It would have been hard to imagine, back in 1996 when the first Porsche Boxster was launched, that the “baby” sports car would one day pack an engine that would propel it to 400bhp, says Jonathan Burn on Auto Express. “Even harder to imagine” would be a Boxster that costs more than £66,000. Yet that is just what we have in the new 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. As roadsters go, it is difficult to fault. On the move, it feels light, nimble and beautifully balanced at any speed, “all essential sports-car traits”. Its size and power make it a “near-perfect sports car for UK roads”.
The “important” part of the car’s name is at the end: the 4.0 indicates a bigger four-litre engine and that represents more than just “an injection of extra performance” – it “completely transforms the car’s character” for the better. Enjoy it while you can: Porsche is “seriously considering” making the next generations of its Boxster and Cayman cars fully electric.
The naturally aspirated six cylinder you get here, though, is “exactly what you want and expect from a Porsche engine”, says Joel Stocksdale on Autoblog. It is “eager to rev” and rewards the driver with “more and more power the longer you stay on the throttle”. Most importantly, it sounds like a Porsche, with a thundering growl. “This engine wants to rev, you want to hear and feel it rev, yet to do so, you have to drive at speeds that’ll send you to jail… or require frequent trips to a racetrack.”
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The “getting-to-know-you phase” in this Boxster is short – within moments car and driver are well acquainted, says James Taylor in Car magazine. Twist the key and you’ll feel all six cylinders come alive at the small of your back. Handling it at road speeds “is apparently viceless” and it’s as safe and stable as it is eager. The way the GTS changes direction is “quite something… turning on its heels like an action-movie hero in a slow-motion gunfight”. Whatever nits the car does have are “barely pickable”.
It has all the right ingredients for driving perfection, agrees Ollie Marriage on TopGear, and “you won’t find much to complain about” inside either. The quality of the materials is top-notch, the driving position is comfortable and the space it offers result in a “very usable and pleasing roadster”. All in all, this is a car that would be a delight to live with.
Price: £66,340. Engine: 4.0-litre, six cylinder, petrol. Power/torque: 396bhp/400Nm. 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds. Top speed: 182mph
-
Pension vs property: which option provides the best income for your retirement?News With the cost of a comfortable retirement on the rise, future retirees need to weigh up which strategy offers the best returns. But is a pension a better bet than property?
-
The industry at the heart of global technologyThe semiconductor industry powers key trends such as artificial intelligence, says Rupert Hargreaves
-
Val d’Isère is a valley of delightsMoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge reviews Airelles Val d’Isere and Hotel Mont-Blanc in the famous French ski resort
-
Review: The Ozen Collection – a dream stay in the MaldivesMoneyWeek Travel Ozen Life Maadhoo and Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, where luxury meets nature, are almost too good to be true, says Nicole García Mérida.
-
Review: An odyssey through Sri LankaMoneyWeek Travel Merryn Somerset Webb explores the South Asian country’s ruins, jungle and fabulous food.
-
Flexjet review: the only way to flyMoneyWeek Travel Chris Carter flies with Flexjet, a provider of fractional ownership of private jets, to St Moritz in Switzerland for the Snow Polo World Cup.
-
South American nature holidays – take a walk on the wild sideTravel We find holidays in South America where you can explore nature in all its diversity.
-
10 most affordable places to rent (and least) in EnglandAs rent prices increase, it’s good to know where renters can get the best value. And which are the least affordable areas, to avoid.
-
Collectables: The Christmas gift for people who have everythingA collectable is deeply personal. It is the archetypal thoughtful Christmas gift.
-
Lucknam Park Hotel review: a stately stay in the countryMoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge tries his hand at horse riding at the luxury Lucknam Park Hotel in Wiltshire.
