Are Spyders Becoming Extinct At OPCs!
- Thread starter daro911
- Start date
[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review[/link]
The engine also lacks some of the soul of the old 3.8-litre six, which was really only a powerkitted Carrera S engine. There's less induction roar, and with new particulate filters and noise regulations to meet, less of the gnashing exhaust blare, and so the GT4 has lost its renegade attitude. In fact across the board it feels less raw but is undoubtedly a more competent, quicker and clinical machine. What appeals more is going to come down to personal preference.
But ultimately, there's nothing to match this level of precision, balance and feel at this price point, and little beyond it in terms of pure behind-the-wheel appeal. And I'll say it again: this chassis is nothing short of sensational. It's simply joyful on a charge. Once we've driven the Cayman GT4 on the road, the full five stars beckon.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 specification
Where Knockhill Circuit, Scotland Price £75,348 On sale Now Engine Flat-six, 3995cc, petrol Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000-6800rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1420kg Top speed 188mph 0-62mph 4.4sec Fuel economy 25.7mpg CO2 249g/km Rivals Alpine A110S, Lotus Exige 410 Sport
The engine also lacks some of the soul of the old 3.8-litre six, which was really only a powerkitted Carrera S engine. There's less induction roar, and with new particulate filters and noise regulations to meet, less of the gnashing exhaust blare, and so the GT4 has lost its renegade attitude. In fact across the board it feels less raw but is undoubtedly a more competent, quicker and clinical machine. What appeals more is going to come down to personal preference.
But ultimately, there's nothing to match this level of precision, balance and feel at this price point, and little beyond it in terms of pure behind-the-wheel appeal. And I'll say it again: this chassis is nothing short of sensational. It's simply joyful on a charge. Once we've driven the Cayman GT4 on the road, the full five stars beckon.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 specification
Where Knockhill Circuit, Scotland Price £75,348 On sale Now Engine Flat-six, 3995cc, petrol Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000-6800rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1420kg Top speed 188mph 0-62mph 4.4sec Fuel economy 25.7mpg CO2 249g/km Rivals Alpine A110S, Lotus Exige 410 Sport
daro911 said:
”powerkitted” tosh
[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-boxster-spyder/first-drives/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-2019-review]https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-boxster-spyder/first-drives/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-2019-review[/link]
[h1]Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder 2019 review[/h1] * * * * * Removing the roof from the Cayman GT4 might seem like sacrilege, but the result is sublime
If you know the new [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]Porsche 718 Cayman GT4[/link], you know the new Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder.
One may get top billing as the trackday star while the other plays second fiddle as its road-ready counterpart (you can guess which is which), but in mechanical terms, these are the very same sports car.
That's exciting, because for all its exoticism, never [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/boxster-spyder-2015-2016]in two previous iterations[/link] has the Spyder been engineered by Porsche’s GT division at the Motorsportzentrum in Weissach. It’s a marriage of style and substance the likes of which we don’t often see at sub-six-figure prices, and you might even think of it as a junior 911 Speedster – the[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-speedster/first-drives/porsche-911-speedster-2019-review] GT3-based, slope-backed road-racer[/link] that costs more than £200,000.
Because the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder weigh the same 1420kg (admittedly, rather a lot more than the old Spyder, which was 1315kg) they really are identical beneath the bodywork, even down to the suspension tuning, which is adjustable for toe, camber and anti-roll bar stiffness. Each car uses a double-wishbone front axle [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-gt3]borrowed from the 911 GT3[/link] and inverted dampers – a GT division calling card. Carbon-ceramic brakes are an option, but our test car had the sizeable cast-iron standard items, which sit within a new design of 20in wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres said to offer better wet-weather performance than ever before.
There’s also six-speed manual gearbox carried over from [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the old Cayman GT4[/link]. It uses a dual-mass flywheel from the GT3 and sends power through a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear axle, where you also get brake-based torque vectoring but no steering capability. A modified version of the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic ’box from the basic 718 Boxster is being developed, but it won’t arrive for at least another year, because the next-generation 911 GT3 has priority on Porsche’s to-do list.
