By Tom Iervolino
I just returned from the NY Auto Show and got a peek at the new 718 Boxster. Wow, what a great looking car and that lava orange (I think that is what they call it) color is very cool. I started searching around to see what has been written about the new Boxster and came upon a nice summary article that I have included here (credits to ars technical). But first, where did the “718” come from? The decision to use “718” is significant considering the name’s history, as it was first used by a 1957 race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958 and 1961. This vehicle, like the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, was powered by a flat-four. Historically, the original 718 brought the company a lot of success in the world of motorsport. The car was based on the Porsche 550A Spyder albeit with an improved suspension setup and updated body work. The 718 featured a mid-engine layout and was powered by a 1.5-litre, Type 547/3, flat-four, 142bhp, naturally aspirated engine and its track-ready variant called 718 RSK made its racing debut at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans where it was unable to finish due to a crash. The car went on to win in its class and achieve an overall third place finish at the following year’s Le Mans race. Other accolades include a second place finish at the Targa Florio race in 1959 which it won in the following year, consecutive victories at the European Hill Climb Championship in 1958 and 1959, and another class win at the 1961 Le Mans race.
“Porsches have long been a living dichotomy. No sports car manufacturer wears its engineering sobriety so blatantly on its sleeve. Yet, the human result is a clear polar opposite. Porsche fans are nearly as rabid as those that feverishly wave the Ferrari flag. After all, this is the company that made the rear-engine 911 not only live, but thrive through multiple generations despite air cooling and a rearward weight bias with the flawed nature of highly polar momentousness. Overcome fundamental deficiencies, find a way to turn them into advantages, then ring the cash register. For Porsche, this has worked for decades. The latest in that thinking are the two 718 Boxsters going on sale this June in the US.
One central argument of the 718 is that less is more. The Boxster convertible (as well as the Cayman coupes) move away from six-cylinder engines to a paltry four cylinders. And though nobody can drive a specifications table and should therefore not judge equipment based solely on stats, many do. So, Porsche purists are concerned. At the most aural level, six cylinders firing every 720 degrees of crank rotation sound better than four. Or so many people think. But no one should judge a book by its cover.
There is some historical precedent for the engine choice, however. Porsche’s first cars had four cylinders. Porsche’s first racing engine—the Ernst Fuhrmann-designed four-cam boxer—had four cylinders. The latter also had a complex camshaft drive system with multiple shafts and required frequent rebuilds, but that was then and this is now.
With a new name inspired by the 718 racer built from 1957-’62, the 2017 duo of 718 Boxsters offer more standard power and better efficiency than their Boxster parents. Initially offering two models, Porsche will build the standard 718 with a 2.0-liter flat four making 300hp, good for a top speed of 170 mph. This engine also makes 280lb-ft of torque—a whopping 74lb-ft more than the outgoing standard car—and does so over a vast spread from 1,900rpm to 4,500rpm. The 718 Boxster S increases those figures to 350hp and 309lb-ft of torque, thanks to a displacement bump to 2.5 liters and a variable-geometry turbocharger. Both normal and S models will offer a traditional row-your-own six-speed manual and Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK paddle-shiftable transmission as an option. Buyers who select both the PDK transmission and the Sport Chrono option (which offers launch control), acceleration to 60mph takes just 4.5 seconds for the 300hp non-S and 4.0 seconds for the 350hp S model.
Sensitive to concerns over sound quality, Porsche logged a lot of time in creating a sound signature that the company says enthusiasts will like. They’ve created channels within the exhaust system and done some good old fashioned mechanical engineering and resonance-shaping to give the soundtrack some soul.
However, the driving factor in the move to turbocharged four-cylinder engines is not just output, but efficiency. As much of the industry moves to turbocharging and smaller displacement, so too does Porsche. Smaller-displacement engines, even when turbocharged, have a greater bandwidth of abilities. At the light-throttle, low-rpm end of the business, they can return far better fuel efficiency when that matters. Conversely, thanks to boost pressure and sophisticated data processing, they can also pump out stout power and torque at wide-open throttle. Though no official EPA figures exist yet, Porsche’s adamant that fuel efficiency is improved. Divergent masters served.
