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982 · 2017–2024

2018 Porsche 718 Boxster S

2.5 L flat 4 turbo · RWD · Roadster · water-cooled

Power
350hp
Torque
309lb-ft
0–60
4.4s
Weight
3,000lb
lb / hp
8.6
Displacement
2.5L

Specification

US-market 2018
Power 350 hp
201 493
Weight 3,000 lb
2,778 3,212
Weight to power 8.6 lb/hp
6.5 lower is quicker 13.8

Where this car sits against every Boxster in the catalog.

Engine
Engine code MA2.25 (9A2)
Layout flat 4, water-cooled
Displacement 2.5 L
Aspiration Twin-turbocharged
Power 350 hp @ 6,500 rpm
Torque 309 lb-ft @ 1,900 rpm
Redline 7,500 rpm
Specific output 140 hp / L
Chassis & body
Drivetrain Rear-wheel drive
Body styles Roadster
Transmissions 6-speed Manual · 7-speed PDK
Curb weight 3,000 lb
Wheelbase 97.4 in
Length 172.4 in
Width 70.9 in
Height 50.4 in
Performance & market
0–60 mph 4.4 s
Top speed 177 mph
Weight to power 8.6 lb / hp
MSRP when new $68,000 base

About the 2018 718 Boxster S

2018GTS added with 365 hp, lowered PASM Sport, Sport Chrono and Sport Exhaust as standard.

Known issues

5 Specific to the 718 Boxster S

PDK mechatronic faults

Major $1,400–$9,000
Affects

PDK-equipped cars.

What happens

Sensor and solenoid faults in the mechatronic unit produce harsh engagement, refused gears or a limp-home restriction. A well-proven unit by this point, but still the most expensive drivetrain component to put right.

Symptoms
  • Harsh or hesitant low-speed engagement
  • Transmission warning message
  • Refusal to select a gear
  • Limp-home restriction
What to do

Keep the fluid and filter service current. Many cars remain inside warranty coverage — verify before assuming otherwise.

Coolant pump failure

Major $900–$2,000
Affects

All 982, more commonly at higher mileage.

What happens

The coolant pump fails and can shed impeller material into the cooling system. Straightforward if caught early, considerably worse if not.

Symptoms
  • Temperature climbing in traffic
  • Coolant weeping at the pump
  • Coolant loss with no external leak
  • Overheat warning under load
What to do

Replace with the thermostat while the system is open.

Parts for this job

Emissions sensor and particulate filter faults

Minor $400–$2,800
Affects

Turbocharged four-cylinder cars with a gasoline particulate filter. Short-trip use makes it worse.

What happens

Sensor faults around the particulate filter throw check-engine lights, and a filter that never sees a sustained run can load up on a car used only for brief cold journeys.

Symptoms
  • Check engine light with emissions-related codes
  • Reduced power message
  • Repeat faults on a short-trip duty cycle
What to do

Usually a sensor rather than the filter itself. A car driven properly is materially easier on this system than one used for ten-minute errands.

Infotainment and connectivity faults

Minor $0–$600
Affects

All 982, most commonly the earliest cars.

What happens

PCM screen freezes, reboots and CarPlay connectivity complaints are common and mostly software rather than hardware.

Symptoms
  • Screen freezing or restarting
  • CarPlay disconnecting
  • Bluetooth pairing failures
  • Spurious assist warnings
What to do

Most resolve with a dealer software update. Confirm a car is on current software before chasing a hardware fault.

Convertible top faults

Minor $300–$1,600
Affects

Boxster.

What happens

The automatic top depends on sensors, microswitches and hydraulics that can fault with age.

Symptoms
  • Top stopping partway
  • Warning message when operating the roof
  • Roof not latching cleanly
What to do

Usually a sensor rather than the mechanism. Cycle it fully several times at inspection.

Does not affect this car

Short failure record on the 4.0 six — documented elsewhere in the 982 range but not applicable to the 718 Boxster S. See the generation overview for the full picture.

Service intervals

9
Item Interval
Engine oil and filter 10,000 mi or annually
Spark plugs Per factory schedule
Brake fluid 2 years
Coolant Long-life, inspect at service
PDK fluid and filter 40,000 mi
Manual clutch 60,000–100,000 mi
Cabin and engine air filters 2 years / 20,000 mi
Coolant pump Preventive at high mileage
Convertible top drains and lubrication Annually

What fits this car

31 Sizes, capacities and part specs

The answers you need when something has already failed — bulb sizes by position, wiper lengths, battery group, fluid specs and capacities. Sizes are for US-spec cars and are a starting point: options and mid-year changes move them, so check against your own car and its VIN before ordering.

