According to Automobile, Porsche will rename the next-generation versions of its Boxster and Cayman a 718 ahead of the arrival of additional variants of the two sports cars, one of which could be a new base model undercutting the $52,395 starting price of Porsche’s most affordable sports car at present, the $52,395 Boxster.
The name change would help alleviate any confusion about where certain models sit in the Porsche hierarchy. It would also emulate the naming strategy Porsche uses for its 911 family, which ranges from the 350-horsepower 911 Carrera right up to the 560-hp 911 Turbo S.
Should the report prove accurate, what might the new variants be? The base 718 will likely be a basic coupe to replace the base Cayman, powered by a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine currently in the works at Porsche. This would likely be followed by a base 718 Spyder to replace the Boxster.
Other variants would likely include replacements for the recently launched Boxster and Cayman GTS variants as well as eventual replacements for new track-focused versions of the Boxster and Cayman currently in the works (pictured above).
Facelifted versions of the current Boxster and Cayman are expected in 2016, as 2017 models. It’s possible Porsche will introduce the name change with the arrival of these facelifted models. Otherwise, we will have to wait until the arrival of a complete redesign of the cars sometime towards the end of the decade.
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