Porsche re-branding Boxster, Cayman as 718 Series

Porsche is re-branding its mid-engine Boxster and Cayman models as members of the 718 Series beginning next year.

The German automaker said the Boxster and Cayman will be renamed the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman sometime "over the course of 2016."

Porsche said the 718 designation pays homage to the open-cockpit 718 it introduced in 1957.

Built between 1957 and 1962, that car was powered by a flat four-cylinder engine and won the legendary Italian Targa Florio race in Sicily in both 1959 and 1960.

In sticking with the 718 Series tradition—and, more likely than not, to meet stringent new fuel economy restrictions—the Boxster 718 and Cayman 718 will have their six-cylinder boxer engines replaced with turbocharged flat four-cylinders.

The move to smaller forced-induction power units in the 718 Series comes after Porsche announced the 911 Carrera and Carrera S models would see their naturally-aspirated six-cylinders replaced with twin-turbocharged units for the 2017 model year.

Roles will also be reversed for the 2017 model year, with the 718 Cayman slotted in at a lower price point than the 718 Boxster.

Currently, the Boxster is priced below the Cayman, albeit slightly.