Porsche 718

While the extensive changes to the exterior of the Porsche 718 have managed to keep the model afresh, the changes to the cabin are not too significant and somehow make the car look not much up-to-date. The Porsche 718 has a very simple looking cabin layout by modern standards, and while it gets most of the flashy features, the layout somehow feels a bit dated. However, there is an option of customizing the colour, leather and trim option of the upholstery inside, thus giving the option of personalization to the owner.

The three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel and all-analogue instrument console with centrally placed tachometer make up for a very Porsche-like driver’s cockpit. However, we would have loved to see a more modern instrument console with TFT displays to suit the 718’s premium image. The centre console looks very simple, with a cascading design housing a squared touchscreen infotainment system and a button-operated panel for dual-zone automatic climate control. The centre transmission tunnel houses an array of buttons for various controls in a slightly old-schooled fashion.

The overall styling of the Porsche 718 has seen a lot of evolution in all these years, and with the current iteration, the two-door sports car looks the sleekest. The car, however, is an unmistakable Porsche with a curvy and minimalist design, which makes it as classy as ever.

The front look of the Porsche 718 has been kept simple with a sloping and curvy front bonnet flanked by two teardrop-shaped headlamp clusters to its lower edges. These headlamps clusters come with LED projectors and quad daytime running LED bulbs surrounding the main projector. The large and wide air dam on the front bumper serves as the main grille and gets sleek dual functioning daytime running LED strips on its upper corners, below the headlamps.

The side profile of the Porsche 718 looks very familiar, as Porsche has not made many significant changes here. The low slung stance and rounded roofline, two-door look with door-mounted rearview mirrors, air passages integrated with the rear fenders, and flared wheel arches make the Porsche 718 look very sporty and aerodynamic.

At the back, the new Porsche 718 now has a near resemblance to that of the elder sibling, the Porsche 911. This is all due to the revised wider-looking LED tail lamps, which are joined to each other by a thick black stripe running across the width of the boot. This strip houses the name of the car and its variant.

With its compact size, perfectly weighted steering with customizable steering modes, and various drive modes and suspension settings, the Porsche 718 handle superb poise. The Porsche Active Suspension Management with two drive modes (Normal and Sport), Porsche Stability Management, and Porsche Torque Vectoring make the overall driving experience incredibly fine and precise.

The entire lineup of Porsche 718, both coupe and cabriolet models, get a total of three engine options to choose from. The base and T variants of both coupe and cabriolet get a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which makes 300 PS of power and 380 Nm of torque. This engine does 0-100 kmph in 4.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 275 kmph.

The more premium and sporty S variants have a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which is capable of pumping out 350 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque, does 0-100 kmph in 4.2 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 285 kmph.

The range-topping GTS 4.0 models have a 4.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine capable of putting up 400 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque while doing 0-100 kmph sprint in 4 seconds and a top speed of 288 kmph. An 8-speed PDK automatic gearbox is standard across the range, however, the GTS models can also be had with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Porsche 718 is decently equipped with a range of standard safety features like front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, active brake assist, traction control, Porsche Stability Management, lane change assist, and park assist with reverse camera.

The Porsche 718 might not have a coming-of-age design for the cabin, but it is loaded with all the equipment you will ever need. And once you move over it, the performance on tap and the wonderful chassis of the Porsche 718 will surely blow your mind.