Porsche punches up Boxster and Cayman

Porsche is preparing to push more punch into the smallest models in its sports car family.

The Cayman will get a massive kick in the tail next month with the arrival of the GT4, the road-going follow-up to the GT4 racer launched earlier this year, and a new Boxster Spyder is also on the way.

The GT4 will sprint up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - perhaps with Mark Webber driving - before official preview drives that point to Australian deliveries before the end of the year.

Things are not as clear on the Spyder, but it’s also likely Down Under during 2019.

“We cannot talk about a car which has not even had its global debut yet,” is the only comment from Chris Jordan, spokesman for Porsche Cars Australia.

While the babies get a tickle, Porsche is also busy with the roll-out of the extended family members in the 992-series of the 911.

With the Carrera S and 4S already on the road, the next arrival is the Carrera base car. It expected to have its world premiere in the second half of the year and both the coupe and convertible are potential Christmas gifts in Australia.

Based on previous 911 roll-outs, the cars will get faster - and more costly - in 2020.

That’s the likely timing of the Turbo, which will hit Australia in the back half of next year, and Year Three for the 991 will be for the heavily-loaded GTS and the GT models.

“We’re still at the very-very start. At the moment we only have the coupe and cabriolet versions of the Carrera S and 4S,” Jordan tells carsales.

“History is a bit of an indicator. But the time-time is still being finalised.”

Further into the future, Porsche sources in Europe are starting to hint about the timing for the hybrid package that was integrated into the latest 911.

Early speculation pointed to a plug-in hybrid in the first evolution of the 992, but it’s now looking more likely for 992.2. That would be sometime within four years, with the groundwork already done through battery space in the 911’s chassis and an expanded transmission case for an electric motor.

In the second half of this year the Porsche focus will shift to the fully-electric Taycan.

Webber is expected to demonstrate a camouflaged prototype at the Festival of Speed, before the car’s official unveiling and the start of pre-sales at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.