There's also the not-so-small matter of the Spyder’s all-new engine – an upsized flat six with atmospheric induction. We’ll come onto that shortly, but the 4.0-litre 9A2 Evo is pretty special.
Inside, there are no surprises. The 360mm steering wheel is smaller than[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-boxster] that of a standard Boxster[/link] and there's the option of the deep-sided carbonfibre bucket seats first seen on the 918 Spyder. They cost £3788, but without a roll cage, you can't get the harnesses from the Cayman GT4. Not that you'd want those in a car like the Spyder anyway.
Elsewhere, you'll find this is a useful place. There are the neat, out-swung cupholders, a good level of storage in the door cards and Porsche's 4.6in PCM infotainment system, though you can omit that to save 4.5kg. Again, you might do so on the GT4 to imbue the cabin with a certain level of seriousness, but on the Spyder it's overkill. There's also 150 litres of luggage space split betweent the front and rear comparments – not a lot but enough for a weekend away.
What's it like?
The Boxster Spyder is remarkably good, even by the standards of Porsche. When you drive it, you’re subconsciously putting yourself under less pressure to extract the most from its chassis and engine than [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]you are in the Cayman GT4[/link]. There's just a different vibe with the roof down, but it's still 95% as capable. And when you’re not hell-bent on reaching the 8000rpm redline, the long gearing – felt particularly keenly in second – frustrates less. Likewise, when you’re not quite so obsessed with getting the car into the window where the rear axle is slipping, the fact this engine isn’t the equal of a supremely well balanced and stable chassis with masses of lateral grip doesn’t matter so much.
This is a car that does the basics so well that it’s perfectly possible to have the time of your life without ever eliciting so much as a flicker of activity from your risk-assessing frontal lobe. The steering is lighter than you might expect and only moderately geared, and guess what: it’s phenomenally intuitive. Among electromechanical racks, this is surely the current benchmark for feel. You get a useful degree of road surface filtered up into your palms, but it's the gloriously linear and natural weighting that stands out. Simply flowing the car through bends at a leisurely pace will leave you smiling and content, if that doesn't sound too twee.So the steering is a peach, and just as well, because were it not, you might never discover how well the Spyder handles. Which is to say with stunning neutrality. It's possible to unsettle the car, but this requires a level of commitment that most owners will summon very infrequently on the road. So good are the brakes – both in pedal feel and power – that understeer can only come about by gross negligence, and benefitting from the car's balance, the 295-section rear tyres neatly follow those at the front through corners.
This isn't to say Porsche has built a car devoid of easy-going adjustabilty. Load up the front and a lift of the throttle will tighten the line. So sharp is the throttle response that you can then quickly tease the rear axle out of line – or more than tease, if you like. You'll certainly have the confidence to try, and when you do, you'll need to use amazingly little steering input. Point is, the Spyder's handling is neither too esoteric for casual drivers nor too humourless for serious ones.
Ride and general usability? Very good indeed. The Spyder sits 30mm lower than the standard Boxster, and its two damper modes seem quite closely related, although on our Scottish test route there was never any need to move our of the softer, default setting, even at great speed, so controlled are the body movements. In fact, the control is totally out of kilter with this level of delicacy; it's difficult to understand how the two attributes can coexist. Porsche must have fitted bumpstops, but I can't say for sure, because you never seem to get anywhere near them. The damping force is beautifully progressive and just feels into the overwhelming sensation of balance, composure and flow.
And on the subject of flow, the new 4.0-litre engine takes some beating. We've gone into detail in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]the Cayman GT4 review[/link], but in essence it's a big engine in a small car, and it spins to 8000rpm, making 414bhp only 400rpm earlier. At 310lb ft, there's no improvement in torque over the old Boxster Spyder, and it arrives a touch later, at 5000rpm, but it's still enough to take the car to 62mph in 4.4sec and a top speed of 187mph, with or without the canvas roof in place. It's a level of performance comparable with that of a Ferrari F340 Spider, although the Italian car couldn't hope to match the German's combined 25.7mpg.
