2016 PORSCHE 718 Information Manual

The new 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman
For the sport of it

Sports car fascination 6
Design 26
Drive 36
Chassis 48
Safety and environment 60
Comfor t 70
Personalisation 90
Porsche Exclusive 94
Porsche Tequipment 134
Technical data 140
Summary 144
Contents.

Sports car fascination.

| 9
Sports car fascination
To us, it ’s never been about extra
horsepower alone, but about more
ideas per hp. It’s about engines that
are more efficient, not bigger. It’s about
a design that follows principles, not
trends. It’s about sports cars that can
be driven day in, day out.
It’s only when all these things come
together that we can talk of Intelligent
Performance – the core of the Porsche
brand, and of its future. This is what we
are fighting for. Just as we did on day
one. We are fighting for a dream that will
forever be in our heart.
This at titude is in every Porsche that
we’ve created since 1948. It’s there in the
smallest part and in every race we’ve
won. It ’s also found in every idea. That ’s
because our engineers are not satisfied
with 100
%. It’s because they fight. They
fight for that one crucial percentage point
more. For the one second that means the
difference between triumph and despair.
For the ‘Dr. Ing.’ in our company name and
for the chance to stir the passion for the
sports car, time and time again.
A big dream has to be fought for. And

so does a bold vision. The next victory?
Rarely will it simply fall into our lap. Often,
though, there are innate factors we must
also fight against: resistance, conventions,
and rigid patterns of thinking.
Whatever we fight for or against,
nothing is achieved without passion,
grit and determination. Ferry Porsche
gave
everything for the sports car of his
dreams.
His dream came true. Not
because he hesitated, dwelled or got
lucky, but because he went that extra
mile.
The dream of the sports car.
Ferry Porsche
“In the beginning I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of.
So I decided to build it myself.”

| 11
Sports car fascination
718 RS 60 Spyder in front of Porsche Werk 1
sometimes far superior on paper. At
the Targa Florio, for instance, notorious
for its tight and t wist y mountain roads.
At the 12 Hours of Sebring. At numerous
hill-climbing events. And, naturally, at
the Mecca of racing: Le Mans. It was a
winning streak that elevated Porsche from
underdog to giant killer. And to the darling
of the fans.
Of course, every legend also begs a big
question: what comes next? Our answer:
we keep going – on the roads beyond the
racetracks. And we write a new chapter in
the history of the legend. Right here, right
now.
So, in 1953, the first ever Porsche
designed specifically for motor racing
made its debut on starting grids around
the world. And, in doing so, it paved the
way for a series of pure-bred mid- engined
race cars: from 1957, it was followed by
the 718 RSK Spyder – a fundamentally
revised version of the 550 A Spyder; the
718 RS 60 Spyder; the 718 W-RS Spyder;
and, ultimately, the 718 GTR – the coupé
gracing the Spyder line-up.
By the mid-60s, they would go on to

claim over 1,000 racing victories – and
convincingly outperform a field that was Every legend has a beginning. Strictly
speaking, the legend of the 718 began
back in 1953 with a simple but audacious
plan: to take the offensive. Not least on
the racetrack.
A rousing statement of intent followed
by action: with a four-cylinder horizontally
opposed engine, with a consistent
lightweight construction and with a
cornering performance never witnessed

before. The 550 Spyder. A sports car
that defied the motorsport standards of
its time – because our engineers simply
cannot be content with the status quo.
Only those who know their roots
can develop with a flourish.
The 718 era.

| 13
For fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and efficiency class, please refer to page 141. roads of today’s world. With one goal: to
take the everyday out of every day.
Compared with the previous models, the
result is a new, decidedly more striking
design, an even sportier chassis setup and
a host of new performance, comfort and
assistance systems. And, of course, up to
350 units of turbocharged horsepower
(257 kW) – despite a considerable reduction
in fuel consumption. Only one question
remains unanswered: what are you still
waiting for?
The new 718 Boxster and the new
718 Cayman. For the sport of it.
The new Boxster and the new Cayman are
the sequel that continues the 718 era. At
their heart, a four-cylinder turbocharged
boxer engine beats with the same fighting
spirit that delivered countless podium
finishes. In them lives the will to break
with standards. And to inspire conviction.
So it is entirely appropriate that they, too,
should bear these three digits in their
name and carry the 718 legend forward.
The new 718 models were made for the
sport of it. They are mid- engined roadsters
that unite the sporting spirit of the
legendary Porsche 718 with the sports
car of tomorrow – and transfer it to the

Ever more worthy of its legendary status.
Day in, day out.
The 718 concept.
Sports car fascination
Start your engines.Scan code or go to w w w.porsche.com/ 718
and start the web special.

| 15
Sports car fascination
driving dynamics: the concentrated power
of the engine is transmitted directly to
the rear axle.
How do we best exploit this power? By
systematically reducing the weight of the
vehicle. And by optimally distributing the
weight left over. The compact construction
of the car as a t wo -seater plays an
important part in this respect. And that’s
without sacrifices in terms of comfort
and everyday practicality.
However, as soon as the mid-mounted
engine starts, there’s really only one thing
that matters: the world with its countless
twists and turns. And you – right in the
middle of it all.
What is it that makes the new 718 models
so special? Their performance, their
handling, their design and the generous
amount of space afforded by t wo luggage
compartments. Above all: a mid-engine
concept that makes all this possible in the
first place.
The engine is positioned no further than
30 cm behind the driver. Effect number
one: the resounding thump on the back.
Effect number two: the extraordinarily
dynamic cornering capabilities, thanks to
the car’s low and central centre of gravity.
The horizontally opposed arrangement of
the engine’s cylinders also helps to reduce
oscillations, which has a positive impact
on smooth running. Another plus for
The middle ground:
not necessarily a position of compromise.
The principle of the mid-engined sports car.