Back in 1957, the successor to the 550 Spyder race car was the 718, which possessed a flat-four engine. The 718 was an endurance racing icon, with a 142hp RSK version taking class honours in the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans.
And given Porsche's ground-breaking 919 hybrid - which also has a turbocharged, horizontally opposed 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine - took first and second at Le Mans this year, the German manufacturer felt it only right to properly link back to its glorious four-cylinder heritage.
So while the death of the boxer six in these models is something we lament, expect the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman - both due out over the course of 2016 - to be very special machines nonetheless.
Anything else?
Retaining their mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout, this time around Porsche is going to price the 718 Boxster at a higher level than the 718 Cayman, evoking its cost structure for the 911.
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