2017 Porsche 718 Boxster coming this summer

Published on January 27, 2016 in New Models by Michel Deslauriers
2017 Porsche 718 Boxster

As we reported last month, Porsche will give its Boxster and Cayman models a numerical designation and reintroduce four-cylinder engines to the brand.

The German automaker released a few more details regarding the new 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster. Although the car’s overall shape hasn’t changed, every body component is said to have been revised, save for the trunklids, the windshield and the top. The front end has been beefed up with a more aggressive bumper design and larger air intakes, reshaped headlight clusters and LED daytime running lamps. The rear end is distinguishable by a black trim strip between the redesigned taillights. The 718 Boxster S now rides on standard 19-inch wheels, with 20-inchers being offered on the options list. The 718 Boxster’s cockpit also gets an overhaul, including a new infotainment system.

The 718 Boxster is equipped with a turbocharged, 2.0-litre flat-four engine that develops an impressive 300 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. The four-cylinder unit in the 718 Boxster S gets a displacement of 2.5 litres, good for 350 hp and 309 lb-ft. In both cases, that’s a gain of 35 hp over the outgoing Boxster’s 2.7L and 3.4L flat-six engines, while torque climbs by 74 and 43 lb-ft, respectively. Porsche also claims these new powertrains are up to 13 more efficient.

When equipped with the PDK automated transmission and the Sport Chrono Package, the 718 Boxster should be able to rip from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, while the S should get there in 4.2 seconds. According to Porsche, the PDK gearbox now features “fuel-saving virtual gears,” whatever that means.

The 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster will arrive in Canada this summer, and The Car Guide will get the opportunity to drive it next month in Marseilles, France. The base version will be listed at $63,900 before freight and delivery charges, while the S variant will carry a $78,000 MSRP.