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Boxster and Cayman now to be marketed as 718 model series Mid-engine sports cars from Porsche get new names

Australia. The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman – these will be the new names of the two-door mid-engine sports cars from Porsche when the updated models are introduced next year.

The 718 designation is a reference to the ground-breaking Porsche sports car of 1957 which enjoyed mighty success in famous car races.

The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will be closer than before, sharing not only design cues but similar technical specifications with both to be powered by the same powerful turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine.

Porsche will use the introducing of the new mid-engined sports cars in 2016 as an opportunity to align their positioning with the 911 models – so in this case the Roadster will be positioned and priced above the Coupe.

The 718 model series is a continuation of the proven four-cylinder concept and the history of distinguished Porsche sports cars. The latest example is the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, which also has a highly-efficient, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with just two litres displacement. Not only did Porsche finish first and second in the 24 hours of Le Mans in 2015 with a four-cylinder engine but it also won the manufacturer’s and driver’s championship titles in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

With these achievements, the 919 Hybrid has opened up the prospects for the performance potential of future sports car engines from Porsche.

History of the 718: four-cylinder boxer engine has many car racing victories

Four-cylinder boxer engines have a long tradition at Porsche – and they have enjoyed incredible success. In the late 1950s, the 718 – a successor to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder – represented the highest configuration level of the four-cylinder boxer engine. Whether it was competing at the 12-hour race in Sebring in 1960 or at the European Hill Climb Championship that ran between 1958 and 1961, the Porsche 718 prevailed against numerous competitors with its powerful and efficient four-cylinder boxer engine.

The 718 took first place three times between 1959 and 1960 at the legendary Italian Targa Florio in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans race of 1958, the 718 RSK with its 142-hp four-cylinder engine scored a class victory.

Porsche 919 Hybrid: technological front-runner for production cars

In 2014, Porsche returned to the top category of the famous endurance race in Le Mans and the WEC with the 919 Hybrid race car. The LMP1 vehicle, which was designed for extreme efficiency, is the most complex race car Porsche has ever built. It serves as a platform for fundamental technology research for future production models – combining two different energy recovery systems with a two-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

10/12/2015