For some reason, this flat six also appeals more in the Boxster Spyder than it does in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]its Cayman GT4 sibling[/link]. I’m not sure why, because the previous versions of both cars used [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the same Carrera S-sourced 3.8-litre[/link] unit, which made a superb racket – one we miss in the current GT4. This engine's note is a bit more reserved. It's less harsh without much real spine-tingling quality but still fabuously smooth and full nonetheless, and it suits the Spyder's metre. It has more than enough about it to stroke the car along at around 3000rpm, at which point it's still superbly responsive and only gets better as you stretch it out. Second gear takes care of everything between 40mph and 80mph, but the gearshift is so good that you'll itch to slide across the gates and into third. You really need to decide what sort of mood you're in and then stick to it: third or fourth for quick but leisurely progress, second for a thrash. There's also an autoblip function. You don't need it, but it's there and very good indeeed.
Finally, as for the way the thing looks, the images don't do it justice. The arrival of GT3 hardware for the Spyder coincides with an injection of visual brawn. With a jutting front splitter, a ducktail spoiler and a beefy rear diffuser (check out the central venturi tunnel), it channels elements of 996 GT2 and 918 Spyder in package shorter than the Volkswagen Golf and only millimetres wider. With all the aero elements and huge front air intakes, it's not classically beautiful, but with the buttresses of the rear deck it plays the junior supercar card well.
Should I buy one?
The Boxster Spyder is a bargain, and yet it's a thoroughbred, and it will make you extremely happy.
In any case, this is such a distinctive car both in look and feel that if you want and can afford one, there’s probably little that’s going to stop you anyway. And there’s little that should stop you. Character, dynamism, usability and price: there’s barely a chink in the Spyder’s armour, which could well be most broadly desirable car Porsche now makes.
You can’t access the rear boot unless the manual roof is folded away, and the mechanism itself requires that you stop the car and get out, but if these are deal-breakers, buy a Boxster GTS. Whether you could subsequently live with yourself for prioritising a small degree of convenience over a big-capacity engine and such a fabulous chassis is another matter. Availability shouldn’t be a problem this time around, either; Porsche is going to build the Spyder until at least 2022, which it says will give it enough time to satisfy all demand.
Sensibly sized and unobtrusive in a way that belies just how special it is as a naturally aspirated, mid-engined, two-seater, three-pedal sports car in modern times, this might not be the car you need, but it is one you should covet deeply.
Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder specification
Where Perthshire, UK Price £73,405 On sale Now Engine 6cyls, 3995cc, petrol Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000-6800rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1420kg Top speed 187mph 0-62mph 4.4sec Fuel economy 25.7mpg CO2 249g/km Rivals Lotus Exige 410 Sport, Audi R8 V10 Spyder
[h1]Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder 2019 review[/h1] * * * * * Removing the roof from the Cayman GT4 might seem like sacrilege, but the result is sublime
If you know the new [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]Porsche 718 Cayman GT4[/link], you know the new Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder.
One may get top billing as the trackday star while the other plays second fiddle as its road-ready counterpart (you can guess which is which), but in mechanical terms, these are the very same sports car.
That's exciting, because for all its exoticism, never [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/boxster-spyder-2015-2016]in two previous iterations[/link] has the Spyder been engineered by Porsche’s GT division at the Motorsportzentrum in Weissach. It’s a marriage of style and substance the likes of which we don’t often see at sub-six-figure prices, and you might even think of it as a junior 911 Speedster – the[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-speedster/first-drives/porsche-911-speedster-2019-review] GT3-based, slope-backed road-racer[/link] that costs more than £200,000.
