DougL Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Just picked up my new Carrara White Boxster from Porsche Centre Belfast, who are excellent. Traded in an eight month old Macan SD which I never really gelled with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougL Posted August 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Only a 2.0T not the S model, but as Georg Kacher from Car Magazine said (contrary to most other reviewers) I think that this engine is the sweeter of the two. Has Sport Chrono and PPE for the noise! Quote 1) Those new engines: the tech specs The fresh flat-fours are direct-injection, variable-vane turbo 16-valvers, available in two versions: Base model 718: 2.0 litres, 300bhp, 266lb ft, 5.4sec 0-62mph, 168mph+ 718 S: 2.5 litres, 340bhp, 295lb ft, 4.9sec 0-62mph, 174mph+ That’s a decent power hike – the outgoing 6-cyl 2.7-litre Boxster puts out 261bhp and the 3.4-litre Boxster S 311bhp. But it’s the increased torque (as much as 74lb ft model-for-model) that is the big story here, finally giving the Boxster the right kind of punch to back up its name. And that’s combined with a 15% reduction in average fuel consumption – which of course is the primary motivation behind jettisoning two cylinders. As before, there’s a choice of sweetly weighted manual gearbox or swift-shifting PDK twin-clutch auto. Main structural change is a re-engineered rear chassis cradle, to accommodate all the new plumbing and cooling, with an extra engine mount. Why not a smaller-displacement turbo’d flat-six? Because it simply wouldn’t have fit; Porsche tells us it was difficult enough to find space for the flat-four and all the extra plumbing and cooling. 2) Even the base 2.0-litre feels seriously quick From the passenger seat, and on the banana-skin slippery icy roads of Yellowknife, it was difficult to feel a great difference in outright poke between the two engines. But… subjectively, the smaller 2.0-litre engine actually feels fractionally more agile and responsive, while the 500cc-bigger unit didn’t feel like it answered the throttle pedal quite so eagerly. After a smidge of initial turbo lag, the oomph builds more rapidly and climbs to a taller peak. Slow it ain’t. 3) It sounds…. moody The 2.5’s all baritone growl at higher revs, but our ears put the 2.0 ahead on soundtrack – it’s the sharper, more aggressive sounding of the pair, especially when fitted with the optional sports exhaust system. 4) We haven’t seen the last of the six-cylinder engine... You won’t be surprised to hear there’ll be a more powerful still GTS version in the mid-term future, but that’ll use a development of the 2.5-litre four-pot engine wound up to ‘at least’ 365bhp. But there’s still enough room in the engine bay – and the range – for a naturally aspirated six, for high-performance models like a future Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. 5) Engine aside, you’ll need to be good at ‘Spot the Difference’ to recognise a 718 Unless you’re viewing the 718 from underneath, even Porsche fetishists might need to look twice to see what’s changed from Boxster to 718. Badges aside, restyled LED head- and tail-lights are the most obvious external change, with four bright dots per unit and horizontal light bars for the indicators and rear lights. Inside, a new instrument panel gets rid of the old noisy, relatively breathless air vents. 6) The handling seems more agile than ever Sensibly, Porsche’s not done anything drastic on the chassis front. But there are minor tweaks - half-inch-wider rear wheels, a new, grippier tyre compound, mildly tweaked suspension kinematics, bigger brakes and more sensitive stability control software. The electric power steering’s been quickened to 2.5 turns lock to lock, making it 10% speedier, and the wheel itself gets a new mannetino-style rotary selector on the steering wheel to toggle modes for the stability control, suspension and gearbox (depending on which option boxes are ticked). 7) Boxster and Cayman are swapping places Historically the soft-top Boxster has sat below the coupe Cayman in Porsche’s pricing hierarchy, but that’s about to change. Just as a 911 Cabrio costs more than a coupe, the 718 Boxster will set buyers back around 1500 Euro more than the Cayman on the continent when it comes to market in April 2016. The Cayman will arrive six months later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIkeyv60 Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Looks great you will enjoy it. Looks so much more updated and modern . Maybe only a 2.0 but quicker than the 981 gts and the power delivery is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simo_UK Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Nice - love the wheels! Great choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 With the 'boost' button pressed the 2.0 was certainly fast enough to get by any slow moving traffic last time I drove one. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Days Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Health to wear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8rev Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 On 19/08/2017 at 6:36 AM, DougL said: Just picked up my new Carrara White Boxster from Porsche Centre Belfast, who are excellent. Traded in an eight month old Macan SD which I never really gelled with. Very nice - we picked up our 718 in Miami blue on 11th August from there (6 month old but great spec) - as you say Belfast are great. Sounds exactly like me - the Macan SD which was 7 months old was sold to PC Teesside for the same reason that you state. My wife loved it but it was so b....y big in tight spaces, just didn't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinzan Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Looks great. And I'm another who has swapped a petrol Macan S for a 718 Boxster S Spec here: www.porsche-code.com/PJQV1IE3 Like Doug, I just didn't bond with the Macan. It was great on long trips but no fun on the narrow country road around us. Absolutely love the Boxster though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougL Posted September 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 5 hours ago, Zinzan said: www.porsche-code.com/PJQV1IE3 Very nice spec you have there. Do you really need the 18 way seats and the Bose? Standard base seats are really comfy. The Bose isn't a huge step up from standard. I had Bose on my Macan and wished I hadn't bothered! I think I read a review somewhere that said the non bolstered standard seats are actually more comfortable too. Try before you buy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinzan Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Good question - I swapped my Macan for a Boxster of the same age almost to the day (so not specced by me). Having said that, I love the adaptive sports seats and the Bose is better than I expected. Performance is great - I've done a lot of competition and can't imagine needing more on public roads. I sort of understand the moaning about the noise, but I think it's overdone with too many posters and reviewers parroting the same lines. Ultimately it's a fantastically fast, beautifully balanced car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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