718 Boxster 13 minute movie
 

Gives a good study of new model - BUT not sure about the new engine sound! Something is missing! Nice movie tho!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQqO8DUQTlg#t=800.421

Thank you for the link!
I notice they also uploaded a similar video for the 718 Boxster Base.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1MJYrvbUjU

Still love the looks, except for those bloody Nissan Altima headlights. The tweaks made trim and tighten up the appearance of the 981.
But.... Sigh.... That engine sound. It's hard to judge without experiencing it in person, but it just sounds like a generic hot 4-cylinder with an exhaust leak. :(
Now that production versions are available for review, I'm beginning to hear many automotive journalists state that the new turbo engines (in the 911 as well) do indeed lack the crisp and urgent response of the old NA engines.
Still anxious to check them out in person for a true opinion.

Imho
 

I like the new body style. But, am I the only one who thinks they've gone way overboard with all the electronic crap and shiny bits? The interior looks like something out of Tron.

No, I agree. I suppose all that stuff is a necessary evil to stay competitive, but I could do with a more pure, stripped down model. Then again we have the Spyder to help scratch that itch to an extent.

couldnt agree more about the sound.. one of the best things about the Boxster or any Porsche is the specific sound that anyone that knows even a bit about cars recognizes.
that's now lost in exchange for a generic 4 cylinder "aftermarket exhaust" sound. not saying that sound is completely bad but the Boxster lost a bit of its royal blood and one of the best selling points.

Agreed, exhaust sound is just not right

I can get why people don't like the new engines but its a no brainer for porsche. Why wouldn't they want to make more power with less cylinders, less fuel, and fewer emissions? In europe (and I'm sure NA as well), the overall emissions rating of a manufacturers lineup has total a certain target number or else they have to pay some extremely heavy premiums. Anywhere from 5 euros to several hundred euros for EVERY car they produce! Even ferrari has gone to smaller displacement turbos. I don't like it anymore than you guys do but times are a changin'!

I guess it could be worse - they could have gone for a transverse mounted traditional 4 pot motor!
(Although it seems to work well for Lotus).

Cars have been using Turbo's for years and years now....and some of them sound amazing! Spend some time watching Top Gear (the old ones) - they love it when a car sounds great.....and many they love are Turbo's.
I'll reserve judgement till I hear it in person.

I hope they shelled out more than $20 for the turbo's bearing

I would love to be a fly on the wall when someone spends $70-$80k for a 4 cylinder Boxster S and tries desperately to impress everyone

Opps did I just say that out loud

It sounds like a vw bus that's been sipping Mountain Dew and monster energy drinks for the past several days.

Which is better then a Honda at least.

It's a good sounding car, but boy is it a step back from a traditional flat 6 sound.

Personal opinion----- > Like the colour. Only kind of open top roadster I want has to have a manual stick. Video bored the **************** out of me after about 4 minutes.

G

You guys make it seem as if it sounds like a Honda Accord or a dryer full of rocks. I think it's a sexy car. Way too much complexity for me, but it looks nice. It doesn't sound terrible, it just doesn't sound like a Six. And won't.

They obviously are aware of the exhaust note issue because they've put out a few videos making sure we know how awesome it sounds - but they drown it out with music and make sure to edit the clips of when someone is seriously putting a rod to it.

You can trash potential buyers for spending $70-80k if you want. The base car has 300hp and the S has 350 and turbo motors tend to pull harder from lower rpm, so unless they loaded it up with a lot of fat these things will be considerably faster than any stock 6 cylinder boxster previously made. And if they did their homework this time, they took the time to make sure it's bullet proof.

As pointed out by another poster, Porsche doesn't have a choice if they're going to produce cars that pass emissions (unless they go all VW on us). It will be smaller engines with turbos, or a hybrid form in order to get any level of performance out of it.

One of these days they'll have to do the same thing to the "911". Imagine the belly aching we'll hear then.

To borrow a quote "if you like your flat six, you can keep your flat six". No one is forcing you to upgrade.

Is porsche also offering the flat NA aspirated engines in the new models?

