Skip advert
Advertisement

Porsche 718 Boxster – performance and 0-60

Even the meekest Boxster posts a respectable 5.1sec 0-62mph time, with the GTS dipping into the mid-4s

Evo rating
RRP
from £55,800
  • Precision and poise that don’t require huge speeds to enjoy
  • Once you've tried the GTS, there's no going back to the four-pots

Objectively, both the 2-litre and 2.5-litre engines perform better than the low-output flat sixes they replaced. It's their uplift in torque that makes the difference, so while peak power of both engines is hit at 6500rpm, peak torque is available at just 1950rpm, giving you a sense of how the engines feel on the road. Combined with kerb weights as low as 1335kg, no Boxster feels undernourished in performance terms, where previous low-specification six-cylinder Boxsters could.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The respective performance figures reflect this as the standard Boxster will hit 62mph in just 5.1sec (4.9 with PDK), while the S will complete the same feat in just 4.6sec (4.4 PDK). Sport Chrono-equipped PDK cars drop these figures by a further 0.2 of a second thanks to an included launch function.

> Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 2025 review – six-cylinder drop-top is best in class

Flat-six models aren’t actually that much more well endowed than the four-pots, as while they have 394bhp, torque is no stronger than in the standard S, and when combined with a peakier delivery and extra weight, it makes the GTS only 0.2sec quicker when equipped with the equivalent transmission.

The contrast between them is all in the delivery, though, because as mentioned, while no Boxster feels sluggish the crescendo of the GTS’s 4-litre makes it by far the more dynamic engine. The flat-four by comparison feels asthmatic, as while torque is strong from low in the rev range, the throttle still needs to be wide open for quite a stretch of time before the turbos give their all. Until then turbo lag is an issue, leaving you with only flat-four flatulence, which is more air-cooled Beetle than Subaru EJ20.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

BMW M240i v Audi RS3 – 400bhp German stars fight it out
Audi RS3 and BMW M240
Group tests

BMW M240i v Audi RS3 – 400bhp German stars fight it out

BMW's M240i is one of the best value performance cars on the market. But is it worth the saving over an RS3?
30 Aug 2026
Car emissions consultation ends soon, with UK's tuned and modified vehicles targeted
Aventador exhausts
News

Car emissions consultation ends soon, with UK's tuned and modified vehicles targeted

Consultation ends next week on rule changes that will fine drivers who have modified emission-control devices on their cars, but what does it actually…
30 Aug 2026
Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is more powerful and cheaper than BMW's M3
Mercedes-AMG CLA 45
News

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is more powerful and cheaper than BMW's M3

The CLA 45 is no more expensive than the old A45 but with 671bhp, is obviously way more potent
28 Aug 2026