Porsche is a manufacturer with a long and successful racing history. As far as its main models go, the 911 is often held up as an example of that performance pedigree.
To more closely associate the mid-engine Boxster with Porsche’s decades-long record of on-track prowess, the company recently renamed it the 718 Boxster, a throwback to the 718 race car, which, among other competitions, won the European Hill Climb Championship in 1958 and 1959.
Along with the Boxster’s new name comes an increase in power. The 718 Boxster S now makes 350 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque from a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four engine. With the PDK dual-clutch gearbox and the Sport Chrono package, the open-top Teuton can hit 60 mph in four seconds flat and top out at 177 mph.
Despite these changes, Porsche hasn’t lost sight of the fact that the 718 Boxster S is largely going to be a lifestyle vehicle that drivers use to blast down curvy roads as they feel the wind in their hair and see their picturesque surroundings turn into colorful blurs.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