Bulbs and lighting

7
Low / high beam — bi-xenon D3S 35W Shop →
Headlight — LED option Sealed LED unit, not serviceable A failed unit means an assembly replacement. Confirm both work at purchase. —
Front turn signal PY21W Shop →
Fog light LED, integrated —
Brake / tail LED Not a replaceable bulb. Shop →
Reverse W16W Shop →
Licence plate LED module Shop →

Wiper blades

2
Driver side 26 in Shop →
Passenger side 24 in Shop →

Battery

3
Group size Group 48 (H6) AGM Shop →
Location Front luggage compartment —
Registration required Yes —

Fluids and capacities

7
Engine oil — capacity (flat-4) 6.9 qt with filter —
Engine oil — specification 0W-40, Porsche A40 approved Approved specification only while under warranty. Shop →
Coolant — specification Porsche pink G40, phosphate-free Shop →
Brake fluid DOT 4, low viscosity Shop →
PDK fluid Porsche-specific ATF Shop →
Manual transmission 75W-90 GL-5 Shop →
Fuel tank 14.3 gal 16.9 gal on cars with the optional larger tank. —

Wheels and tyres

9
Bolt pattern 5 x 130 mm
Centre bore 71.6 mm
Lug bolt thread M14 x 1.5
Tyre size — 18 in front 235/45 ZR18
Tyre size — 18 in rear 265/45 ZR18
Tyre size — 19 in front 235/40 ZR19
Tyre size — 19 in rear 265/40 ZR19
Tyre size — 20 in front 235/35 ZR20
Tyre size — 20 in rear 265/35 ZR20

Torque values

3 Safety-relevant. Verify against factory documentation before relying on these.
Wheel lug bolts 96 lb-ft (130 Nm) Star pattern, on the ground, calibrated wrench.
Engine oil drain plug 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) New sealing washer every time.
Oil filter housing cap 18 lb-ft (25 Nm)

Fitment for the 2018 982 718 Boxster S. Torque values in particular are safety-relevant — verify against factory documentation rather than relying on this page alone.

Buying guide

7
  1. 01

    Drive the flat-four before you dismiss it

    The internet decided this engine was a disgrace before most people had driven one. It is quicker and more flexible than the six it replaced, and the chassis underneath is the best Porsche makes. It also sounds ordinary, and only you can price that.

  2. 02

    Check warranty and recall status by VIN

    Many 982s are young enough that factory or approved-used coverage is still live, and that is worth more than any inspection you can buy.

  3. 03

    Short-trip cars are harder on the emissions system

    A four-cylinder car used only for brief cold journeys loads its particulate filter and throws sensor faults. Ask how the car has actually been used.

  4. 04

    Insist on PDK fluid history

    Records separate a maintained gearbox from a gamble on the most expensive part of the drivetrain.

  5. 05

    Options move the price more than mileage

    PASM, Sport Chrono, Sport Exhaust, the limited-slip differential and the sports seats all hold value. A sparsely optioned car is a slow sale later regardless of how few miles it has.

  6. 06

    Manual is the configuration people hunt

    PDK is quicker and the manual is what the market wants, particularly on a GTS 4.0. That gap is not closing.

  7. 07

    Cycle the top fully on a Boxster

    Reliable by the standards of the older cars, but still cheaper to find a fault before buying than after.

Parts and gear

13 Chosen for this car, not for the commission

What a 718 Boxster S actually costs to keep, grouped by why you would buy it. Prices are typical US parts-only figures — labour is separate, and the DIY note says whether that matters. Where a link earns us a commission it costs you nothing and never changes what appears here.

Parts that fix a known problem on this car

1 Each one maps to an issue above
  • Cooling $350–$850

    Coolant pump and thermostat

    The failure above and its fix. Replace the thermostat at the same time — the system is open and the labour overlaps.

    FCP Euro → Shop job

Worth doing before it fails

3 Cheaper than the repair it avoids
  • Exterior $700–$2,400

    Paint protection film for the nose

    A low, wide front end on a car that rewards being driven a long way. Film the bumper, bonnet, mirrors and rocker edges before the first road trip.

    Shop this → Shop job
  • Cooling $110–$260

    Radiator grille screens

    Low front radiators and open ducting collect road debris exactly as every water-cooled Porsche before them.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Chassis $280–$650

    Engine and transmission mount set

    Worth doing on a high-mileage car that feels less crisp than it should. Cheap relative to how much sharpness it restores.

    FCP Euro → Shop job

Consumables you will rebuy

5 Ordinary running costs
  • Fluids $280–$580

    PDK fluid and filter kit

    The service that protects the mechatronic unit, and the one most likely to have been skipped.

    Shop this → Shop job
  • Fluids $85–$170

    Porsche-approved engine oil

    Approved specification only, and non-negotiable while the car is under warranty. Keep every receipt.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Fluids $20–$55

    Oil filter and hardware

    Bought with every change. Use the specified part on a warrantied car and keep the paperwork.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Fluids $20–$75

    Brake fluid

    Two years, annually with track use. The least glamorous and most important consumable on a car this capable.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Service $35–$95

    Cabin and engine air filters

    Routine, cheap, and heavily marked up when a dealer does them.

    Shop this → DIY

Tools worth owning

4 Bought once, used for years
  • Diagnostics $250–$1,000

    Porsche-specific diagnostic interface

    Separates a software glitch from a real fault before you book dealer time — which on a 982 is most of the diagnostic battle.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Wheels $80–$280

    Torque wrench and correct sockets

    Expensive wheels and no guarantee anyone else torqued them properly. Verify after any tyre work.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Lifting $180–$480

    Low-profile jack and jack pads

    The 982 sits low and its jack points need proper pucks to avoid crushing the sill.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Storage $60–$150

    Battery tender

    A low battery on a car this electronically dependent produces faults across unrelated systems.

    Shop this → DIY