Because the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder weigh the same 1420kg (admittedly, rather a lot more than the old Spyder, which was 1315kg) they really are identical beneath the bodywork, even down to the suspension tuning, which is adjustable for toe, camber and anti-roll bar stiffness. Each car uses a double-wishbone front axle [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-gt3]borrowed from the 911 GT3[/link] and inverted dampers – a GT division calling card. Carbon-ceramic brakes are an option, but our test car had the sizeable cast-iron standard items, which sit within a new design of 20in wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres said to offer better wet-weather performance than ever before.
There’s also six-speed manual gearbox carried over from [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the old Cayman GT4[/link]. It uses a dual-mass flywheel from the GT3 and sends power through a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear axle, where you also get brake-based torque vectoring but no steering capability. A modified version of the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic ’box from the basic 718 Boxster is being developed, but it won’t arrive for at least another year, because the next-generation 911 GT3 has priority on Porsche’s to-do list.
There's also the not-so-small matter of the Spyder’s all-new engine – an upsized flat six with atmospheric induction. We’ll come onto that shortly, but the 4.0-litre 9A2 Evo is pretty special.
Inside, there are no surprises. The 360mm steering wheel is smaller than[link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-boxster] that of a standard Boxster[/link] and there's the option of the deep-sided carbonfibre bucket seats first seen on the 918 Spyder. They cost £3788, but without a roll cage, you can't get the harnesses from the Cayman GT4. Not that you'd want those in a car like the Spyder anyway.
Elsewhere, you'll find this is a useful place. There are the neat, out-swung cupholders, a good level of storage in the door cards and Porsche's 4.6in PCM infotainment system, though you can omit that to save 4.5kg. Again, you might do so on the GT4 to imbue the cabin with a certain level of seriousness, but on the Spyder it's overkill. There's also 150 litres of luggage space split betweent the front and rear comparments – not a lot but enough for a weekend away.
What's it like?
The Boxster Spyder is remarkably good, even by the standards of Porsche. When you drive it, you’re subconsciously putting yourself under less pressure to extract the most from its chassis and engine than [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]you are in the Cayman GT4[/link]. There's just a different vibe with the roof down, but it's still 95% as capable. And when you’re not hell-bent on reaching the 8000rpm redline, the long gearing – felt particularly keenly in second – frustrates less. Likewise, when you’re not quite so obsessed with getting the car into the window where the rear axle is slipping, the fact this engine isn’t the equal of a supremely well balanced and stable chassis with masses of lateral grip doesn’t matter so much.
This is a car that does the basics so well that it’s perfectly possible to have the time of your life without ever eliciting so much as a flicker of activity from your risk-assessing frontal lobe. The steering is lighter than you might expect and only moderately geared, and guess what: it’s phenomenally intuitive. Among electromechanical racks, this is surely the current benchmark for feel. You get a useful degree of road surface filtered up into your palms, but it's the gloriously linear and natural weighting that stands out. Simply flowing the car through bends at a leisurely pace will leave you smiling and content, if that doesn't sound too twee.So the steering is a peach, and just as well, because were it not, you might never discover how well the Spyder handles. Which is to say with stunning neutrality. It's possible to unsettle the car, but this requires a level of commitment that most owners will summon very infrequently on the road. So good are the brakes – both in pedal feel and power – that understeer can only come about by gross negligence, and benefitting from the car's balance, the 295-section rear tyres neatly follow those at the front through corners.
This isn't to say Porsche has built a car devoid of easy-going adjustabilty. Load up the front and a lift of the throttle will tighten the line. So sharp is the throttle response that you can then quickly tease the rear axle out of line – or more than tease, if you like. You'll certainly have the confidence to try, and when you do, you'll need to use amazingly little steering input. Point is, the Spyder's handling is neither too esoteric for casual drivers nor too humourless for serious ones.
Ride and general usability? Very good indeed. The Spyder sits 30mm lower than the standard Boxster, and its two damper modes seem quite closely related, although on our Scottish test route there was never any need to move our of the softer, default setting, even at great speed, so controlled are the body movements. In fact, the control is totally out of kilter with this level of delicacy; it's difficult to understand how the two attributes can coexist. Porsche must have fitted bumpstops, but I can't say for sure, because you never seem to get anywhere near them. The damping force is beautifully progressive and just feels into the overwhelming sensation of balance, composure and flow.
