Used 2023 Porsche 718 Boxster

It’s also an area where Porsche still excels. This is the company that makes the 911, the car every driving enthusiast has to experience. The 718 Boxster convertible is cut from a similar cloth as its 718 Cayman coupe platform-mate. It’s more affordable than a 911, though.

Of course, affordable in the context of a new Porsche is relative. There are rivals with more reasonable pricing. But drive a 718 Boxster or its ultimate iteration, the 718 Spyder, and any misgivings about money become immaterial. Just keep an eye on the options.

The hard-top 718 Cayman range is reviewed separately.

It used to be that a 911 was considered the true enthusiast’s choice — and it still is to some degree. But for drivers who never really liked the idea of an engine in the trunk and insufficient weight over the front wheels, the balletic balance of a 718 Boxster or Spyder is a thing of kinetic beauty.

With a mid-engine format like this, it doesn’t even need a lot of power to be thrilling. Just the way it changes direction, responding to steering inputs with an immediacy that has to be felt to be fully appreciated, is so much a part of this sports car’s appeal.

The suspension — whether it’s the standard setup, the lowered/stiffer version in the Spyder, or with the optional active shock absorbers — doesn’t settle for firm and feisty where lesser cars would. There’s no twitchiness, but a fluidity over bumps and from one corner to the next.

One advantage of placing the engine behind the front seats is that it acts as a structural member to help keep the convertible body from flexing, so Porsche’s engineers could tune the ride to a finer degree.

Even if a 2023 718 Boxster doesn’t need a lot of muscle, Porsche still hasn’t short-changed anyone with a turbocharged 300 horsepower in the base model. Or 350 horses in the Boxster S. If we were going to make a minor complaint, it’s that these 4-cylinder engines don’t make the same kind of neck hair-raising, pupil-dilating, spine-fluttering sound as a traditional naturally-aspirated Porsche flat-6.

No such problem in the GTS 4.0 or the 718 Spyder. The latter also has a more extreme sport exhaust to really set the senses a-quiver. This is accompanied by glorious acceleration.

Porsche says the 718 Spyder can rush from standstill to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. OK, a Tesla Model S has the potential to be quicker, but where’s the tactile element or the aural dimension? The base Boxster does it in 4.9 seconds.

The 718 Boxster also offers a limited-slip differential and brake-based torque vectoring for even greater effectiveness through corners.

The instrument display has the rev counter right in its center, because drivers will be concentrating on when to shift gears before hitting the redline. It’s one of several Porsche traits finding their way into the 2023 718 Boxster and Spyder.

Overall, the 2-seater cabin is more about business than affectation. There’s some flair, but not at the expense of ergonomics. The seats are comfortable enough for long trips, and the driving position feels suitably sporty. To save some weight, the 718 Spyder has door pull loops instead of regular handles.

Although the materials are of luxury-car quality, we’ve found noise levels on the freeway to be not quite so soothing. Better than a Mazda MX-5 Miata, but we would have preferred more sound insulation.

The options list includes various leathers and color schemes, including seat belts of different hues. Plus aluminum or carbon fiber accents, and a key painted the same color as the car.

Trunk space measures 4.4 cubic feet, with extra under-hood storage of 5.2 cubic feet. A couple of weekend bags should fit in one way or the other.

Because of its mid-engine configuration, the 2023 718 Boxster doesn’t have a conventional grille, which adds to the special Porsche aura that’s also part of the more expensive and powerful 911 range. The lower front fascia handles some air intake, but the most dramatic elements are the side pods just ahead of the rear wheels.

Roof up or roof down, the 718 Boxster looks arguably elegant either way. The power-operated fabric top is offered in black, brown, dark blue, or dark red. The exception is the Spyder, whose manually-operated top comes in either black or a red/black combination.

The Spyder also has small flying buttress features behind each headrest, plus a lowered suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels as standard.

Ice Grey Metallic and Arctic Grey are offered with base, S, and GTS models. Porsche also offers bespoke decals for the sides, where buyers can choose up to three numbers — 718 as perhaps the most obvious.

1. Porsche styling
Porsche would be the first company to say that function is paramount, looks are secondary. But there’s still a certain visual flavor to Porsche cars (and SUVs) that’s arguably stirring, right down to the typeface used in model names and numbers.

2. Manual transmission
This is one of the few occasions where we wouldn’t deter potential buyers from choosing the manual. It’s slick and quick, and enhances driver engagement.

3. Sport Chrono package
As well as a digital/analog stopwatch in the center console, this feature adds a launch mode to the automatic transmission or an automatic rev-matching feature to the manual gearbox. Active driveline mounts are also included — think of these as little adaptive shock absorbers where various mechanical parts are bolted to the body. The Sport Chrono package is optional in some variants, standard in others.

4. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
In other words, an adaptive suspension. It’s lower than the regular setup by just under half an inch. That doesn’t sound like much, but it has an effect. And although it’s tuned for sportiness, it does add to the way the 718 Boxster flows. Available as either an option or standard equipment, depending on the variant.

5. 718 Spyder
This car is lighter than its Boxster brethren, as well as being more powerful. It’s also something of a collector’s piece. Driving thrills and strong resale values seem like a win-win to us.

6. Ceramic composite brakes
Anyone thinking about regular track days with their new 718 Boxster or 718 Spyder might want to spend an extra $8,000 for this optional fade-free, warp-resistant braking system.

The base and T variants of the 2023 718 Boxster range employ a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder mid-mounted engine. Output is 300 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque.

The S also comes with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, but this one has a displacement of 2.5 liters, making 350 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque.

Music to the ears of Porsche lovers, a 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated 6-cylinder engine propels the GTS 4.0 with 394 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque — or 317 lb-ft with the automated transmission. The same engine in the 2023 718 Spyder is boosted to produce 414 horsepower (identical torque figures).

All versions of the 2023 718 Boxster and Spyder have a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, offering the option (at $3,210) of a 7-speed automated transmission. And rear-wheel drive is the only configuration.

Each Boxster engine is of the “boxer” variety, where pairs of cylinders are opposed horizontally instead of all in a line, which is the more common arrangement. They all require premium gasoline. These fuel economy estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relate to 2022, but we expect 2023’s to be the same.

2.0-liter turbocharged flat-4 (base, T)
300 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
280 lb-ft of torque @ 1,950-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/26 mpg (manual), 21/27 mpg (auto)

2.5-liter turbocharged flat-4 (S)
350 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
309 lb-ft of torque @ 1,900-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/24 mpg (manual), 19/25 mpg (auto)

4.0-liter flat-6 (GTS 4.0)
394 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
309 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000-6,500 rpm (manual)
317 lb-ft of torque @ 5,500 rpm (auto)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg (manual), 19/24 mpg (auto)

4.0-liter flat-6 (718 Spyder)
414 horsepower @ 7,600 rpm
309 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000-6,800 rpm (manual)
317 lb-ft of torque @ 5,500 rpm (auto)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/23 mpg (manual), 18/24 mpg (auto)