Carmakers like to talk about efficient design, but that obscures the fact that cars are getting bigger.
It’s been happening long enough that product planners have been able to slip new models into the lineup in spaces that are too small for the existing, inflated products. The 3 Series/4 Series has grown so big that BMW can slot the 2 Series in beneath it, and Audi did the same thing with the A4 and A3.
Porsche may be the latest carmaker to follow this trend. There have been rumors of a smaller-than-Boxster sports car for before, but Germany’s Autobild (via World Car Fans) reports that it’s back on.
Codenamed 718, this new car will reportedly get unique styling (or, at least as unique as Porsche styling can get) and an interior with less equipment than the Boxster or Cayman. Think of it as a back-to-basics sports car.
In fact, the 718 will supposedly be so basic that it will make do with a manual convertible top, thinner glass, and a minimal amount of sound deadening. This will help save weight, as will a chassis made primarily from aluminum and high-strength steel.
All of that is expected to bring the curb weight down to 2,623 pounds, just a skinny passenger away from the carbon fiber 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C.
One of Porsche’s new four-cylinder engines seems like a perfect fit. Previous reports claimed a 1.6-liter version was developed specifically for a “baby Boxster” sports car that was shelved, which casts some doubt on whether the 718 will ever see the light of day.
Porsche has waffled on a sub-Boxster sports car before, but the concept does have merit.
It could be a great option of buyers who want their sports car to be more sporty than luxurious, especially if Porsche can keep the price down so those buyers don’t feel cheated when they have to unfurl the top themselves.
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