New Porsche 718 Spyder And 718 Cayman GT4 Launched With More Powerful Straight-Six Engine
Porsche has unveiled two models that will be topping the mid-engine lineup thanks to their fresh new six-cylinder boxer engines: the 2020 718 Spyder and the 2020 718 Cayman GT4. On Tuesday, Porsche announced that the 718 mid-engine series is gaining two new members for the 2020 model year; in these models turbocharged flat-four boxer engines have been swapped out for flat-six versions with six-speed manual transmission. Both the 2020 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4 claim the top performance spots in the segment and share the same technical basis -- the only significant difference between the models is the presence of a permanent roof or not. The new and improved engines can generate 414 horsepower which brings the Spyder to a top speed of 300kph and the Cayman GT4 up to 302kph; both can sprint from 0 - 100kph in 4.2 seconds. Compared with their predecessors, the Cayman GT4 has significantly improved aerodynamics as a result of a redesigned muffler, a new diffuser, and a reimagined front end, and the 718 Spyder benefits from a GT chassis for the first time. Though each model has been designed for street use, both have been optimized for the track.
Driving the new Boxster S is a sublime experience. The engine is powerful up top and torquey down low, with peak torque arriving at just 1950 rpm and carrying all the way to 4500 rpm. Peak power arrives at 6500 rpm and only drops off by four percent at the 7500-rpm redline. Thanks to the Variable Turbo Geometry (VTG, available exclusively on 718 Boxster S and 911 Turbo), the engine's performance is optimized at every point in the rpm range. Active engine mounts soften at lower RPM to minimize vibrations in the cabin and tighten up as revs and speed climb. While adding to chassis rigidity, which is at an all time high, this also results in engine vibration that can barely be heard but not felt. The car feels faster everywhere from dead-stop acceleration to making a pass. Most importantly, despite the slightly lowered redline, the powerband is now so wide thanks to "pre-spool" technology and VTG that the car feels faster everywhere from dead-stop acceleration to making a pass. The PDK dual-clutch gearbox is, as usual, excellent.
A six-speed manual transmission with automatic rev-matching is standard in both the Boxster and Boxster S, and as much as I love Porsche's manual gearboxes, the new powertrains really are optimized for PDK. When you tug a paddle to upshift, rather than closing the throttle for the shift, the throttle stays open and the car cuts ignition timing, a form of anti-lag that keeps the turbo spooled in between the shifts. The result is an almost completely imperceptible drop in power during shifting鈥攋ust one long shove all the way from a dead stop to top speed. The PDK shifters are positioned behind a new 918 Hybrid-style steering wheel that has a quick-selector switch to choose one of four drive modes: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, or Individual. Suspension, exhaust volume, traction control, and other individual settings are one-touch affairs, via buttons surrounding the transmission lever. The optional PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) gives you a lowered ride height with adjustable dampers.
Normal mode sucked up the imperfections on Western Portugal's C-roads while Sport mode brought to life the new steering system, adopted directly from the 911 Turbo and 10 percent more direct than the outgoing car. It blends the perfect balance of weight, feel, and ratio. When a chassis is as good as the 718's, you don't need to make the suspension overly stiff in order to make the car handle, and this is where the Boxster S really shines. The suspension gives when it needs to, stays firm when it needs to, and makes sporty driving feel effortless. The optional 350mm carbon-ceramic brakes mean late braking quickly becomes a pastime, though I sampled the standard 330mm steel brakes as well and found them more than sufficient for road use. The new 718 Boxster and Boxster S aren't just worthy of the Porsche badge, I'd venture as far as to say these are the best Boxsters yet. 54,000鈥攁ll while asking nearly nothing of the driver in return.
Porsche has revealed the new 718 Cayman GT4 in race-ready Clubsport spec, giving the world a big hint at what we can expect from the next GT4 road car, due towards the end of this year. The GT4 Clubsport, built to spec by Porsche Motorsport for race teams globally, it said to be the first production racing car to feature natural-fibre composite body parts. The lightweight material, similar to carbon fibre, is used in the doors and in the car鈥檚 rear wing, means the car is 130kg lighter than a Cayman GTS. The news that will delight purists most is that the GT4 Clubsport retains the old version鈥檚 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six, rather than moving to the turbocharged four-cylinder unit found in all current 718 Caymans. Here it produces 425bhp, 40 more than before, and puts its power down through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a mechanical rear axle differential lock. It鈥檚 not clear yet whether the road-going GT4 will feature the same power output, or be offered, as before, with a manual gearbox option as well. But head of GT car development Andreas Preuninger confirmed to Autocar last year that the flat-six would be retained in this year鈥檚 GT4.