Which Porsche 718 Boxster retains its value best?

Buying a Porsche is like ordering a tailored suit. Very few Porsches sold are in “off-the-shelf” un-optioned form, and this makes the subject of re-sale values a complex business. Here we discover if any particular 718 Boxster model is best when it comes to value retention.

Stuart Johnston

21 Feb 2020 · 12:24Buying a Car

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Porsche’s 718 series in Boxster (open-topped) and Cayman (coupe) variants was introduced in 2016. The 718 name was used to designate the switch over from a flat-six-cylinder engine, which had been used in previous generations of the Boxster since its launch in 1996, to a new turbocharged flat-four-cylinder motor.

Porsche chose the name “718” for its fourth-generation Boxster in reference to the classic Porsche 718 Spyder, a race car that used a famous four-cam variant of the original Porsche flat-four engine, to win the classic Targa Florio road race in 1959 and 1960. The new 718 was seen as a “giant killer” just like the original 718, and many current 718 owners would agree with that.

There are enthusiasts, though, who mourn the fourth-generation’s loss of two cylinders, mainly because the flat-six engine has such a distinctive sound. Yet other Porsche devotees point to the fact that the four-cylinder variant has classic roots; that its modern turbocharged four-cylinder motor sounds very much like the engine that powered the original Porsche 356 from 1948 to 1965.

However, Porsche bowed to pressure

However, Porsche has recently bowed to pressure by introducing two high-performance six-cylinder variants of the 718. The first version of the 718 Boxster GTS was powered by a high-horsepower four-cylinder motor, but in the past few months this has been superseded by the Boxster GTS 4.0, which has a six-cylinder engine. And by mid-2019 the 718 Spyder had already been introduced with a powerful flat-six-cylinder 4,0-litre motor.

Current Porsche 718 Boxster range

In South Africa there are currently four variants of the 718 Boxster on sale. These are as follows:

The Porsche 718 Boxster. R968 000. It features a flat-four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 220 kW and 380 Nm of torque.

The Porsche 718 Boxster S. R1 053 000. This is the more powerful version of the base Boxster, with the engine tuned to produce 257 kW and 420 Nm of torque.

The Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 . R 1 175 000. This is the new six-cylinder variant of the 718, only recently introduced. It uses a 4,0-litre naturally-aspirated six-cylinder engine producing 294 kW and 420 Nm of torque. It is very quick, with a 0-100 km/h of 4,5 seconds and a 293 km/h top speed.

The Porsche 718 Spyder. R1 393 000. This is visually a nostalgic nod to the original 718 from the 1950s. It features the classic streamlined, faired-in rear bodywork that the classic 718 Spyder employed. This car also uses the 4,0-litre six-cylinder motor, but tuned to produce 309 kW and 420 Nm, and does the 0-100 km/h run in 4,4 seconds and tops out at 301 km/h. This makes it the most powerful 718 Boxster model.

Massive options list

Like other Porsches, those list prices quoted represent merely a starting point to Porsche ownership. The Porsche catalogue features a section entitled “Build your own” and here you can order all sorts of colours, interior trim, sound systems, special brake and suspension systems, wheels and much more. These can add hundreds of thousands of rands to the base price of a 718 Boxster.

What this also means is that virtually no two Porsche 718 Boxsters are identical. And pricing follows according to the specific options ordered.

So, which Porsche 718 Boxster model holds its value best?

Unfortunately, after lengthy discussions with Porsche South Africa personnel, we can’t offer a simple model-by-model breakdown as to 718 Boxster value retention here. Porsche says that when to comes to trade-ins, each and every used Porsche is assessed individually. Further complicating the matter is that the cars can be ordered with two different maintenance plans, which also affects the value.

As an example of the type of pricing variances that may occur, consider that the Ceramic braking option on the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 costs R132 480!

Porsche says the key to retaining re-sale value on any Porsche is not to choose whacky, off-the-wall colour combinations regarding exterior paint and interior trim. Porches are known to hold their re-sale value well, however. But of course, like any car, trade-in prices will very much depend on how well the car has been looked after, and the mileage covered.

AutoTrader currently lists some 18 examples of New and Used Porsche 718 Boxsters for sale on our site. The least expensive is a 2016 model-year 718 Boxster S with a number of listed options and 30 000 km logged, at R759 900. In late 2016 a new Boxster S (without options) was listed at R947 000.

Currently the most expensive used Boxster model listed is a Boxster GTS. Note that this is the four-cylinder model that preceded the recently-launched six-cylinder GTS 4.0. This 2018 example is now advertised at R1 165 000, with a mere 2 800 km on the odometer! The four-cylinder Boxster GTS retailed new for R1 137 000 in December 2018. So this used price is actually more than the original list price, but bear in mind that this particular example does come with a number of options, and the mileage is negligible.