2016 Porsche Boxster 718 first drive review

• Porsche 718 Boxster unveiled
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• Riding shotgun in the new Porsche 718 Boxster

The tachometer needle on the new four-cylinder Porsche Boxster reaches 5000rpm when a moment of anticipation arrives.

On the iconic flat six-cylinder engine that has powered the Boxster in the past, this would ordinarily be the point where its induction system goes into overdrive as air channels through monstrous side vents and into the engine. It has always been an audible crescendo to savour, a soul-stirring overload of the senses that captured the very essence of open-top motoring.

To this writer's relief, the token soundbite arrives on cue with the new four-cylinder, the decidedly raspier note bouncing off nearby treetops en route to the sky. But it's a very different kind of climax.

That's basically the take away feature with the 718 Boxster, a name referencing the classic Porsche 718 race car built between 1957 and 1962. The new model hits all the requisite points of the three generations of Boxster before it ? in nearly every case more clinically ? but you come away with the feeling that it is a very different beast.

Sound alone is quite a stark contrast. Put it this way: if the Porsche line-up were an opera, and the flat-six were the soprano, the Boxster would undoubtedly be the baritone. Its almost gruff offbeat flutter at everyday speeds eventually builds to a dramatic rasp and, with the sports exhaust fitted, a snap, crackle and pop on the overrun. Its exhaust note is almost akin to Subaru's boxer-engined WRX, some may argue, and certainly takes an acquired taste to truly fall in love with. But the updated Boxster is a car flanked with numbers that no amount of nostalgia can overcome.

The mid-mounted, horizontally-opposed four-cylinder drivetrain comes in two forms. The base model Boxster features a 2.0-litre power plant outputting 220kW and 380Nm. The upscaled S features a 2.5-litre engine that brings 257kW and 420Nm, resulting in a hastened 0-100km/h time of 4.4 seconds in six-speed manual guise, or 4.2 seconds when fitted with the optional seven-speed PDK (against 4.9 seconds and 4.7 seconds for the base model). Both engines feature a single turbocharger (the S a variable geometry compressor) which employs a traditional wastegate, with engine gases passing through a single oval tail pipe on the base model car or two centrally located round tailpipes on the upscale model.

Elsewhere, distinguishing the 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S from the earlier Boxster and Boxster S are a series of mid-life styling changes, many of which have been necessitated by the need to provide their new turbocharged engine with greater cooling capacity than its old naturally-aspirated powerplant.

A new front bumper sports larger cooler ducts than before along with altered headlamps and optional LED daytime running lights. The flanks feature a new door handle design, altered sill elements and larger air ducts in front of the rear wheel arches to feed air to the mid-mounted engine.

The most significant styling change is reserved for the rear, where a new accent strip resides between more structured tail lamps featuring LED graphics.

As with the models they replace, the 718 Boxster receives standard 18-inch wheels, while the 718 Boxster S rolls on larger 19-inch rims, although both are available with optional 20-inch wheels.

The reworked exterior panels reflect inherent changes to the Boxster's underbody, such as four-piston brakes which pull its slightly heavier (by 5kg) 1355kg kerb weight to rest faster. New electro-mechanical steering is lifted from the Turbo S and adapted to the 718. Porsche's adaptive suspension and stability control programs now have a greater propensity for performance and more lateral leeway than before.

Porsche's Active Suspension Management continues as an option, offering a nominal 20mm reduction in ride height over the standard suspension.

All of this work has coincided with significant price hikes across the Boxster range. The entry level 718 Boxster will now set you back $113,100 (plus on-road costs), an $8400 increase on before, while the 718 Boxster S is $12,000 more expensive, at $143,100 (plus on-road costs). The sweetener on the base model Boxster is that its seven-speed PDK consumes just 6.9L/100km, which sneaks it under the Luxury Car Tax fuel consumption threshold and means the self-shifter costs only $1333 more. And on that note, the Boxster line-up is up to 13 per cent more efficient than the engines they replace.

The additional spend seems a stretch when first acquainted with the base model Boxster. It is all the car you could arguably want, with a spritely power delivery down low and a natural propensity to explore its 7500rpm rev ceiling.

The engine's peak torque materialises between 1950rpm and 4500rpm, meaning a smooth and free-revving transition between suburban duties and higher-paced jaunts.

The matching six-speed manual is an absolute delight, with excellent clutch, throw and shift calibrations that add to its driver engagement qualities. For outright pace though, it's hard to look past the very capable PDK auto, which is smooth, well-timed and intuitive in its shifts.

The larger capacity 2.5-litre engine naturally conveys more linearity than its smaller sibling, along with additional shove at the upper end of the dial. It is similarly easy to access power regardless of road speed or ratio, but it too leaves you with the feeling that the Boxster is missing something from before (other than two cylinders).

Luckily, the Boxster is more clinical in every driving mannerism. Its steering is superb: communicative, faithful and responsive to inputs. Porsche says the Boxster's new steering package is 10 per cent more direct than before; it certainly feels it given the car's willingness to turn into corners almost telepathically and with barely any semblance of understeer.

Moreover, the body feels unshaken by anything our Queensland road network can throw at it, with no sign of scuttle shake or loss of rigidity over mid-corner bumps. The body feels well controlled, recovering quickly from larger undulations despite the fitment of optional wheels and tyres.

This is combined with unchallenged high-speed grip in the rear and excellent roadholding; the little two-seater just clings on through corners, its Pirelli tyres seemingly making use of every millimetre of road contact. 

In fact, the only time we were able to unseat the car's excellent lateral grip was on a closed road circuit, where Porsche's excellent stability control and ABS technology provided playful yet controlled parameters. Later, on a diesel-slicked skid pan and with every system turned off, the Boxster showed off its excellent balance with fluent chassis control in a low-speed drifting exercise.

The Boxster combines these traits with a refined and comfortable closed-top experience that aligns it perfectly with daily duties. With the roof up (it takes only seconds and can be engaged at speeds of up to 50km/h), the cabin is well insulated from outside noises and provides a cosseting environement to both driver and passenger. The Boxster's bucket seats are snug yet comfortable enough for long days of touring.

Porsche has updated the interior of the Boxster with a new three-dial instrument panel, a 918 Spyder-inspired steering wheel complete with an optional rotary Sport Response dial allowing the driver to call up maximum accelerative potential on overboost for up to 20 seconds and four driving modes ? Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual - and the latest iteration of its Communication Management system featuring a new 4.6-inch touchscreen and improved connectivity functions.

This is combined with a decent suite of standard equipment comprising front and rear parking sensors, 14-way electric sports seats and full airbag protection along with adequate storage (150-litre front storage and 125-litre rear).

No matter which way you look at it, the Boxster is more effective than it ever has been. Sure, the new note won't please everyone, but in any other sense, the 718 lives up to the hype. That it prolongs this iconic car's future really is the sweetener on top.

Porsche 718 Boxster 

Price: from $113,100 plus on-road costs  

Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder

Power: 220kW at 6500rpm

Torque: 380Nm at 1950-4500rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK automatic

Fuel use: 6.9-7.4L/100km 

Porsche 718 Boxster S

Price: From $143,400 plus on-road costs 

Engine: 2.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder

Power: 257kW at 6500rpm

Torque: 420Nm at 1900-4500rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK automatic

Fuel use: 7.3-8.1L/100km