And on the subject of flow, the new 4.0-litre engine takes some beating. We've gone into detail in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]the Cayman GT4 review[/link], but in essence it's a big engine in a small car, and it spins to 8000rpm, making 414bhp only 400rpm earlier. At 310lb ft, there's no improvement in torque over the old Boxster Spyder, and it arrives a touch later, at 5000rpm, but it's still enough to take the car to 62mph in 4.4sec and a top speed of 187mph, with or without the canvas roof in place. It's a level of performance comparable with that of a Ferrari F340 Spider, although the Italian car couldn't hope to match the German's combined 25.7mpg.
For some reason, this flat six also appeals more in the Boxster Spyder than it does in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/718-cayman-gt4/first-drives/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-2019-review]its Cayman GT4 sibling[/link]. I’m not sure why, because the previous versions of both cars used [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the same Carrera S-sourced 3.8-litre[/link] unit, which made a superb racket – one we miss in the current GT4. This engine's note is a bit more reserved. It's less harsh without much real spine-tingling quality but still fabuously smooth and full nonetheless, and it suits the Spyder's metre. It has more than enough about it to stroke the car along at around 3000rpm, at which point it's still superbly responsive and only gets better as you stretch it out. Second gear takes care of everything between 40mph and 80mph, but the gearshift is so good that you'll itch to slide across the gates and into third. You really need to decide what sort of mood you're in and then stick to it: third or fourth for quick but leisurely progress, second for a thrash. There's also an autoblip function. You don't need it, but it's there and very good indeeed.
Finally, as for the way the thing looks, the images don't do it justice. The arrival of GT3 hardware for the Spyder coincides with an injection of visual brawn. With a jutting front splitter, a ducktail spoiler and a beefy rear diffuser (check out the central venturi tunnel), it channels elements of 996 GT2 and 918 Spyder in package shorter than the Volkswagen Golf and only millimetres wider. With all the aero elements and huge front air intakes, it's not classically beautiful, but with the buttresses of the rear deck it plays the junior supercar card well.
Should I buy one?
The Boxster Spyder is a bargain, and yet it's a thoroughbred, and it will make you extremely happy.
In any case, this is such a distinctive car both in look and feel that if you want and can afford one, there’s probably little that’s going to stop you anyway. And there’s little that should stop you. Character, dynamism, usability and price: there’s barely a chink in the Spyder’s armour, which could well be most broadly desirable car Porsche now makes.
You can’t access the rear boot unless the manual roof is folded away, and the mechanism itself requires that you stop the car and get out, but if these are deal-breakers, buy a Boxster GTS. Whether you could subsequently live with yourself for prioritising a small degree of convenience over a big-capacity engine and such a fabulous chassis is another matter. Availability shouldn’t be a problem this time around, either; Porsche is going to build the Spyder until at least 2022, which it says will give it enough time to satisfy all demand.
Sensibly sized and unobtrusive in a way that belies just how special it is as a naturally aspirated, mid-engined, two-seater, three-pedal sports car in modern times, this might not be the car you need, but it is one you should covet deeply.
Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder specification
Where Perthshire, UK Price £73,405 On sale Now Engine 6cyls, 3995cc, petrol Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000-6800rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1420kg Top speed 187mph 0-62mph 4.4sec Fuel economy 25.7mpg CO2 249g/km Rivals Lotus Exige 410 Sport, Audi R8 V10 Spyder
[link=https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2019-porsche-718-boxster-spyder--driven/40600]https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2019-porsche-718-boxster-spyder--driven/40600[/link]
But the soundtrack doesn't matter so much on circuit when you're concerned with more pressing things. So it was only when I drove the Spyder on the road, its roof firmly stowed away, that I realised something important. This new 420hp motor doesn't sing they way a high-revving n/a six should. It's muted. A touch flat even. Time and again I had to check the little button on the centre console to be sure the switchable exhaust really was in its noisier setting.
