Porsche to Produce Less Powerful 718 Boxster and Cayman

By Jerry Perez - August 11, 2016

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For most of us in the United States, the most affordable entry-level Porsche would be a pre-owned Porsche. But there are other markets around the globe that don’t work quite like that.

China is the best example of that. Porsche will soon join the ranks of McLaren and other high-performance manufacturers to produce special detuned versions of their most popular entry-level models for the Chinese market. While McLaren offers detuned versions of the 570S and 650S — the 540C and 625C — Porsche will cut back the power of the 718 Boxster and Cayman to reduce costs.

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Obviously the final goal for Porsche is that by making the cars less powerful, around 250 horsepower or so, the cost to manufacture will be less, and so will the final sales price. According to Automotive News, Porsche sales are slumping in China, where the prime selling price for a luxury or performance car is about $90,000 USD. And the 718 Boxster currently starts at $105,000. Something which Porsche hopes to change soon.

Even though China is still a mega-market for luxury goods, a growing middle-class is quickly changing the way high-end companies do business, and brands like Porsche, McLaren, BMW, and Ferrari are quickly adapting their practices to cater to them.