BODY & IDENTITY

The 718-generation Boxster/cayman is a significant evolution over the previous 981. Obviously, there's the introduction of all-new four-cylinder turbocharged engines (see overleaf), but styling was enhanced, too. In fact, only the 'frunk', boot lid, windscreen and, in the case of the Boxster, convertible lid are carried over.

In terms of bodywork, these cars don't have any notable problem areas, but the GTS is a quick, powerful Porsche, meaning it attracts owners and drivers with an excitable appetite for burying the accelerator pedal. Accident damage should be your main concern. Look for differences in colour and gaps between panels, and check for stone chips at the nose of the car. We've said it before and we'll say it again: spend a tenner at

mycarcheck.com, where you can download a history report outlining any insurance claims, change of registration number, recorded mileage and whether there is any outstanding finance on the Porsche you're looking at. You should also enter the vehicle’s details into the DVLA’S online MOT database, a service which will return all passes, failures and advisories registered as far back as records are stored. If you have the V5 document number at your disposal, you can even see which MOT station carried out each test. Visit bit.ly/dvlamot.

If buying from a non-porsche specialist, or a dealer who doesn't seem to know the exact specification of the GTS in your sights, take advantage of the Suncoast Porsche Parts VIN decoder (check it out at

bit.ly/suncoastdecoder), which will provide you with the car's build sheet and options list for just $10 USD.

The 981 isn't exactly soft-looking, but the 718 introduced sharper lines and more aggressive bumpers. Despite being more or less the same size as its predecessor, these changes give the 718 more road presence. We're not hugely enthusiastic about the look of the side intakes (gloss black would look much better than exposed plastic), but this is a very attractive Porsche nonetheless. Condensation build-up in lights can be frustrating, as can erratic operation of the rear wing. Standard exterior colours are White, Racing Yellow, Guards Red and Black, with Paint to Sample available for an additional £6,228. Dynamic headlights (£1,397) and gloss black door handles (£84) were also offered.

ENGINE

The B4 flat-four shares a massive number of components with the B6 flat-six — you know, the turbocharged boxer found in the back of the 991. The list includes the high-pressure direct fuel injection system, the timing chain, connecting rods, bearings and almost the entire auxiliary drive. Additionally, when it comes to materials and manufacturing of the crankcase and cylinder liners, the flat-four uses the same technology as the six-cylinder boxer. There are, however, significant differences. For example, all 718s make use of adaptive engine mounts, thereby replacing the previous singular forward engine mount with two hydraulic mounts. As standard, these parts use engine vacuum to switch between two levels of stiffness, though this can be upgraded to more sophisticated magnetorheological operation through the Sport Chrono Package. By way of a centrifugal pendulum, the 718's dual-mass flywheel has been designed to balance out engine vibrations at low speed.

The B4's oil sump is aluminium, as opposed to the plastic sump on the B6 flat-six, a difference dictated by the former’s hotter exhaust routing. While the variable-demand oil pump in the B6 is taken as a basis for that of the flat-four, the smaller engine’s part features two levels of delivery to the B6’s three, reducing the number of components and, consequently, weight. Porsche went the other way when it came to the control of valves and camshafts, adding sophistication — the flat-four gets Variocam Plus for complete control of valve timing, as well as two switchable camshaft profiles for the intake. This is the same as the 991, but in 718 flat-four applications, two switchable camshaft profiles exist for the exhaust side, allowing calibration for optimisation of performance or economy (as conditions demand). Nifty stuff.

And what of the B4 engine’s efficiency? Well, when it was launched, Porsche quoted a significant thirteen percent improvement in economy and emissions over the 981's flat-six. Interestingly, this measurement was given on the old NEDC test regime, which has been shown to vary considerably from realworld conditions. Many miles have been driven in turbocharged four-cylinder 718s since then — it’s generally accepted the newer powerplant is only marginally more economical than its six-cylinder predecessor, certainly when driven in normal traffic. Push on and the flat-four is just as thirsty.

It’s worth mentioning, however, despite a weight decrease in the engine department, the 718 models weighed slightly more than their 981 predecessors, chiefly due to added luxury equipment and beefing up of the brakes.