylinder special edition further down the line; we can dream). They both also get a new prefix – 718 – a number that harks back to Porsche’s mid-engine, four-cylinder racers from yesteryear, but to these eyes, seems like a way to help justify the downsizing.

The good news is that not much else has changed. You still get either a six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK automatic, that incredible balance is still there, while the superb interior has been upgraded with better trim, the (optional) steering from the 918 supercar, and a brilliant new touchscreen system. On the outside, the changes are far subtler, with new LED treatment at the front, including optional full-LED lamps, a similar update at the rear with Porsche’s new ‘four -dot’ LED signature, and a black band that now runs across the tailgate with the ‘Porsche’ badge on it. The rear tyres are also one inch wider each, which should improve grip levels.

But what we really want to know is what that new powertrain is like, which is what we aim to find out as we drive the new 718 Boxster on the road in Abu Dhabi, as well as around the Yas Marina race track.