Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman names confirmed for 2016 overhaul

The new 718 model series nomenclature pays homage to Porsche’s four-cylinder 718 racer of the same name that won a number of iconic races in Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The resurrection of the 718 badge will coincide with a number of big changes for the Boxster and Cayman models.

Following the lead of the larger 911, both the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will embrace turbocharging technology with the introduction of the 2016 update. The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will trade their 2.7-litre flat six engines for equally powerful 2.0-litre flat four-cylinder turbos, doing away with the current divide that positions the Cayman above the Boxster in the power stakes.

Reflecting this – and again mirroring the 911 range structure – the 718 Cayman coupe will now assume the entry-level position beneath the 718 Boxster roadster in terms of pricing.

It’s been speculated that the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman’s new 2.0-litre turbo engine will produce roughly 178kW, which would be down from the current 2.7-litre engine’s 195kW output in the Boxster and 202kW in the Cayman. The turbo motor will no doubt improve dramatically on the 280Nm and 290Nm currently produced by the Boxster and Cayman respectively, however. That extra torque should see both cars improve on their 0-100km/h times, currently pegged at 5.4 seconds for the hardtop and 5.5sec for the soft-top.

Porsche is also promising more visual similarities between the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman to make the 718 family more cohesive than the current arrangement.

Porsche is yet to announce when the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will be revealed, offering only that the duo will be introduced “over the course of 2016”. Previous reports have suggested production is due to start around the middle of the year.