After years of grumbles from enthusiasts, Porsche has reintroduced a powerful six-cylinder engine option for its entry-level 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman ranges.

The open-top Porsche 718 Spyder (pictured below) and 718 Cayman GT4 coupe (pictured above) both use a new 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine, derived from the engine in the 911 Carrera.

However, unlike as in the 911 (and other 718 models), it produces its 420 horsepower without the use of a turbo.

Purists and enthusiasts are already rejoicing.

• In pictures: 20 years of the Porsche Boxster

The new 4.0-litre 718 models represent a rare example of upsizing in the modern automotive industry. They sit above the core (and controversial) 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre four-cylinder 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman models.

The new engine revs to a wailing 8,000rpm. A manual six-speed gearbox is also standard.

Porsche can justify the thirsty 25.7mpg fuel economy and 249g/km CO2 emissions of each model because they are specialist models for enthusiasts and collectors.

(It does add that a gasoline particulate filter system is standard, so exhaust emissions are as clean as can be.)

Both are on sale now: the Porsche 718 Spyder costs £73,405 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 costs £75,348.

Porsche 718 Spyder

The Porsche 718 Spyder is described by Porsche as thrilling road-going driver’s car. It has a simpler, more lightweight convertible roof than the 718 Boxster it’s derived from, evoking the Porsche 550 Spyder made famous (infamous?) by James Dean.

The roof gives a distinctive look both up and down. It is not electrically operated, but Porsche promises it can be manually stowed “in just a few steps”. The roof also copes with high speeds; some earlier Spyders only did maximum speed with the roof down.

It will do 187mph flat-out, and accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds.

A rear spoiler raises at 74mph, making the 718 Spyder the first car in the Boxster family to generate downforce at speed.

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is called Porsche’s “entry-level GT street car”. The previous GT4 model was a cult collectable and the firm hopes this new one, 35 horsepower more powerful than its predecessor, will follow suit.

A very distinctive body kit marks out the 718 Cayman GT4. It generates up to 50 percent more downforce.

Aerodynamics are helped by a clever single chamber exhaust silencer in the rear arch, which frees up space for a huge underbody diffuser. This alone generates 30 percent of the downforce at the rear of the 718 Cayman GT4.

The fixed wing creates 20 percent more downforce than the old GT4 – equalling an extra 12kg of downward pressure on the rear wheels at 124mph.

A GT-style front end balances the rear aerodynamics with a bigger front spoiler and ‘air curtains’ to smooth airflow over the front wheels.

Shared suspension

For the first time, the track-inspired 718 Cayman GT4 shares a chassis with the road-focused 718 Spyder.

The cars sit 30mm lower and adaptive Porsche Active Suspension Management is standard. Motorsport-spec ball join suspension links are used, and the electronic control systems can be deactivated for use on the circuit.

Uprated aluminium monoblock fixed-caliper brakes are fitted, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) are optional.

Porsche has already taken the 718 Cayman GT4 to the Nürburgring, and says its time is 10 seconds faster than its predecessor. Special ‘ultra high performance’ tyres contribute to this; they’re also fitted to the 718 Spyder.

For those with serious track intent, a Clubsport package is available on the Cayman GT4, which includes a steel roll cage, fire extinguisher and six-point seatbelt for the driver.

Newcastle is the best city for parking, according to research conducted by InsuretheGap.com.

The insurance company reached this conclusion following analysis of the number of parking spaces available per resident, the average walking distance from parking to central locations, and the price of parking for two hours.

With a score of 245, Newcastle is the pick of the parking, with the second highest number of parking spaces per resident and reasonably short walking times into the city.

Leicester finished second with a score of 240, ahead of Belfast, Bradford and Nottingham.

At the opposite end of the table, London is named the worst city for parking, with the capital slammed for the poor proximity of car parks to central locations and the steep cost of parking.

Two hours of parking in London costs an average of £11.25 – almost four times the amount paid in Newcastle.

Ben Wooltorton, chief operating officer of InsuretheGap.com, said: “Trying to find a parking space, especially one in a good location and at a reasonable rate, seems to be getting more difficult.

“This data highlights areas that are doing well in providing adequate parking for residents and visitors. The other end of the scale indicates where drivers might need to put in a little more research and planning to find the space they want”.

The best UK cities for parking

The study analysed the 20 most populous cities in the UK, based on population data from the Geographist. All parking data analysed was sourced from Parkopedia.

Hiring a supercar is as easy as renting a hatchback, says Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “Customers can live out their childhood fantasies” thanks to its Exotic Car Collection, it says.

Which is all fine and dandy, but hiring a supercar differs from renting a family hatch in one significant way: the price.