So what gives? To make a relatively high-capacity engine with no forced induction or electrical assistance emissions compliant - not only for today but the next few years as well - Porsche had no choice but to fit smothering gasoline particulate filters. Well, it did have a choice, but I don't imagine many of us would have been happier with a turbocharged four-pot. (This new power unit can also switch off one bank of cylinders at low engine speeds to reduce fuel consumption.) With those filters in position the engine is like a Naim home stereo rotated through 180-degrees to face the wall.
This is a quite brilliant sports car, held back from perfection by a muted soundtrack and overlong gearing. At a little over £73,000 it's a couple of grand cheaper than the GT4 as well. The one to have? Unless you have no interest whatsoever in driving topless I'd say it is, given it gives nothing away in terms of performance or dynamic brilliance.
But the soundtrack doesn't matter so much on circuit when you're concerned with more pressing things. So it was only when I drove the Spyder on the road, its roof firmly stowed away, that I realised something important. This new 420hp motor doesn't sing they way a high-revving n/a six should. It's muted. A touch flat even. Time and again I had to check the little button on the centre console to be sure the switchable exhaust really was in its noisier setting.
So what gives? To make a relatively high-capacity engine with no forced induction or electrical assistance emissions compliant - not only for today but the next few years as well - Porsche had no choice but to fit smothering gasoline particulate filters. Well, it did have a choice, but I don't imagine many of us would have been happier with a turbocharged four-pot. (This new power unit can also switch off one bank of cylinders at low engine speeds to reduce fuel consumption.) With those filters in position the engine is like a Naim home stereo rotated through 180-degrees to face the wall.
This is a quite brilliant sports car, held back from perfection by a muted soundtrack and overlong gearing. At a little over £73,000 it's a couple of grand cheaper than the GT4 as well. The one to have? Unless you have no interest whatsoever in driving topless I'd say it is, given it gives nothing away in terms of performance or dynamic brilliance.
SpyderDavid
Member
Put mine on the local weighbridge this morning which amused them - 1340kg without anyone in it.
So according to him if you own a 981 version don't bother upgrading unless you want a slightly easier car to live with for a daily driver and one with an inferior more muted sound track [kitchens said:
]Also I doubt anyone will ever order a £75k base version so the cost to upgrade will now be considerable too [&:] My play around building one with similar spec to my current car runs me out at just under £90k what with the new car tax too [8|]
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/22888/porsche-718-spyder-review-the-drop-top-gt4-weve-been-waiting-for]https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/22888/porsche-718-spyder-review-the-drop-top-gt4-weve-been-waiting-for[/link][/h2]Porsche 718 Spyder review - the drop-top GT4 we've been waiting for[/h1][link=https://www.evo.co.uk/authors/steve-sutcliffe]Steve Sutcliffe[/link]
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#0]
[/link]
Verdict: The Porsche 718 Spyder is a rare gem of a sports car, there is nothing else like it at the price[/h2] Evo Rating: * * * * * For Brilliant engine and gearbox, stunning looks, monster brakes, steering, VFM Against Manual hood remains a bit of a caper Last time out the Porsche Boxster Spyder was a very different car from the [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/cayman-gt4/22886/new-porsche-cayman-gt4-2019-review-its-a-bit-special]Cayman GT4[/link] on which it wasn’t based. Instead it was basically a restyled [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/718-boxster/gts]Boxster GTS[/link], not that there was a great deal wrong with that. Point is, though, it was nowhere near as focused in its chassis and suspension design as its fixed head brother with the big wing on the back.[/ul] This time, however, the 718 Spyder is exactly the same as a GT4 beneath its knee-tremblingly beautiful new skin.
Same 4.0-litre flat six 992-based engine that revs to 8000rpm, same six-speed manual gearbox with auto blip on the downshifts and, most important of all, exactly the same GT3-inspired chassis, suspension, steering and brakes.
