44 WheelsMag.com.au
No time for atmo lament when the boost k
Porsche 718 Boxste
CANathoroughbredsports
car, one honed to delight
andsatisfyitsdriver(and
priced in six figures) really
carry the halo it once had
when powered by just four
pots and a puffer?
We’retalkingaboutthelossof
an entire pair of cylinders and
all the goodness that made the
Porscheflat-sixsuchanicon.
There’s an initial sense that it’s
not just cubes and pots that have
been swallowed by the emissions-
compliance monster, but also a
core part of the Boxster’s identity.
The car’s character has
changed, markedly.
Atlowerrevsthere’saslight
throbbinessthatdoesrecall–it
needstobesaid–aWRXSTi.
There’s a small amount of hollow
induction growl to make you cast
your mind back to the atmo flat-
six,butit’squicklysnuffedout
by the slightly tuneless blare that
follows as the revs quickly pile on.
You can rev it to 7500rpm, but theFIRST
AUSSIE
DRIVE
powercurvetapersoffafterthe
6500rpm peak.
The base 718 cops an extra
100Nm and now feels properly
punchy pretty much everywhere,
with the grunt to really engage the
rear end out of tight corners.
AndtheSisnowaseriously
swiftcar.Werevelledintheoily
shiftactionofitsmanual’box,but
werejustalittlenostalgicforthe
yowly top end of the 981. Sport
mode attempts compensation
with what sounds like a round of
small-arms fire when you back
out of a flattened throttle.
The new chassis set-up works
brilliantly on our roads. Virtually
every element underneath the
car has come in for attention, and
the result is almost supernatural
levels of suspension compliance,
body control and stiffness. The
confidence levels it imparts move
from high to extreme. Bumps that
feel wilfully out to bounce you into
the scenery are blotted up.
Duality of character is whatyou need in a premium sports car,
anditstillliveshere.Smooth,fast
roads? Use Sport Plus and firm
dampers and go on max attack.
HitB-roadbumpsandswitchto
Comfortdampers,usetheSport
settingtobringbackthesound
of an Uzi spray from the exhaust
on over-run, and revel in how
swiftly you can seamlessly thread
together a section.
Change is often hard. Embracing
a new order requires a focused
mindset. “We needed to get the
base car down to 7.8L/100km;
simple as that,” said one Porsche
insider. So Boxster’s character has
changed, but it’s faster and even
more dynamically gifted.
I could get misty-eyed about
losing the flat-six yowl, and I
misstheoldhydraulicsteering
rack, but that’s now history. The
718 carries a different torch; time
to be thankful it still burns as a
clean flame, if not quite the same
crackling bonfire.
ASH WESTERMANSometimes sounds like a Subaru; no more top-end flat-six yowl PLUS &
MINUSAn appreciably better sports car; much more than just a new engine
Model
Engine
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Kerb weight
0-100km/h
Economy
Price
On salePorsche Boxster S
249 7cc flat 4, dohc, 16v, turbo
257kW @ 6500rpm
420Nm @ 1900rpm-4500rpm
6-speed manual
1355kg
4.6sec (claimed)
8.1L/100km (EU)
$143,400
NowFire at will
The raucous exhaust popping
on over-run in Sport mode is
brought on by some exhaust-
cam timing overlap trickery
that allows a little unburnt
fuel to exit the combustion
chambers. It’s not the
most efficient way to turn
hydrocarbons into kilowatts,
though, which is why you
won’t experience it when the
dial is set to the no-nonsense
Sport Plus mode.kicksin
Fi ill