Boxster to be Re-named the 718?

[thstone]

You read it right. Reports are being floated that the Boxster will be renamed the 718.

If you remember, the 718 was to be the new sub-Boxster model and the 718 name was chosen to provide a direct tie Porsche's racing heritage. But that model was cancelled. Now the Boxster might use that moniker.

With all of the sedans and SUV's being sold now, Porsche is busy tying everything not bolted down to their racing heritage to try to preempt any potential loss of their sporting brand promise.

Next-Generation Boxster/Cayman to Be Renamed Porsche 718

[Porsche9]

Didn't they move away from using numbers (944, 968, 914, 911, 912, 928) and slap a name on the back of all their cars some time ago? Is there something wrong with Boxster and Cayman? Stick with the current naming convention Porsche!

[kk2002s]

Numbers in car names seems to be a better marketing gimmick
American cars
Boss 302
Z06
Z28
442

So after 718 will it be 719, 720, etc?
Fortunately for the 911, all the actual models 993,996,997, ect are still associated as a 911

At least Boxster lets you know what model Porsche it is
Marketing - go figure

[tomonomics]

Every car has a model number (or chassis #), some just also have names. (The original Cayenne was 955, then 957) I would imagine they would keep the Boxster and Cayman names and just change the chassis number, 718 Boxster instead of 982 Boxster.

On that note, do you guys call your car the nine-eight-six, or nine-eightysix? It always seemed to me that the Porsche pattern was a single digit, followed by the double-digit number.

911 = Nine Eleven (vs Nine One One)
918 = Nine Eighteen (not nine one eight)

But for some reason when I pronounce 981 I say nine eight one....do the Porsche people say nine eighty one? Is this written down somewhere in the Zuffenhausen Code of Conduct?

Just wondering...

-T

[thstone]

[Perfectlap]

They should never have been called it a Boxster to begin with. Any other brand would have simply made it a Carrera variant since the car was same as the 996 from the doors to the license plate with nothing more than a de-tuned Carrera engine. A Carrera roadster would have had greater marketing appeal vs. putting it in the lonely "other" category of the 968, 944, 928, etc.
The biggest irony is that the Boxster name was an attempt to fashion a mid-engine two seat convertible as the first purpose built Porsche convertible when the reality is that the first Porsche ever made period was a Boxster. Or at least the later iteration of 356A #1, the 550. Take your pick. Point being it's an entirely retro concept, there was nothing new about it other than this corny marketing name stuff of Boxster, Cayenne, Cayman, Cajun, Caper, Cinnamon, Coriander, etc.

[Porsche9]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Cajun, Caper, Cinnamon, Coriander, etc.

I want my next Porsche to be the Curry.

[Beer]

Curry Carrera GT

Sounds awesome and tasty.

Originally Posted by Porsche9

I want my next Porsche to be the Curry.

[linderpat]

the take away from the OP's article is that the Boxster/Cayman will be moving down-scale - i.e., cheaper, and re-badged accordingly. This means in time, the earlier, more powerful 6 cylinder Boxsters and Caymans will become more sought after and valuable (I know it is a high volume car, but value is relative).

[The Radium King]

except that 285 to 400 hp is more powerful than our cars ...

sounds like a win to me - simple, fast, inexpensive, iconic name. get in the face of the brz crowd. make roadsters manly man cars again.

[randy7601]

Originally Posted by tomonomics

On that note, do you guys call your car the nine-eight-six, or nine-eightysix? It always seemed to me that the Porsche pattern was a single digit, followed by the double-digit number.

911 = Nine Eleven (vs Nine One One)
918 = Nine Eighteen (not nine one eight)

But for some reason when I pronounce 981 I say nine eight one....do the Porsche people say nine eighty one? Is this written down somewhere in the Zuffenhausen Code of Conduct?

Just wondering...

-T

I wondered that too: Click here

I settled on nine eighty-six.

[thstone]

I always consider my original car a "nine eighty-six"...

[Retroman1969]

As long as it was an excellent product, it could be called the Porsche Puffinbarger, Quackenbush Edition and I'd be okay with it. Honestly, I always thought Box-ster was a little bit contrived anyway (love the Dilbert cartoon btw) but it never really bothered me.
When it first came out my friends and I felt the Boxster was a cool retro throwback to Porsche's roots and thought it should have been called the 356D or something. (that's also why I never listened to the people that tried to argue it was just a cheap 911, or only for those who couldn't afford a 911).
If they rename it the 718 I'll be okay with that too. But that's just me.

[j.fro]

+1 on nine-eighty-six

[tomonomics]

Thanks Randy... Not sure how I missed that thread! I'm culling through some Porsche factory videos to see how they say the model numbers.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

If they rename it the 718 I'll be okay with that too. But that's just me.

I like the name, but not what It allows them to do, this is how they plan on getting away with all 4 bangers turbos. Which I heard a report the same day that this thread was made saying that the 718 baby boxster project was dead, and porsche saw the boxster as is, as a great entry, so who knows.

I'm still the advocate for a 986 GTS, take the old 986 retro chassis, drop the latest greatest engine with torque vectoring, revamp a few a things quality wise, oh and carbon fiber construction. Maybe they Can even give it the side pipes from the original concept.

[NewArt]

Maybe neun-sechsundachtzig?

[Retroman1969]

Reports seem to be all over the place, but what I can gather from the latest updates is that they'll move the 6 cylinder Boxster slightly upmarket and introduce a 4 cylinder Boxster as an entry level version.
But again, that's just what I'm piecing together from all the various articles.

[Perfectlap]

^ a.k.a. cut costs, increase margin.

4 banger turbo will be just another VW Cabriolet.
Turbo is not for everyone, they should never make it the default.
If they are going to improve on the current Boxster they should offer a
flat8 or put in a 991 3.8 NA.

[The Radium King]

leave the flat-6 in the 911 series and put the inline 4 in the box/cayman. sound move - same as the 924/944/968 and the 914 before it. want a 6 cyl roadster? get a 911 cabrio. if they don't mess too much with the engine and transmission mount locations then aftermarket swaps and limited editions from the factory (like the 914-6) remain an option. are they handicapping their best-handling car with an inline 4 just for the sake of creating a tiered marketing approach? all i can say is that i'd take a 400 hp cayman at the track any day of the week, turbo or not (and find a lot more inexpensive hp tuning a turbo engine than a NA flat six).