Porsche 718 Boxster 2025: The Ultimate Open-Top Sports Car Experience
Most convertibles are a romantic way to enjoy the open road, but the Porsche 718 Boxster takes it a step further with its cheerful handling and eager turbochargers. It shares its chassis and mechanicals with the similarly sporty 718 Cayman Coupe, but the Boxster’s soft top opens the cabin to the fresh air and the liberating feeling of the wind in your hair.
Porsche 718 Boxster
Base models come with a turbocharged, horizontally opposed four-cylinder, but speed freaks will gravitate toward the optional flat-six. The 718 Boxster may not have the cachet of Porsche’s sports car icon, the 911, but its focused chassis and snappy nature make it tough to beat among other drop-top sports cars like the Audi TT and BMW Z4 .
What’s new ?
Two new colors join the Boxster palette : Shark Blue and Frozenberry Metallic. Porsche also offers some new leather accessories, including leather floor mats and key covers. Speaking of keys, buyers can now customize their key fobs by having them painted to match their car’s exterior color. For
those who want to shop without limits, the GTS 4.0 model, with its powerful and sonorous flat-six, is the Boxster of choice. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to drop €90,000 (Euros) on a two-seat convertible. We get that. For those with a bigger budget, the S model is for you. The available PDK automatic transmission is excellent, but this car really begs for the manual. We recommend keeping options to a minimum and only opting for the lowered suspension with adaptive dampers, a limited-slip rear differential, and ventilated seats.
Engine, transmission and performance
The Boxster offers three engines: a 300-hp 2.0-liter flat-six, a 350-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-six (in the S model), and a 394-hp 4.0-liter flat-six (in the GTS 4.0). Each comes with a really satisfying six-speed manual transmission, but buyers can opt for Porsche’s bright-eyed seven-speed automatic. The base and S models are great fun to drive and performed well in our testing. We haven’t had the chance to put our kit on the new GTS 4.0 model yet, but we have high expectations that it will impress us on the track. The Boxster’s handling and steering ability inspire deep affection. The mid-engine layout lets the Boxster corner in a balanced and stable manner, while the brilliantly communicative steering responds quickly and precisely to even small inputs. Extras like Porsche ‘s adaptive dampers and an available torque-vectoring rear differential only improve this car’s handling , but even base-trim Boxsters handle exactly how we’d like them to.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The base Boxster with a turbo 2.0-liter flat-four and six-speed manual transmission earns 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. Opting for the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic earns buyers 1 mpg more in each category. The S and GTS models fare only slightly worse. We tested both a base Boxster and an S on our 200-mile highway fuel economy route, and both models exceeded their EPA ratings with results of 33 mpg and 28 mpg, respectively. For more information on the Boxster’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, comfort and cargo
The Boxster’s interior has a bit more plastic than we’d expect in such an expensive car, but buyers can clad the console lid, door panels and instrument cluster top in leather for a relatively inexpensive price. The Boxster’s two flimsy pop-out cupholders have limited use and reveal a cultural disdain for driving with drinks—Germans don’t drink their afternoon coffee while driving, after all. If you’re looking for a car that will keep your entire life in its cabin, look elsewhere. This two-seater is seriously short on space. And while neither the Boxster nor the Cayman have any truly useful storage, each at least offers front and rear cargo space. One carry-on suitcase fits in the boot and two in the trunk.
Infotainment and connectivity
Normally we’d complain about only having two USB ports, but since this car seat only has two, how many more ports do you need? There’s also a standard CD player for those drivers who still listen to CDs. Buyers can opt for navigation and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Porsche now offers Apple CarPlay integration as standard fare, but Android Auto is still not offered.
Safety and driver assistance functions
The Boxster doesn’t have much in the way of driver assistance technology, but we are at least happy about the standard rearview camera and parking sensors. For more information on the Boxster’s crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard parking sensors front and rear
- Available automatic emergency braking
- Available blind spot monitoring
Warranty and maintenance coverage
Porsche offers a slightly above-average warranty package for the class, with longer bumper-to-bumper coverage than the Chevrolet Corvette. That said, it pales in comparison to the coverage offered by the Jaguar F-Type . This car beats all challengers with the longest terms and a generous five years or 60,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance.