It’s predictable, really. You wouldn’t expect to hire an Aston for the same price as an Astra. 

Enterprise makes a proud boast that prices start from £100 a day, but for that price, you’ll be driving a BMW 4 Series M Sport on a Saturday or Sunday, and only after a £1,000 deposit. The minimum age is 30 and an excess of £1,400 applies to the 4 Series.

Granted, it’s a nice car, but it’s hardly the stuff childhood dreams are made of.

A Lamborghini Huracan will set you back £800 per day (£1,000 per weekday), or £4,900 a week. The deposit is a hefty £8,000, while the excess of £10,000 means that you’re likely to drive with due care and attention.

Further reading of the small print reveals that a minimum two-day rental applies to all cars. Who said living out your childhood fantasies would be cheap?

Other vehicles available via the Exotic Car Collection include the Ferrari 458 Spider, Aston Martin DB11, Audi R8 and a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

‘The best of both worlds’

Brian Swallow, Enterprise vice president of rental, said: “Most of us are familiar with the process of hiring a car, but the idea of renting a supercar or luxury vehicle may seem daunting to some.

“The Exotic Car Collection by Enterprise gives the best of both worlds, by offering some of the most premium vehicles on the planet but from a trusted household name millions of Britons already use.

“Exotic Car Collection is opening up this world to as many people as possible, enabling them to get behind the wheel of some of the most incredible vehicles around.

“Whether it is to live a childhood dream by getting your hands on a supercar, or making a grand impression for an important event, the Exotic Car Collection by Enterprise is here to make it happen, all with the premium service you would expect.”

Hybrids could be a more effective route to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the short-term than electric cars, according to Emissions Analytics.

Strictly speaking, a hybrid with an internal combustion engine produces more CO2 than an electric car while in use. The argument that Emissions Analytics makes is that encouraging hybrid uptake now is a better plan for CO2 reduction than our current course.

That current course, supported by the government, is to promote uptake of full Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). However, given the current infrastructure and, indeed, the capability of many electric cars, progress towards such a goal is likely to be slow. 

How do hybrid and electric cars compare?

The CO2 reductions achievable with hybrids versus standard cars are impressive, says Emissions Analytics.

The achievable figures are 23 percent in the EU and 34 percent in the United States. On average, that makes for a 30 percent reduction in CO2, or 7.5 percent shy of the post-2021 target set by the EU.

Why not skip the hybrid stepping stone?

Potentially, diesels, mild hybrids and hybrids are stepping stones we could skip. But only if infrastructure and battery technology improve, suggests the study.

Our capacity for electricity generation also needs to swell in accordance with projected demand. The already strained battery supply chain needs to be strengthened, too. In short, as it stands, the world isn’t ready for the production, distribution and use of the number of electric cars that need to be sold.

Beyond 2030, larger increases in CO2 will necessitate a move to BEVs, by which time the above issues should (hopefully) have been solved.

Hybrids are a more efficient use of battery supplies

Given supply issues with batteries at the moment, a more effective use of production resources is small-battery hybrid vehicles (mild hybrids), claims Emissions Analytics. 

The numbers support that claim. A mild hybrid can save 73 grams per kilometre of CO2 per unit of battery size. That’s carbon per kWh used. Comparatively, a battery-powered vehicle saves 3.5g/km per kWh. Full hybrids save 50.5 grams of CO2 per kilometre, per unit of battery capacity.

Even plug-in hybrids, with three different use cases stated (mostly engine, half-and-half and mostly battery) yielded better per-kWh CO2 savings. Mostly engine got a 5g/km/kWh figure, compared with 50-50 and mostly battery, which managed 12 and 19.9 percent respectively. Still, at worst, 1.5g per kWh of battery unit used is better than a representative BEV.

That’s assuming that CO2 emissions produced during production of the electricity and car battery are equal in total to tailpipe emissions. According to Emissions Analytics, some studies suggest that BEVs are actually less ‘green’ when CO2 is tallied up throughout the life of a car.

Hybrid quantity over electric quality?

The argument is that getting motorists into hybrids en masse now ought to yield better results than getting a minority into EVs.

Take a two samples of 10 cars. The first contains three bang up-to-date mild hybrids, two full hybrids, and five reference cars. The second batch of 10 has one electric car and nine reference cars. Which batch produces more CO2? Moreover, which is easier to achieve on a large scale over the next five years?

On this basis, current UK policy that promotes and incentivises EVs while abandoning hybrids potentially harms the cause. The industry and infrastructure need to walk before they can run, it’s argued.

Is current government subsidy policy the equivalent of plonking a toddler on the start line of a 100-metre sprint?