Good looking car. I hope it sounds better then in this video. It's not a sound I care for. If this is really it all six cylinder Boxsters will be increasing in value. Can't wait until I can test one and hope I like how it sounds in person better.

The base actually sounds better than the S, or should that be not as rubbish as the S :) I suppose it could be that I was more interested in the girl driving the Base. Anyone know who she is?

I think the cars look good in the videos, but the engine sound kills it. I saw a program a while ago that discussed the importance of the engine sound to sports cars. The guy was saying that 50% of the enjoyment of driving fast cars comes from the engine sound, which is why they spend so much money tuning the exhausts, or even playing good engine sounds through the car speakers :barf:

I still don't get what is going on with the 718. Maybe this is the best they could do and not make it sound like a Subaru WRX.

I doubt it but I'm hoping the block can handle more boost.

The more I think about it, the less I really see the fundamental issue with a flat four being in a boxster. The spiritual successor to the boxster, the 550 (and even the 356 for that matter) used flat 4s. So if anything, the 718 is more true to the originals in some ways than the 986.

Looks like they redesigned the top and incorporated the forums AutoTop one button up or down while in motion.

I often wonder if the designers go to forums to see what their audience is focusing on.

Based on thread hits alone I think the DIY Projectors that Nine8Six produces must send a message of what consumers want on their cars.

Porsche heritage with some bling on the lights, cool rims and interior console.

Does the 718 have a flat 4 with turbo or supercharger?

Its hard to tell about sound reproduction online but it does sound throaty with a gargle when lifting, much like the Top Speed muffler with 2nd Cat delete on our 986.

I don't think the test driver was revving the engine out at all in any of those shots. It sounded like they were shifting really low in the rev range. I'll bet if you wind the piss out of that thing and give it the whole potato it will sound a lot better than in that film.

It's a single variable vane turbo if I remember correctly.
I did watch the vids again, this time bluetoohed to my surround sound, and you're right, it sounds like both test drivers are shifting really early in the rev range. In fact, it sounds to me like they're lugging the s#@*t out of those engines for the most part. Could explain it.
Well, headlights aside, it's a gorgeous machine, and I'm sure it will perform its little head off!

PS: looks like Porsche just updated their home page to include the 718 Box front and center.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...pswezxks6f.jpg

Agreed 100%

I guess the proof will be in the pudding so to speak. I will try to get a test drive of the new engine setup in the spring.

I guess our antiquated cars with 6 cylinder engines will become a rarity of sorts (IMS related failures aside :) )

funny how there was all this b!tching about the shape of the 986/996 headlights not being round/oval and most of the Porsche line now has headlights in the same basic shape of the 986/996.

Personally, I think the 718 is beautiful

Nice video of a Subaru.

Interesting comparison of the old six versus the new turbo engines. The new 911 sounds good both ways but the 718 versus the Boxster GTS is in my opinion no contest. The GTS sounds great and the 718 not so much.

Do Porsche's New Turbo Engines Sound as Good as Their Predecessors?

That constant bapping a gurgling is so distracting- sounds like my sons CRF 125 exhaust.... The road, however, is quite appealing.

Honestly I was thinking the same thing.
The last generation of sixes was engineered to gurgle a bit to give an old 60s sports car feel, and it was kind of cool. Critics liked it, so it's almost like they're going overboard here to compensate. Hopefully it doesn't really make that much racket.

I agree. The 987 had 993 like headlights now the new 718 has 986 like headlights. What's old is new again.

Other than the overly aggressive radiator intakes in the front bumper I like the 718 as well.

Speaking of radiator intakes, is it me or do all Japanese cars now look like they have a Marshall amplifier stack mounted to a snow plow as a front end?

Never heard it put that way but that's a good description. Lexus is particularly guilty of this.

I can't bring myself to watch this video. 4-cylinders? Turbo's?

What's next Porsche - useful cup holders? :)

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...psj9gg674s.jpg

Me and the girlfriend had a fun time disagreeing about the lack of cup holders in the boxster.

a waterbottle or green tea fits perfect in the door trays though, so she doesn't realize but when I get her a drink before a drive it tends to be one of those now haha.

