Porsche 718 Boxster review: the sports car most people should buy instead of a 911
motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the Boxster over an equivalent-money 911 if you actually drive for pleasure rather than status — the mid-engine balance is more communicative at real road speeds, and the four-cylinder's turbo torque covers for the lost cylinders more than the enthusiast press initially admitted. In Bahrain's climate, budget for the roof mechanism and air conditioning system to be inspected carefully; both work hard here and both are expensive to fix once neglected.
Pros
- Mid-engine balance is more rewarding on a real road than a 911's at legal speeds
- Turbo four's low-down torque makes it feel genuinely quick in daily driving
- Roof operates in under 10 seconds and works on the move
- Meaningfully cheaper to buy and insure than a 911 with similar performance
- Two usable boots for a Bahrain weekend away
Cons
- Roof stays up most of the Bahraini summer, reducing the appeal of the open-top layout
- Only two seats and modest luggage space limit everyday practicality
- Manual cars are slower to sell than PDK on the local used market
- Air conditioning compressor and roof mechanism are costly if neglected
Porsche's decision to drop the flat-six for a turbocharged flat-four in the 718 generation remains the most argued-about change in the current line-up, and it is also the one that matters least once you are actually driving the car. The mid-engined chassis was always the point of the Boxster, and the four-cylinder's turbo torque arrives low enough to make the car feel quicker in everyday driving than the old six ever did.
Top down in a Bahraini summer
The soft top is quick — under 10 seconds — and can be operated at speeds up to around 50 km/h, which matters in Manama traffic when the sky clouds over during shamal season. Realistically, the roof stays up more than down between May and September; the seat ventilation and strong air conditioning are what make the car usable through the hottest months rather than the open-top experience itself.
Boot space, split between a front and rear trunk, is genuinely usable for two people travelling light — enough for a causeway weekend in Saudi, not enough for a proper family holiday.
Buying used
The manual gearbox holds a small resale premium among enthusiasts but is the harder car to sell quickly in Bahrain; PDK cars move faster. Check the roof mechanism operates cleanly through a full cycle and confirm air-conditioning performance on the test drive, since compressor work is one of the costlier repairs on a car this size.