What's the difference?
“If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance.”
King Theoden may have been talking about the men and women of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings, but he could have just as easily been talking about the team behind the Porsche 718 Boxster.
It’s been nearly 30 years (yes, that long) since the Boxster joined the Porsche line-up as the more affordable sports car alternative to the 911, but now it’s facing a dramatic change that will make it a very different beast.
Porsche has committed to an electric future for the 718 but before it does so, there was one more petrol-powered version to create, this one, the 718 Spyder RS. It stands to be the final 718 to have an internal combustion engine, but could also be the best.
The 718 Spyder RS is the Boxster version of the previously released Cayman-based GT4 RS. So it takes every element of the sports car and turns it up to 11. This is faster, more powerful, lighter and more dynamic than the Boxster has ever been.
Do you like swimming against the tide? Do you like to zig when everyone else is zagging? Are you unafraid of making the unpopular choice?
Well, if you align with the above, I have just the car for you.
The Volvo ES90 pushes against most current trends. The luxury sedan used to be the measure of a brand, but not anymore. These days the luxury market is defined by SUVs and sedans have been reduced to an afterthought for many.
But if you’re willing to think outside the SUV-shaped box, there is a lot to like about Volvo’s new luxury offering. Whether it’s a true sedan or not is open to debate, but what it isn’t is an SUV and for those willing to live that counter-culture lifestyle this may be right for you.
If this is to be the end of the 718 as we know it, then it is an end to be remembered. Porsche has produced something special in the Spyder RS, a sports car that can compete with the 911 on any stretch of road - which is something so few cars can claim. The focus on performance has driven the entire concept of the car, but all the elements work in harmony, with form and function coming together.
More stylish than ever before, as quiet and refined as you'd expect from a luxury car and yet the stand out feature might once again be safety. Despite seemingly every new car being loaded to the gills with safety features, Volvo has managed to demonstrate industry best-practice and leads the way again.
I would encourage engineers from every other car brand to drive the ES90 to learn how to better integrate the modern suite of active safety features like forward collision warning and lane departure warning.
But beyond that, is the ES90 a car worthy of consideration? Well, pretty much everything it does the EX90 does too, so if you prefer an SUV that’s definitely worth consideration. But if you don’t want an SUV, if you prefer a sedan or just love to be different, the ES90 is a very attractive proposition in more ways than one.