Still don't like the engine sound - video shows a 718S:

https://www.facebook.com/eric.rokeberg/videos/10154596870171040/

https://www.facebook.com/eric.rokeberg/videos/10154600805481040/

Regards, Markus

I had to go into my local main dealer yesterday to drop my car off. Both my key fobs now don't work so I had no choice as this is a main dealer only fix.
Anyway I was having a look at a couple of 981 Boxsters in there and got chatting to one of the sales girls while sitting in a PDK Boxster black edition. I told her that I'd only be interested in a manual (as if I was seriously considering buy a new Boxster). She said that there were no manual 981s left, at least locally, then she mentioned the 718. I said I wasn't keen on the 4 cylinder and the sound it makes. She said that she's hearing that a lot. She then said she totally agreed, and that she doesn't even like the new 911 engine sound. Apparently, as word is getting round about the 718, she says customers are buying up the 981s while there are still some left. Later on I got a lift from another salesman and he was really laying into the 718. Why buy a Boxster when you can buy a Subaru WRX with the same engine for a third of the price? :)
Anyway, I didn't get the impression the sales staff I talked to are very happy about it.

From Autoweek:
As expected, the Boxster and the Boxster S will receive newly developed turbocharged flat-four engines. The 718 Boxster will be powered by a 2.0-liter mill producing 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque from 1,950 rpm to 4,500 rpm, while the 718 Boxster S will use a turbocharged 2.5-liter H4 good for 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque, available from 1,900 rpm to 4,500 rpm. That's a gain of 74 lb-ft of torque for the smaller engine, and 43 extra lb-ft for the larger one vs. the current engine. Tested in the European cycle, Porsche also boasts a 14 percent gain in fuel efficiency for the two engines.

Max torque at 1900 - 4500 rpm? This is new for Porsche, eh.

Fixed:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1456671775.jpg
:D

Here is a sound comparison video that shows there is no comparison.
http://youtu.be/KO_ZusyWTRo

To me, one of the best parts of driving my 986 S is the sound it makes at WOT at about 6k RPM, as well as the torque curve that makes you want to use the upper end. I think having a torque curve that rises with RPM is part of what makes a car fun to drive.

A few months ago I bought my daughter a VW Tiguan, which has the 2L TSI turbo with its super flat torque curve. While it is definitely quick, the power delivery feels odd to me. It has TONS of bottom end so there no need to go over 5k, along with a sound that doesn't make you want to rev it anyway. It is quick in a daily commuter kind of way. A friend of mine has a VW GTI that uses the same 2L TSI engine with modifications that give it close to 400hp at the wheels. With its DSG transmission, the car IS amazingly quick but I don't know that a similar powertrain would feel right in a Porsche.

Perhaps using largish turbos on these new fours would give a more sporting feel to the new Porsche fours, but I doubt that there isn't much they can do to stop them from sounding like an Subaru. I can only imagine the job aftermarket companies have ahead of them to make these car sound good, without sounding exactly like a tuned WRX.

I guess there is that argument that Porsche is "returning to its roots" with four cylinder engines. I don't buy it. I will bet that no matter what comes next, the 981 Spyder will ALWAYS be the most desirable Boxster Porsche ever makes, followed by the 987 Spyder. I am sure that the new 718 will be faster, handle better and get better fuel economy than the previous cars, but there is much more to a sports car than just that. I am sure the sales people will that will emphasize the "sporting" pops and crackles these engines make on overrun. "So it doesn't sound so great when you rev it, but did you hear the noises when you let off? I just wants to go again. You do know that Porsche used a turbo four cylinder in the Lemans winning prototype right? Did I tell you about how much better fuel economy you will get and how it really is faster than the old one; even if it doesn't sound like it. That is the sound of modern performance. Oh, just listen to that sound it makes as you slow down..." It will be interesting to see how sales go.

That is actually the other Porsches telling the 718 with its little four cylinder that it can't park next to them. Cars can be cruel.

on the bright side.. Subaru owners can now say their car sounds like a Porsche! :D