Meanwhile, nearly every body panel has been redesigned, but the total effect is extremely subtle. Amazingly, the new car retains only the front and rear trunk lids, the convertible top and windshield as carryover parts. Air intakes at the front are larger, as are the side air intakes ahead of the rear wheels. Most distinctively, a raised section between the taillights sets the 2017 car apart from earlier Boxsters.
Porsche completely re-tuned the 718’s suspension compared to the prior models and also reengineered the electric steering assist. Porsche’s Active Suspension Management remains optional, but in two versions. For the non-S model, PASM offers 10mm lower ride height and for the S model, it offers a 20mm drop. More importantly, Porsche has fettled the system to offer a wider full envelope of comfort and performance than before.
The new 718s also come at a time when Porsche is changing a long-held philosophy where they previously made optional equipment lists as long as novels. The old rationale was that customers could order every little bit and feature that they wanted and none that they didn’t. Times change, though. Especially with the new Macan SUV and now, with the 718 Boxster, we’re seeing Porsche offer a higher level of standard equipment than before. All the trending data shows that new customers—increasingly millennials and people new to Porsche—expect a higher level of equipment that traditional, long-standing customers did not. At the same time, these new millennial customers have far less patience to invest time and effort in the ordering and customizing process. Long-time Porsche buyers steeped in the ordering process revel in that level of detail.
Porsche will also have some hard decisions to make in the very near future regarding driver assistance and autonomous technology. For years, people have bought Porsches for the precise and visceral driving experience and not for automation. But as autonomous capabilities proliferate throughout the entire automotive universe, the expectation will assuredly be that Porsche must offer them, even if the notion of automated driving runs counter to the core Porsche philosophy of an intimately involved, commanding driver.”
An autonomous Porsche!?!? Yikes, are we going to see DE Students moving up from Green to Yellow, etc… all while sitting comfortably in the paddock?? I certainly hope not. But, for passenger vehicles, there is a certain amount of autonomy that is or can be considered helpful (or maybe not). I just took delivery of a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee (diesel) that has adaptive cruise control and emergency braking features, just in case I decide to get lazy or nod off at the wheel. In the first week of ownership I gave the adaptive cruise control a workout on our lovely NJ roads with lovely NJ drivers. It is all but impossible to use this feature while driving in NJ. Let us say I try to keep 60 feet between me and the car in front of me. The Jeep will slow down and speed up to keep the distance the same while scanning for cars pulling into my lane. When that happens the Jeep starts to brake in addition to getting off the gas. You can imagine what this was like on Rt. 287…… I can see myself going back to the dealership every few months for new brake pads as it is impossible to keep a safe distance on any NJ highway and not have cars cut in front of you to take up any space you might have created. Besides, I felt like I was in the car of a triple braking DE Green student (sorry Green drivers….). The next experiment with the collision avoidance feature was backing up my Jeep to my trailer. The poor Jeep kept thinking I was too stupid to realize I was about to back into a large object and was constantly beeping loudly and putting the brakes on with each attempt at hooking up my trailer. Grrrr……. And so I quickly turned that “feature” off. Nonetheless, I am sure I will quickly figure out how to best use all of the Jeeps autonomy and in the meantime, I am enjoying 28mpg and 420 ft-lbs of trailer towing torque.
See you out and about. Tom

Was is Neu?
By Tom Iervolino

Sitting in my home office on a Friday in the peace and quiet getting some work and PCA stuff done. I am also waiting for, actually looking forward to, the pending snow storm. Based on the reports, you would think it never snowed before much less the “we are doomed” “1 to 24” forecast. I am still amazed how you can be so wrong or vague and still get paid fairly well for such performance.
I can tell you about one group of individuals that do not get paid yet work very hard and achieve a very high level of performance. This group would be the NNJR-PCA Board and Activity Chairs (BoG). Let me tell you what this 30+ group of people do and have planned for us in 2016.
