Porsche’s updated Boxster and Boxster S models are now called the 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S. For the first time in the models’ history, both are powered by turbocharged flat-4 engines. The last mid-engine Porsche roadster with a flat-4 was the 914, which was developed together with Volkswagen. It was produced from 1969 to 1976.
The 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S are propelled by turbocharged 2-litre and 2.5-litre flat-4 motors, which replace the naturally aspirated 2.7-litre and 3.4-litre flat-6 motors in the outgoing Boxster and Boxster S respectively. The 718 Boxster packs 300bhp and 380Nm, or 35bhp and 100Nm more than the old Boxster. The 718 Boxster S off ers 350bhp and 420Nm, or 25bhp and 60Nm more than the old Boxster S. These figures enable the 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S to demolish the century sprint in 4.7 seconds and 4.2 seconds respectively. Impressively, the latter’s timing matches that of the latest 911 Carrera S. Apart from these Boxsters, the only other turbocharged flat-4 engines available are those in the Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI saloons, which also have 2-litre (268bhp) and 2.5-litre (305bhp) boxer motors. Rex owners can now claim that Porsche has taken a page out of Subaru’s highperformance playbook. The 718 Boxster will come to Singapore in the third quarter of this year.
FERRARI’S ”FF++”
Ferrari has renewed the five-year-old FF and renamed it as GTC4Lusso. The new name is less snappy, but everything else about the four-seater “sporting grand tourer” is even sharper, from the styling to the engine. The 6262cc 12-cylinder develops 690bhp and 697Nm, compared to the FF’s 660bhp and 683Nm. The V12 engine can accelerate the supercar from a standstill to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and take it to 335km/h. Another mechanical upgrade is the integration of rear-wheel-steering with the patented four-wheeldrive system. Inside the cabin, there’s a new steering wheel with a smaller airbag, all the controls are more ergonomic and the infotainment has been improved. The GTC4Lusso will be launched in Singapore at the end of this year.
HIGHEST SEVEN
BMW has unveiled the M760Li xDrive, the most powerful 7 Series to date. This is also the first time that the automaker’s flagship saloon is available as an M Performance variant,enabling it to closely match rivals such as the 605bhp Audi S8 Plus.But unlike the S8 Plus, which has a turbocharged 4-litre V8, the M760Li packs a turbocharged 6.6-litre V12.The engine’s output is 600bhp and 800Nm (estimated figures), with an expected century sprint time of 3.9 seconds. The M760Li, however, is outperformed by the Alpina B7 (inset), a “boutique” luxo-barge based on the 7 Series. The B7 does 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, despite it “only” having a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8.
