2016 Porsche 718 Boxster first drive review

We encourage the new generation of all-conquering Porsche Boxster - to determine whether adding a turbocharger and engine spoils the smaller the recipe for the perfect sporty roadster.

Porsche is not the first or last producers to succumb to the pressure to continue to lower CO2 with downsizing and turbocharging, but the 718 Boxster feels like a step backward. It looks, drives, handles and stops better than ever, and just as we remember the perfect sports car, but the sound and idles like a family hatch. Yes, turbo makes it faster and more efficient, but a piece of magic Boxster has been lost.

Need to know:

• Boxster gets a new name and a four-cylinder engine
• 2.0-liter turbo produces 296bhp, returns 38.2mpg
• On sale now, priced from £ 41,739 on the road

The next chapter in the 20-year history of the Porsche Boxster - and a bold new direction for the roadster that has been defined and dominated class. Taking the new '718' moniker from the sixties flat four riders who competed in Le Mans, the new car has a completely new styling, fresh interior, and most important of all, a brand new four-cylinder, turbocharged engine.

Obviously, such as every sports car brand to switch from large naturally-aspirated engine for the turbos and downsizing, they face skepticism from the purists and the same circular arguments about the constant need to improve performance and increase efficiency. For the record, the 2.0-liter 718 Boxster has 35bhp more than once, 0.8 seconds faster from 0-62mph if you get the optional PDK automatic, and 13% lighter than the fuel return 40.9mpg. All praise.

This switch is about much more than a shift of numbers together on the charts though, and this move feels like a big change than it was in 911. It moves the Boxster (and soon, Cayman) further away from the rear-engined flagship, and will fundamentally change how the drive , Other changes include a new steering - borrowed from the 911 Turbo better brakes and wider rear wheels, plus revised suspension to cope with the extra power and torque.

We tested the lightweight, entry-level 718, which traditionally has been a best-seller, with 296bhp on tap, fitted with the standard six-speed manual transmission. The new 718 Boxster S has a large 2.5-liter flat-four, a variable vane turbocharger and produces 345bhp.

Certainly very different from what has gone before - turning to turbocharging feels like a much more significant departure for the Boxster than it does on the latest generation of 911. Perhaps we've begun to take for granted the roar of a flat six in each of the Stuttgart sports car, but after the rave regular ritual lowering the roof fabric, dip the clutch and turn the key and then tapping to 'Sport', the sound you're greeted with is a real surprise.

When idle it chunters go with the type of industry rumble you would expect from Subaru WRX; but as the revs and the decibels rise, the hollow drone was never a proper Porsche howl. It pops and bangs theatrically at overrun, but never give the sensation should.

Almost every new panel, but you still get a sculpted vents behind the door to remind you that unlike most of its competitors the engine is installed right in the middle of the car. Porsche supplies the raw data shows that everything is fine, the performance is up, hungry high octane fuel down; but driving is flat-four in anger tells a somewhat different story.

We could forgive the power units just lost a little in character - set of physical laws that make it difficult for turbocharged cars sounded as stirring as the naturally-aspirated one, but Mercedes C63 AMG proved with that it can be done, and the performance is also suffering.

This machine was flat below 2,000rpm, and since the ratio in a manual car is still set length for maximum efficiency, 718 feels like it bogs down with each change at low speeds. You have to keep circling above 3,500rpm to keep sharp throttle response, and while the redline is quite high and is still seriously fast cars, no rush end power.

But perhaps the most frustrating thing of all about the gentle sound machine is that the rest of the driving experience is as sublime as ever. Control all have weights and weight that makes you feel instantly keyed into how much grip there is in every corner, the driving position is close to perfect, and the sheer grip and cornering agility offered beggars belief.

There is not even a bit of understeer, no matter how soon you decide to enter the corner, and you can play with the balance to follow the brakes or throttle lift the middle of the road. A new 'halfway house' mode on the traction control is called PSM Sport lets you enjoy some slides progressive without removing the safety net you to get one all together, so that the shame that is only available with the optional Sport Chrono package, and are not fitted as standard.

Rem brutal effective and pedal easy to modulate, and travel - even on 20-inch and standard suspension tautness of the chassis never gets too strong, and how supple 718 can cover even quite vicious mid-corner bumps give you enough confidence to really -Right attack the challenging road to know the car is quite able to cope.

Better yet, the quality of the cabin has been improved enough to keep even those such as ultra-modern roadster Audi TT S upright, with, the new touch screen clearer and more responsive central, standard stereo enhanced and improved connectivity, with Apple CarPlay as standard and sat-nav with full voice control optionally available. A smaller steering wheel reflects the new handling advantages, and it is practical as usual, with two shocking shoes in front and rear.

For that, we would recommend the 718 'S' - while still bemoaning the lack of both cars' of aural bites. Prices have risen for the Boxster as well - Cayman will now be cheaper when it makes its debut - but it makes it look expensive against the same instant, the same class and are better equipped Audi TT S Roadster, which also has the added security of four -wheel drive.

the comparison is probably not fair on Porsche though. It sets a benchmark handling in this class with a margin wider than before, still boasts a chassis that is truly remarkable, and it still feels like a genuine race in all respects bar one, so it was just a shame that the only exception is like disappointment. We'll keep our fingers crossed for GTS.

Key facts:

• Model: Porsche 718 Boxster Manual
• Price: £41,739
• Engine: 2.0-litre flat-four petrol, six-speed manual
• Power/Torque: 296bhp/280lb ft
• 0-62mph: 5.1 seconds
• Top speed: 171mph
• Economy: 38.2mpg
• CO2/BIK tax liability: 168g/km/30%
• Boot space front/back: 150/125 litres

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