Autocross: Grant Lenahan took on the challenge in 2015 and re-tooled the program with a focus towards increasing the number of runs and increasing the fun factor. Well done Grant. He and his team have more improvements in store for us in 2016. In fact, Flemington Porsche has agreed to be the 2016 sponsor of our autocross program. The season starts early with events on April 17 and May 1. One of these days will be the famous Car Control Clinic. Thanks Grant.
Charity: All around really nice people, Anthony and Nelly Wartel, start very early in the year preparing for our big charity auction in December. The preparation and solicitation of prizes takes hundreds of phone calls so we end up with wonderful prizes and most importantly a decent amount of money for our 2016 charity, Employment Horizons. I know they have a few other ideas in the works to raise money at some of our other events (50/50’s etc…) so let us do what we can to help out the folks at Employment Horizons and when you see Anthony or Nelly coming your way. Thanks.
Communications: Matt Fine who is new to the NNJR BoG is well underway taking how and when we communicate to you our members, event participants, advertisers, etc… to the next level. Matt along with others has already made improvements to our Facebook presence and have other ideas in the works. Thanks Matt and welcome.
Concours: Jeff and Chris Erven, the dynamic father and son team who are also new to the NNJR BoG, are off to a great start with their 2016 events. You cannot help but be enthusiastic about concours after spending just 10 minutes with these guys. They are crafting a few changes to expand how cars are judged as well as working to increase the fun factor along with the educational aspect of concours. As of this writing I have been to one event so far this year and I have learned so much and plan to attend more events. Not sure I will be competing with my GT3 track car but, who knows?
Driver Education: Tom Swift our previous Treasurer and now Vice President of NNJR and DE Chair (as well as a DE Chief Instructor), is well underway pulling together our 2016 program. As I was DE Chair for the last two years, I can tell you that Tom is spending lots and lots of hours in pulling together the 2016 season. By the time you read this March article, he would have held our Introduction to High Performance driving in January and our Advanced Driver and Instructor seminars in February. Next up is event #1 of 11, our April Lime Rock event. Thanks Tom!
Historians: Stu French (venerable expert of all things Porsche) and Bob Knapik are pulling off a massive effort in documenting the history of NNJR which you see as monthly Porscheforus articles. This is all in preparation for the 60th Anniversary of NNJR in 2017. Thanks guys!
Mailing and Distribution and Membership: The long term dynamic duo Dennis and Marlys Thovson spend countless hours every month ensuring this magazine gets sent and that all of us as members are properly accounted for. The attention to detail and the work involved in doing this is not for the faint of heart. Getting this right also ensures we, as a PCA Region, get apportioned the correct amount of member fees and PCA National rebates that helps keep our Region going financially. Marlys is also responsible for membership which requires a careful accounting of members, new members and renewals. Thanks guys.
New Member Liaisons: Akemi Kane and Sharon Doherty are hard at work ensuring new members to our region, of which there are 12-15 each month, are properly welcomed to the region and receive new member material. They also have a few new member welcome events planned for 2016. Thanks ladies.
PCA Club Racing: While as a region we do not sponsor a specific PCA Club Race, Craig Mahon, Past President, works to help those from our region that want to try out Club Racing. Car preparation to ensure proper classification and proper safety equipment are just a few of the topics he helps our new racers with. This is on top of being one of our NNJR Chief Instructors for DE and being a club racer himself. Thanks Craig and keep the shiny side up.
Planning: Drew Karpinski, Past President and a DE Chief Instructor, is working with all the program chairs in establishing their yearly budgets. By now this is all settled and the next step is to conduct our midyear review where we review program expenditures, receipts and check how the rest of the year looks programmatically and financially. Drew is also responsible for ensuring our Federal and State tax filings are done properly and on time. No rest for our Past President.