The only real difference between the Spyder and GT4 this time is the aerodynamic package. On aesthetic grounds Porsche decided not to fit the Spyder with a big rear wing (correct decision) and has instead gone for a smaller wing that retracts back into the rear bodywork at low speeds, plus the front splitter is nowhere near as pronounced. So the Spyder generates no lift as such, but also no downforce. Unlike the GT4.
The flip side is that the Spyder looks drop dead gorgeous in the flesh (as does the GT4 to be fair, though for different reasons) and the hood – still a mostly manual affair, so still a bit of a palaver to raise or lower to be honest – allows you to engage with the elements that much more viscerally. It also means you can hear the flat six more clearly on the move, which is a pleasure never to be underestimated.
The 718 Spyder is powered by the exact same 4.0-litre atmospheric flat six that propels the GT4. It produces 414bhp and can rev to 8000rpm. Maximum torque of 420Nm is developed between 5000-6800rpm, and if you’re wondering about its heritage the engine is actually a development of the new 992’s 3.0-lite flat six turbo. In this case it’s been bored out to 4.0-litres (the stroke remains unchanged from the 992’s motor) and its turbos have been removed. Like the GT4, it also features cylinder de-activation at light or zero throttle loads where it goes on to three cylinders to improve fuel consumption.
The gearbox is a six-speed manual with the same unusually long ratios in first and second as the GT4; it will do 85mph in second gear. The ‘box features a switchable auto blip function on downshifts that works a treat in practice, while the gear lever itself is also shorter than before for more precise movements.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#2]
[/link]
Give or take a kilo here or there, the new Spyder weighs exactly the same at a GT4, which means it weighs a touch more than it used to. Porsche admits that the kerb-weight has unfortunately risen by around 35kg to 1495kg due mainly to the fitment of new particulate filters in the huge new rear silencer. These will however keep it emissions friendly for many years to come.
On paper the Spyder has near identical performance to the GT4. It can hit 62mph in 4.4sec and takes 9.0sec dead to hit 100mph. Top speed is 186mph, and it’ll do that with the hood up or down, says Porsche.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#11]
[/link]
The Spyder’s chassis is exactly the same at the GT4’s, which means it is a lot more focused in setup than the previous Spyder. Essentially it’s a mid-engined version of the latest GT3 beneath the skin, and although there’s slightly less scope to adjust the suspension settings compared with the GT4 (whose dampers you can adjust manually if you know your way round a set of spanners) the two cars really are one and the same on this occasion.
Except for their aerodynamics. Without the GT4’s big rear wing or its dramatic front splitter, the Spyder doesn’t generate downforce, despite it featuring the same underbody diffuser as the GT4. Instead it merely suffers from no lift, says Porsche, which is good to know given the 186mph top speed.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#13]
[/link]
The brakes feature the same huge cross ventilated steel rotors at each corner as the GT4, again sourced pretty much lock-stock from the GT3. And if you’re going to do lots of track days in your Spyder there’s also the option of carbon ceramic discs, albeit for an extra £5597.
Unlike the GT4 the Spyder gets Porsche’s PASM system as standard, plus the normally optional Sports Chrono Pack as well. Both cars come on the same bespoke-for-Porsche Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, another sign of how much more serious a driving machine the Spyder is this time round.
What’s it like to drive?[/h2]Pretty special, to be honest. On a sunny day with the hood down, and under full beans in a low-ish gear, there is nothing else quite like the Spyder. And its combination of attributes is unique. The highlights include immense and instant throttle response at anything above 3000rpm, a spine-chilling exhaust scream, eye-watering body control, pin sharp steering and some of the best brakes you’ll come across in any road car, at any price. Yet it’s detail of the Spyder’s responses that arguably leave the biggest impression of all.
