Last year, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume announced that the next-generation Porsche 718 will be all-electric (EV) by 2025. This means the combustion engine would breathe its final breath in the current-generation (982) Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster.

Does that mean it will appreciate? That will be dependent on variant and/or specifications, but an EV Porsche 718 might just put a lid on the current-generation 718’s depreciation.

Also read: The Porsche 718 as we know it will die by 2025, EVs to contribute 80 percent of sales by 2030

How much was the Porsche 718 when new?

The Porsche 718 Boxster was officially launched in Malaysia in 2016 with a starting price of RM 480k. The 718 Cayman arrived later in 2017 with a starting price of RM 530k. Note that these are the base models without any options added.

How much are they going for now?

Current prices (at time of writing) for a reconditioned Porsche 718 Cayman are averaging around RM 350k to RM 400k for a 2018-2019 model.

A reconditioned 718 Boxster is harder to come by and is easily commanding at least RM 50k more. However, prices for these are highly influenced by the number of options ticked.

What’s the difference between a Cayman and a Boxster?

There are two body styles – coupe (718 Cayman) and convertible (718 Boxster). Within each of the body style, there are several variants i.e., Cayman, Cayman S, Cayman GTS, Cayman GT4, etc.

It can get convoluted with prices shooting up quite quickly, so for the purpose of this used car guide, we’re looking at just the base 718 Cayman/Boxster and the one-rung-higher 718 Cayman/Boxster S.

And what difference does the ‘S’ make?

In a nutshell, power. The base 718 Cayman/Boxster gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged flat-four that makes 300 PS/380 Nm, while the 718 Cayman/Boxster S gets a larger 2.5-litre mill with variable turbine geometry turbo that makes 350 PS/420 Nm. 

Both engines are mated to either a 7-speed dual clutch automatic or a 6-speed manual, with the former being far more common in the market.

The introduction of the downsized turbocharged flat-four engines in place of the naturally aspirated flat-six from before was not particularly well-received by fans, as is always the case. But objectively in every measurable metric (power and efficiency), the new engines were better than before.

In the case for Malaysia, smaller engines mean lower road tax, which is another win.

Which variant to go for?

This is a case of “how deep is your wallet?” That being said, there are more choices for a base 2.0-litre 718 Cayman and once you step up the ladder to the S, there's a potential for overlapping prices with the even higher-rung GTS due to options. It’s a never-ending climb.

A base 2.0-litre 718 will still give you the full mid-engine Porsche experience at a more attractive price.

So what's the catch?

We consulted Adrian Mak who runs the largest independent Porsche workshop in Malaysia, aptly named The Porsche Lover, for his expertise in maintaining a Porsche.

We were told that the Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster are generally reliable machines, going as far as to say they are more or less ‘bulletproof’.

However, one common issue would be water pump failure, which will cause coolant leakage. This can occur for cars with a mileage of around 30-40k km.

When this happens, the car may prompt a low coolant warning and an inspection would reveal visible water/coolant stains. Fixing this is just a straightforward water pump replacement.

And that's about it for the common issues. Attention should be paid to wear-and-tear items such as shock absorbers, various bushes, joints, brakes, tyres, etc. as these can rack up quite a bill.

Anything I should know?

As always, beware of units with tampered mileage or have been tuned/remapped. If you’re unsure of the condition of a particular unit you’re looking at, The Porsche Lover provides a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) at RM 300 for a thorough health check.

Conclusion

The Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster has proven to be reliable enough to serve as a daily driver and weekend car for the spirited drives. With the next generation going full electric, now is a good time to snap up a combustion-engine Porsche 718 at attainable prices.

Check out Carlist’s listings of the Porsche 718 via this link here.

The Porsche Lover is located at 1, Jalan Pendidik U1/31, Hicom Glenmarie Industrial Park, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Contact details can be found here.

Also read: Inspired by the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota – How the Porsche Boxster saved Porsche