In 2016, the Boxster and Cayman models are renamed Porsche 718. Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman, respectively.
The new nomenculatures for the sports cars that access the Porsche range come into force with the model renewal in 2016. The 718 designation is a reference to the sports models from 1957, which enjoyed enormous success in competition. The technical and visual similarities of Porsche's new mid-engine models to these icons are many.In the future, both the Boxster and Cayman will feature supercharged four-cylinder boxer engines, dropping the atmospheric opposing six-cylinder architectures. In the future, the roadster (718 Boxster) will be positioned at a higher price than the coupé (718 Cayman) – as with the 911 models.
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According to Porsche, the 718 models continue the history of 4-cylinder engines in the brand's history. The last example is the competition model 919 Hybrid LMP1, which also has a four-cylinder turbo engine with just 2 liters of capacity. Model that won first and second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Manufacturers and Drivers title in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
In the late 1950s, the 718 – the successor to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder – represented the highest-status four-cylinder boxer engine configuration.
Wherever it competed, in the 12 hours of Sebring in 1960 or the European Mountain Championship that ran from 1959 to 1960, the Porsche 718 outranked countless competitors with its powerful and efficient four-cylinder boxer engine. The 718 took first place three times between 1958 and 1961 in the legendary Italian competition Targa Florio in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958, the 718 RSK with its 142-hp 4-cylinder engine achieved victory in its class.