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?
In the end: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.
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