Is the Four-Cylinder Turbo Porsche 718 Boxster S a Step Forward?

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Written by Sam Jemielity | May 3, 2016

The Porsche 718 Boxster S aims for addition by subtraction, swapping out two of its six cylinders for a 2.5-liter, flat-four turbo. Now the first drive videos are starting to roll out on the world’s car sites, and we can see this new powerplant in action. Carfection puts a yellow 718 Boxster S through its paces in rainy Portugal, where the inclement weather cut down on the topdown time but didn’t dampen the spirits of the 350 horsepower cabrio capable of 0-62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds with the 6-speed manual or 4.4 with the PDK.

Does the flat-four turbo sound a good as the naturally aspirated flat six ? Carfection turns the video over to the booming bassline of the turbo four for a good 20 seconds. While I prefer that raw rumble of the flat six, the 718 Boxster’s engine note is still music to the ears.

While Porsche purists may scoff at the “toned down” manners of a Porsche built more for reliability, safety, and fuel efficiency than seat-of-the-pants driving thrills, Carfection’s verdict: “Take this thing out for a drive, and the improved steering, suspension, and chassis—not to mention overall improved performance—make it an undeniably awesome package.” A step forward, indeed.

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