Purists will fuss about the downgrade to a flat-four turbo, replacing the naturally aspirated six cylinders of the earlier model. The engine downgrade hasn’t impacted performance, Porsche claims of the roadster, where the 2.0-liter version is offered at Rs19 million by agent Eurocars, a unit of IWS. The Boxster 718’s 2.5-liter (S) format hits the market at nearly Rs24 million. That’s a big investment for a roadster — about twice as much as you’d pay for the same car in most places around Europe.
But life as a petrol-head in Sri Lanka is also changing for the better. Speed limits, notwithstanding the island’s expressways, now make a roadster a joy to own. The exploding gastronomical and leisure attractions along the Southern coastline, well connected by the expressway, is a great reason to drop the top and head out for the evening.
Porsche is rebranding its mid-engine roadsters with the 718 suffixes. The Boxster is named after a combination of the words ‘boxer’ (flat engine) and ‘roadster’. The agent expects sales of a dozen cars at least in the first year, and claims there is strong interest for the entry-level Porsche model.
Now that the roadster is sorted, perhaps it’s time to consider that South coast beach house. The expressway is getting an extension all the way to Hambantota, so there are plenty of spots to choose from.