The Porsche 718 isn't terribly well-known outside of Porsche geek circles, at least not compared to it's contemporaries, the 356 and the infamous 550 Spyder. Porsche's choice to revive this semi-obscure name for the next Boxster and Cayman, along with the decision to switch to turbocharged flat-four power, was bound to raise some eyebrows.

It's actually a clever move on Porsche's part, because the 718 was one of its most successful early race car and it was powered by – yep, you guessed it – a flat-four. The diminutive 718 gained a reputation as somewhat of a giant killer thanks to nimble handling that compensated for the power deficit compared with the V12 Ferraris it shared the track with.

According to Porsche Racing Cars: 1953 to 1975, Porsche began work on the 718 RSK in the Winter of 1956 to prepare the car for the 1957 season. It was a development of the 550A Spyder, using a lighter tubular space frame construction, stronger brakes and a revised front suspension. The original 718 RSK weighed just 1,168 pounds, making the most out of its 1.5-liter, 142 horsepower flat-four.

1958 Porsche 718 RSK Brian Snelson via Flickr

Its competition debut was the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the single 718 entered crashed out of the race on lap 129. After some additional development work, 1958 was a much better year for the 718, ushering in four years of competition success.

Its first major victory came in March 1958 at the Sebring 12 Hours where a factory 718 came in third place overall, just seven laps down on the two leading Ferrari 250 TRs. That podium finish gave Porsche a comfortable victory in the 2.0-liter class and placed the RSK ahead of many more powerful cars.

1958 also saw a Porsche 718 take second place at the Targa Florio, sandwiched between two Ferrari 250 TRs, and third, fourth and fifth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For 1959, Porsche upgraded the RSK with a new lightweight transaxle, with a new 1.7-liter flat-four making an impressive 170 horsepower available, though it was rarely used.

That year's highlight was an overall victory at the Targa Florio, with a 550A Spyder and 356A Carrera taking second and third place, respectively.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — June 26, 1960: Roger Penske at the wheel of a Porsche 718 RS60 on his way to winning the SCCA Regional at Daytona International Speedway. ISC Images & Archives Getty Images

Porsche upgraded the 718 in 1960 with reshaped bodywork and engines that utilized a stronger crankshaft, enabling engine speeds of up to 7,800 RPM. The new version was dubbed the RS 60 and it claimed victories at the Sebring 12 Hours and the Targa Florio, with a second place finish at the Nürburgring 1000 kilometers. Overall, Porsche took second place in the World Sportscar Championship that year, losing only to Ferrari.

Porsche didn't change much for 1961, just the name, which was now the RS 61, appropriately. The company took home a third place manufacturer's prize in the 1961 World Sportscar Championship, though the 718 didn't post nearly as many victories as it had in prior seasons.

A 718 at the hands of Stirling Moss and Graham Hill nearly won the 1961 Targa Florio but suffered from a transmission failure on the last lap.

"Well this car, in my era of racing...was the most nervous car in the way it would move and it was controllable," said Moss in an interview posted to Porsche's YouTube page. "[The 718 was] very fast, of course, but really agile is the best word for it."

"It was a car I really loved," said Moss.

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1962 saw Porsche enter a factory 718 along with the new eight-cylinder 804 in Formula 1, though its only victory that year was a victory at the French Grand Prix with an 804 driven by Dan Gurney. Porsche pulled out of F1 after the 1962 season and began work on the 718's successor, the 904.

While the 718 didn't have as much success towards the end of its life, it was a seminal car for Porsche, setting the stage for decades of racing dominance to come. It showed that four-cylinder Porsches could keep up with much more powerful Ferraris and the like. In many ways, it was the pinnicale of Porsche's flat-four racecars.

That's why Porsches revival of this nameplate is a clever move. The switch from naturally-aspirated flat-sixes powering the Boxster and Cayman to turbocharged flat-fours will undoubtedly be met with criticism from purists.

In using the 718 name, Porsche can its use of flat-fours is a reference to its storied history, not a purely rational decision based on the need for lower emissions.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — February 1962: Chuck Cassel ran this Porsche 718RS-61 for Brumos Porsche in the first Daytona Continental held at Daytona International Speedway. Cassel finished ninth in the race. ISC Images and Archives Getty Images

It makes even more sense when you consider Porsche's past experiences with post-356 four-cylinder road cars. Reception to both the mid-engined 914 and the front-engined 924 was chilly at best, though those cars were admittedly underpowered and overpriced. In the latter's case, it took the more powerful and better looking 944 to redeem the four-cylinder Porsche.

Porsche knows that downsizing the Boxster and Cayman will inevitably make some people angry, regardless of whether or not the new 718 models will be good to drive. Now it can say to those people "We've made great mid-engined, flat-four cars before, and we'll do it again."

Of course, using that name means that the new 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman have a lot to live up to.

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