Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S launched

Now it sports a blown flat-four. Which has more power. And more efficient. Yeay!

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After two decades of being a punchline in a joke with the term ‘hairdresser’ in it, Porsche replies with a clear ‘enough is enough!’ statement. If the introduction of a much stiffer chassis, much more powerful engine, or a more convincing design is not enough, we have the name to remind us of the Boxster’s new awakening – the 718 Boxster.

The ‘718’ comes from the 1953 race car which later dominated numerous races in the 60s. This renaming also affects the Cayman too, of course.

And it is now here in Malaysia, officially launched by importer Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn. Bhd. in 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S variants.

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With the use of a newly developed 2.0-litre flat-four turbo, the former produces 300hp and 380Nm (+100Nm than before) available from just 1950rpm to 4500rpm. The Boxster S and its 2.5-litre flat-four outputs 350hp and 420Nm from 1900Nm to 4500Nm, which is 60Nm more than the previous-gen car. Drive goes to the rear wheels via a 7-speed PDK gearbox.

All this translates to a 0-100kph time of 4.7 seconds for the 718 Boxster and 4.2 seconds for the larger engined variant. This is 0.8 seconds and 0.6 seconds faster than the respective car it replaces. Not bad for a four-cylinder, isn’t it?

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We’re not particularly fussy about fuel consumption in Malaysia, are we? But since these cars/engines were designed to be more efficient, we’ll have you know that the 2.0-litre does 6.9 litres/100km. The 2.5-litre uses 7.3-litre/100km.

Exterior differences over the previous Boxster is rather significant, more so when seen from behind. It’s because the car seems wider, all thanks to a Porsche-badged accent strip between the tail lights. The same lights sport a new design which now has three-dimensional LED tech and four-point brake lights.

Up front, you will notice the larger cooling air intakes. Also, the bi-xenon headlights have a new design with LED DRLs. The buyer can choose a four-point DRL as an option.

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The price for the 718 Boxster is RM480,000 while the 718 Boxster S is RM620,000. Price includes a four-year warranty and free maintenance package. Road tax, insurance and registration fee not included though. It seems a bit expensive but bear in mind that the situation between the Cayman and Boxster has swapped – unlike previously, the 718 Boxster is a rung above the Cayman in Porsche’s range. Hence we can expect a 718 Cayman that is priced lower than RM480,000 once it comes here.

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