Οι Porsche Boxster και Cayman μετονομάζονται σε 718

10:31 10/12/2015 - Πηγή: AutoBlog

Οι οπαδοί της ιστορίας και της Porsche ειδικότερα, θα θυμούνται την 718 της δεκαετίας του ’50. Ήταν το μοντέλο που αντικατάστησε την θρυλική 550 Spyder και όπως αναφέρει χαρακτηριστικά η εταιρία, “το αποκορύφωμα του επίπεδου, τετρακύλινδρου κινητήρα”. Ήταν το μοντέλο που κέρδισε τον Targa Florio το 1959 και το 1960 και το μοντέλο που ως 718 RSK, βγήκε πρώτο στην κατηγορία του στις 24 Ώρες του Le Mans το 1958. Κουβαλάει ιστορία το όνομα 718 για την Porsche.

Γι’

αυτό και όπως ανακοίνωσε η Γερμανική εταιρία, τόσο η Boxster όσο και η Cayman θα ενταχθούν στην 718 Series. Με την παρουσίαση των MY2016 μοντέλων, οι μικρές Porsche θα μετονομαστούν σε 718 Boxster και 718 Cayman.

Ο λόγος; Εκτός από την αναβίωση ενός θρυλικού ονόματος, η 718 του παρελθόντος έχει πολλές ομοιότητες με την 718 του παρόντος – τόσο οπτικά όσο και τεχνικά, με τους υπερτροφοδοτούμενους, επίπεδους τετρακύλινδρους που αναμένεται να εξοπλίσουν τις 718 Boxster και 718 Cayman.

Τέλος, να σημειώσουμε ότι και τα δύο μοντέλα θα παρουσιαστούν εντός του 2016 με την 718 Boxster να κοστίζει περισσότερο από την 718 Cayman.

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Δελτίο Τύπου

Mid-engine sports cars from Porsche get new names

Boxster and Cayman now to be marketed as 718 model series

The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman – these will be the new names of the two-door mid-engine sports cars from Porsche effective with the introduction of the 2016 models. The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer’s 718 designation is a reference to the ground-breaking sports car of this type of the year 1957, which enjoyed much success in renowned car races of the period. The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are showing more similarities – both visual and technical. In the future, both will have equally powerful flat four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines with turbocharging. And the roadster will be positioned at a higher price level than the Coupé – as is the case for the 911 models.

Porsche will introduce the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman over the course of 2016.

The 718 model series is a continuation of the proven four-cylinder concept and the history of distinguished Porsche sports cars. The latest example is the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, which also has a highly-efficient, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with just 2 litres of displacement. So, not only did Porsche finish first and second in the 24 hours of Le Mans, but most recently it also won the manufacturer’s and driver’s championship titles in the WEC World Endurance Championship. With these victories, the 919 Hybrid has opened up the prospects for the performance potential of future sports car engines from Porsche.

History of the 718: four-cylinder flat engine has many car racing victories

Four-cylinder flat engines have a long tradition at Porsche – and they have enjoyed incredible success. In the late 1950s, the 718 – a successor to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder – represented the highest configuration level of the four-cylinder flat engine. Whether it was competing at the 12-hour race in Sebring in 1960 or at the European Hill Climb Championship that ran between 1958 and 1961, the Porsche 718 prevailed against numerous competitors with its powerful and efficient four-cylinder flat engine. The 718 took first place between 1959 and 1960 at the legendary Italian Targa Florio race in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1958, the 718 RSK with its 142-hp four-cylinder engine scored a class victory.

Porsche 919 Hybrid: technological front-runner for production cars

In 2014, Porsche returned to the top category of the famous endurance race in Le Mans and the WEC World Endurance Championship with the 919 Hybrid race car. The LMP1 vehicle, which was designed for extreme efficiency, is the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built. It serves as a platform for fundamental technology research for future production models – combining two different energy recovery systems with a two-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine.