When the facelift for the 981-series Porsche Boxster and Cayman surfaces in 2016, the two models will be renamed 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, but why?
According to Porsche, the 718 prefix has been bestowed in honour of the 718 sports car that in various guises and body styles raced in competitions during the late 1950s and early 1960s. A 106kW (142hp) 718 RSK took out a class victory in the 1958 24 Hour of Le Mans.
All these ’50s and ’60s era 718 models were powered by a 4-cylinder horizontally opposed engine, like the updated versions of the Boxster and Cayman. Unlike the original 718 models, the new road-legal 718 Boxster and Cayman will employ a turbocharger.
