Earlier this year the all new 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster has been released with a lot of controversy following it. This is the first Porsche in many years to ditch its flat-six engine in the favor of a small four cylinder unit. On top of that it became less attractive for many purists due to its turbocharged engines. However, in our opinion, as well as many others, the car is better, more refined, faster and quite a bit more economical than before. It is also better to drive and the new engine is a lot easier to drive fast than before which means that the new Boxster has finally grown up.
PRICE
At first we expected an all new model but Porsche surprised us a bit after they released the new car which is in fact very similar with the older generation. We can look at it like at a large update of the older model. The two still share some parts like the hood, rear trunk lid and even the window-frame and the roof. However, pretty much everything else on the outside is all new. The running gear and its engines have been heavily revised as well so the new 718 feels more modern as well.
The price has been inflated slightly but this is to be expected with pretty much any other car manufacturer out there. The new regular 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster starts at $57,000 while the S version of the car will set you back nearly $70,000.
2017 PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER REVIEW
Let’s first take a closer look at the car’s running gear. Because it is slightly heavier due to its new engine and a bunch of plumbing used for the turbo, the entire suspension has been reworked. It now features new shocks, springs and thicker anti-roll bars.
On top of that, the regular model comes with the brakes from the older S version while the current S comes with the same brakes as the 911 Carrera. This improved stopping distance by a considerable margin and it should make it easier to drive faster.
EXTERIOR
Secondly, the car’s exterior, while not that obvious for many, has been revamped in order to create a more modern and better looking appearance. The front end now shares some styling cues with the 911 while at the back the Boxster features a really aggressive look. There is a small rear spoiler separated by the body via a new black insert which really sets it off. The wheels are all new and Porsche is now allowing a much wider color palette than before.
ENGINE
However, by far one of the most interesting aspects of this update is the new powertrain. Both the regular 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster and its S counterpart now receive an all new flat-four turbocharged petrol engine. The base model gets a 2 liter unit offering 300 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque while the S gets 350 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque from a larger 2.5 liter unit. Both of these are a lot more efficient than before and both of them are noticeably faster than the older versions.
In fact, the new 2.5 liter model is faster than the 3.8 liter GT4 which is quite impressive in its own right. The base model gets to 60 MPH in just 4.5 seconds when equipped with the Sport Chrono package. In comparison, the older car was barely able to hit 60 in 5.2 seconds. The new S version on the other hand can hit 60 MPH in 4.2 seconds, faster than the GT4 which will hit 60 MPH in 4.3 seconds with more power and torque. This is mostly because the new engine offers a lot more low-end torque while being quite good to its rev-limit of nearly 7,300 rpm.
