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Two mid-engine sports cars from Porsche have been given new names. The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will be the names of the two-door mid-engine sports cars from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, effective with the 2016 model changeover, according to a statement issued in Dubai Thursday.
The 718 designation, according to the statement signed by Anja Woods, is a reference to the ground-breaking sports car from 1957, which enjoyed considerable success in renowned car races around the world.
The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, the statement added, will be sharing more visual and technical similarities than ever before, stressing that with the introduction of the new generation, the models will have equally powerful four-cylinder flat engines with turbocharging.
When launched in markets, the Roadster will be positioned at a higher price level than the Coupé, similar to the price positioning in the 911 series. Porsche will introduce the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman over the course of 2016.
The 718 model series is a continuation of the proven four-cylinder concept and the history of distinguished Porsche sports cars. The latest example is the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, featuring a highly-efficient, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with just 2 litres of displacement. It competed successfully in this year’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) resulting in Porsche securing the manufacturers’ as well as drivers’ championship. The 919 Hybrid has opened up the prospects for the performance potential of future sports car engines from Porsche.
History of the 718: four-cylinder flat engine has many car racing victories
Four-cylinder flat engines have a long tradition at Porsche and they have enjoyed incredible success. In the late 1950s, the 718 – a successor to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder – represented the highest configuration level of the four-cylinder flat engine. Whether it was competing at the 12-hour race in Sebring in 1960 or at the European Hill Climb Championship that ran between 1958 and 1961, the Porsche 718 prevailed against numerous competitors. The 718 took first place in 1959 and 1960 at the legendary Targa Florio race in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1958, the 718 RSK, with its 142-hp four-cylinder engine, scored a class victory.
Porsche 919 Hybrid: technological front-runner for production cars
In 2014, Porsche returned to the top category of the famous endurance race in Le Mans and the WEC with the 919 Hybrid race car. The LMP1 vehicle, which was designed for extreme efficiency, is the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built. It serves as a platform for fundamental technology research for future production models – combining two different energy recovery systems with a two-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
