Photography Courtesy of Porsche

One of the best things about Porsche is the way it develops its vehicles. From the start, it’s been an engineering, task, and project-driven company, with iterations between models often spelled out plainly in chrome on the decklid: S, 4, 4S, Turbo, Turbo S…

A new Porsche model name is a big deal, and this year it’s “718 Boxster”. The it’s-been-around-for-20-years six-cylinder Boxster is no more, replaced with a four-cylinder engine family that is more powerful and more efficient. If this was a racing car we were talking about, the change would be hailed as a huge improvement. I mean, it’s going to be a quick car: 60 mph is done in 4.2 seconds if you’ve ordered the 718 Boxster S with PDK and a Sport Chrono package.

But because it means you can no longer buy a normally-aspirated 6-cylinder mid-engined Porsche, some may not welcome the changes with open arms. I think that’s probably silly. I haven’t driven the new car, and nor have you, so what will Porsche have to do to impress you with its latest mid-engined roadster?