Porsche PX: Jose’ DeLaCruz our PX goodie master, sign maker and artist, manages the NNJR PX as well as our on-line store. Jose’, besides ensuring we always have a nice selection of items to buy at various events, is looking at what additional items we should carry in our on-line store. Thanks Jose’.
Program: Our Chair Scott Lynn has a number of special presenters lined up this year. Our January speaker, Phillippe Defechereux, was really great and Scott always has a surprise for us in the works. Thanks Scott.
Publications (P4Us): Michele Lynn is our Editor in Chief (Chief Cook and Bottle Washer) and I am not quite sure how she pulls off the layout and publishing of this magazine every month. It is a herculean effort that does take some cat herding (getting all the various writers to get their articles and photos in on time). Great job Michele!
Publications (P4Us): Knute Hancock our P4Us business manager (and a DE Chief Instructor) works every month to ensure we have advertisers which make the production of this magazine possible. He also works with our advertisers and manages the invoicing and payment of ads. Thanks Knute.
Rally: John Vogt our rally chair (and proprietor of fine cars; High Marques owner) has done a wonderful job in turning around our program where we now experience record participation. As I know how much John aims to please, he has a number of really fun rallies and destinations in the works for 2016. You cannot help but have fun hanging around with John. You da man John.
Safety: Leslie Shrem as our safety chair keeps up with the latest requirements from PCA National and manages our insurance needs for all moving car events. Thanks Les.
Social: Cindy and Tony Cristello love to throw a good party and it shows in everything they do for NNJR. It is early in the season but be sure they are hard at work in planning out and negotiating with the various venues for our 2016 social calendar.  This is on top of what Cindy does as one of our elected officers; Secretary. What a great team!
Sponsor Relations and Dealer Liaison: Bill Gilbert, Past President and a DE Chief Instructor, along with new BoG member Steve Corodemus, are hard at work in ensuring our 2016 sponsors are signed on and satisfied with their relationship with NNJR and that we do what we have agreed to do as outlined in our sponsorship agreements. They have ideas in the works to increase NNJR sponsorship which clearly creates a win-win for the sponsor and NNJR. This goes a long way to help our financial stability and allows us to put on some of our famous and great events (wine tasting, DE events, AutoX, etc…..). Thanks guys.
Technical Committee: James Coleman and Ken Casterline have really made our technical presentation and education events fun and informative. They a have fun series of events planned for 2016 which started off with a 2 part series of legacy cars in February and new models in April as well as a new safety products seminar this month. Really good stuff guys, thanks!
Track Tech: Our great team of Ed Pepe and Walter Sliwa are hard at work before during and after the very busy DE season. They train new tech inspectors, plan, manage and run each pre-DE safety tech and plan, manage and run the safety tech sessions at each of our DE’s. Wow, that is a lot of work and effort to keep us safe. You guys are the best. Thanks.
Treasurer: As a new member to the BoG and as an elected officer, Janice Ernsting is in charge of the money. She not only produces  a monthly treasurer’s report, she balances the books each month and ensures all expenses for all programs and all receipts are accounted for and credited to the proper accounts. Thanks Janice!
Web site: Jeff Cafiero was the leader of our team that developed our new and really well done web site. Thanks. He also spends countless hours keeping it updated and current. This is especially so in the beginning of the year when the region’s full year calendar needs setting up. Thanks Jeff!
Yearbook: This all year effort which culminates in our annual NNJR yearbook is created and managed by Petra Swift. This yearbook in not only important on chronicling our year, but it is also a work of art that we should all be proud of and should purchase and place on your family room table. Petra also produces and issues our monthly membership email blast. Thanks Petra.
So there you have it, the above mentioned team of people are some of the most dedicated and hard working people I know. Their mission is to make membership in NNJR-PCA special and to make our region one of the best if not the best in all of PCA. There are also countless volunteers that help each of these leaders that I too need to point out and thank. Oh yeah, did I mention, they all hold full time jobs as well. Pretty amazing in my book.
Thanks and see you out and about.
Tom Iervolino, NNJR – President, (862) 206-9610