[Ken718]

t’s the ultimate Boxster, though its as-tested price would be quite a long way north of the standard S’s $143,400 ask. That in itself is around a $7000 hike, indicative of the Boxster’s new positioning above its hardtop Cayman sibling, which is set to appear later in 2016.

Throttle response is extremely impressive. You really have to be searching for it to uncover any traditional turbocharged hesitation - e.g. large throttle loads at low rpm in a high gear - and it revs cleanly and eagerly to its 7500rpm cutout.

So what's the downside of the 718 Boxster S?

Unfortunately, the soundtrack has suffered quite severely. In the context of similar high-performance four-cylinder rivals it sounds reasonable; there’s a deep growl on start-up, a hint of WRX STI in stop-start traffic and a reasonably accurate impersonation of the VW Golf R’s artificially-enhanced engine note at full noise, but compared to the superb acoustics of the old flat sixes a large portion of the car’s character has been lost.

In the end:

4.5 stars out of 5

Specs
Engine: 2497cc flat-4, DOHC, 16v, turbocharger
Power: 257kW @ 6500rpm
Torque: 420Nm @ 1900-4500rpm
Weight: 1385kg (PDK)
0-100km/h: 4.2sec (PDK/claimed)
Price: from $143,400

 

[Shark]

From what i've been seeing from other reviews is that it basically drives like how it should, Porsche almost always does well with that, reason why we buy these over anything else. But as you might have seen mentioned before, the only real downside is we don't have a bigger N/A engine, smaller displacement and turbo instead. But that won't stop me.

 

[Ken 718S]

Not stopping me either. Car is fantastic in so many ways. Basically, the S version is on par with the entry level 911!

 

[Shark]

The only thing possibly stopping me is the current Cayman GT4, anyone who has driven one or at least seen enough compelling reviews of it will know what i'm talking about. And the fact that it has already proven itself makes it even more tempting to go after.

 

[charlotte]

the Boxster seems like the better vehicle for curvy road driving while he makes the GT4 seem like a city sports car. I'm sure the 718 Boxster will perform just as well if people can get over the exhaust sound.