The 718 Boxster was introduced in January 2016, and premiered at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The 718 Cayman joined the range in April at the Beijing Motor Show. The 718 featured two new horizontally-opposed flat-4 turbocharged engines at 2.0L and 2.5L for the 'S' models with increased torque and horsepower with lower fuel consumption. The exterior of the 718 Boxster and Cayman is very similar to the third generation, more of an evolution than a redesign. The most notable changes are to the rear of the car, which now has a long black-trim bar across the rear connecting the two taillights. The headlights and bumper are also heavily reworked. On the sides, the mirrors have been redesigned, taking hue from the SportDesign mirrors on the GT3. Much like the exterior, the interior has very few major changes with the most notable being the PCM 4.0 replacing the previous PCM 3.1 found in the 981.
Despite initial pessimism over the loss of two cylinders the new 718 in both the Boxster and Cayman has continued to wow people with its mechanical improvements over the 981. The 718 offered greater handling and acceleration than the outgoing 918, with power coming quicker and at lower revs whilst the steering was tidier and more direct. This whole new experience was capped off by being voted Motor Trends 2nd Best Drivers Car in 2017.
