In the future the Cayman coupe will be the most affordable Porsche instead of the Boxster roadster. Together the two account for just 10% of the more than 225,000 vehicles Porsche sold last year. Pictured above is the original Porsche-718-RS61 from 1961.
Until now, the Cayman, launched in 2005, has always been sold at a premium to its roadster sibling even though convertibles like the Boxster are normally pricier despite their lower acceleration rates. This is because reinforcing the body in open-top models to meet crash safety standards is more expensive when you remove things such as the B-pillar and hardtop roof.
Selling a coupe for more than a convertible had been another example that analysts say shows Porsche’s ability to do whatever it pleases and still come out ahead, even if it meant turning a fundamental law of the industry on its head.
Porsche however is introducing new downsized engines for the Cayman and Boxster siblings to reduce its fleet CO2 emissions, taking out 2 of the 6-cylinders in the flat Boxer engine while adding a turbocharger. The brand has decided both cars will in future have the same horsepower to save costs arising from the added complexity. As a result customers will no longer be asked to pay more for the Cayman, which previously offered 10hp more than the Boxster.
The upcoming 718 Cayman will be unveiled on April 25 at the Beijing show. Its pricing has not been announced yet but Porsche said that the Boxster will be positioned at a higher price level than the Cayman, as is done for the 911 models.
The outgoing Boxster costs 50,909 euros plus tax in Germany while the Cayman starts at 51,385 euros. In the 911 series, the convertible costs nearly 14% more than its hardtop sibling.
