Porsche 718
From £40,000, porsche.com
A Porsche, you say? You can consider my interest piqued…
Thought it would be. So here’s the skinny: Porsche has announced a major update to its ‘entry-level’ Boxster and Cayman lines. In short, the old six-cylinder engines have been tossed in the skip, replaced by new, turbocharged flat fourcylinder versions.
Ugh… four cylinders? Come on, my Kia has that many!
Yes, and look how efficient it is. Though increased fuel economy is part of the reasoning here, the real coup is the sizeable boost to performance from the smaller, forced-induction engines. Not only are the engines lighter, which contributes to improved handling, but turbocharging offers more power – either 300 or 340bhp depending if you get the standard or the S model (the outgoing 2.7 six produced ‘only’ 261bhp).
Sounds good. Now talk torque.
Well, there’s a colossal increase in torque – there’s now either 266 or 295lb-ft of the stuff (around 74 extra lb-ft in each model). That means far more shove in any gear, and better real-world abilities.
That’s… perfectly reasonable.
Wait, there’s more. The handling and braking have been upgraded, and various optional extras have been added for even more outrageous driving performance.
Speed aside, will the Porsche 718 be able to match my Kia for looks?
Oh please. Though the 718 doesn’t appear very different at first glance, the body has been radically redesigned, with those sexy rear LED lights and the boot cutout being among the most noticeable improvements. Trust us, you’re going to like this beauty.
Enough already – gimme the keys!
Forget it – this one is T3’ s. You can get your own Porsche 718 in April.