Porsche’s decision to downsize the engine range in the Boxster/Cayman range has been met with a lot of criticism, but there’s no denying that the new 718 models are now punchier than ever.

Yes, the sound isn’t that good, but now there’s easily accessible power delivery from much lower revs which in turn allows you to go hellishly fast without so much effort.

Add the numerous updates to that amazingly balanced mid-engine chassis and what you’re left with a two-seat roadster that suddenly goes like a demon on a track.

The 2.5-litre flat-four unit used in the S models makes 350hp and more importantly 309lb-ft of torque, making this Boxster a genuine 177mph machine. When fitted with the rather excellent seven-speed PDK transmission is also capable of hitting 62mph from a standstill in 4.2 seconds.

As far as speed goes, this roadster has suddenly become a very seriously fast weapon on track as portrayed by Motor Trend on their latest Ignition episode. If you want to know how fast exactly and what is the tradeoff for all that speed, head to the video linked below.

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