This is not a sledge-hammer kind of car, despite the fact that it is a seriously quick one. Instead it’s a car that’s multi-layered in its appeal. Even at 40mph there is feel through the steering wheel, through the seats and via the brakes that is simply missing from most, if not all other cars. There is a delicacy of touch to all its controls that can be appreciated, revelled in even, at any speed.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#3]
[/link]
But when the moment comes and the right road eventually appears in the windscreen, and you deploy the throttle accordingly, the Spyder delivers a level of involvement and excitement – and a turn of pure speed – that really does take your breath away.
It’s torquey, too, so although the gearing is long in the first three ratios the engine can handle it. So at 3000rpm it feels strong; at 5000rpm it feels – and sounds – properly fast and furious; and between there and the 8000rpm red line it goes to another level again. One that no rival at this sort of money can deal with. Not that the Spyder has any bona fide open top rivals this side of £100k (and not many well beyond that, truth be told).
Price and rivals[/h2]Rivals? What rivals? At £73,405 the Spyder seems incredibly well priced given how much of a thoroughbred it is beneath the skin, or how quick it is in the real world. It’s hard to think of many open top cars that are as good-looking as this, either. A Jaguar F-Type SVR convertible has more power and more straight line performance, theoretically, but is frankly nowhere beside the Spyder overall. The [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/audi/r8]Audi R8[/link] Spyder also has more go on paper but costs almost twice as much and is not as good a sports car as the Porsche. Like the GT4 on which it’s based, the Spyder sits aloft of the rest of them in a class of one. Nothing this side of six figures gets anywhere close.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#0]
Verdict: The Porsche 718 Spyder is a rare gem of a sports car, there is nothing else like it at the price[/h2] Evo Rating: * * * * * For Brilliant engine and gearbox, stunning looks, monster brakes, steering, VFM Against Manual hood remains a bit of a caper Last time out the Porsche Boxster Spyder was a very different car from the [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/cayman-gt4/22886/new-porsche-cayman-gt4-2019-review-its-a-bit-special]Cayman GT4[/link] on which it wasn’t based. Instead it was basically a restyled [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/718-boxster/gts]Boxster GTS[/link], not that there was a great deal wrong with that. Point is, though, it was nowhere near as focused in its chassis and suspension design as its fixed head brother with the big wing on the back.[/ul] This time, however, the 718 Spyder is exactly the same as a GT4 beneath its knee-tremblingly beautiful new skin.
Same 4.0-litre flat six 992-based engine that revs to 8000rpm, same six-speed manual gearbox with auto blip on the downshifts and, most important of all, exactly the same GT3-inspired chassis, suspension, steering and brakes.
The only real difference between the Spyder and GT4 this time is the aerodynamic package. On aesthetic grounds Porsche decided not to fit the Spyder with a big rear wing (correct decision) and has instead gone for a smaller wing that retracts back into the rear bodywork at low speeds, plus the front splitter is nowhere near as pronounced. So the Spyder generates no lift as such, but also no downforce. Unlike the GT4.
The flip side is that the Spyder looks drop dead gorgeous in the flesh (as does the GT4 to be fair, though for different reasons) and the hood – still a mostly manual affair, so still a bit of a palaver to raise or lower to be honest – allows you to engage with the elements that much more viscerally. It also means you can hear the flat six more clearly on the move, which is a pleasure never to be underestimated.
The 718 Spyder is powered by the exact same 4.0-litre atmospheric flat six that propels the GT4. It produces 414bhp and can rev to 8000rpm. Maximum torque of 420Nm is developed between 5000-6800rpm, and if you’re wondering about its heritage the engine is actually a development of the new 992’s 3.0-lite flat six turbo. In this case it’s been bored out to 4.0-litres (the stroke remains unchanged from the 992’s motor) and its turbos have been removed. Like the GT4, it also features cylinder de-activation at light or zero throttle loads where it goes on to three cylinders to improve fuel consumption.
The gearbox is a six-speed manual with the same unusually long ratios in first and second as the GT4; it will do 85mph in second gear. The ‘box features a switchable auto blip function on downshifts that works a treat in practice, while the gear lever itself is also shorter than before for more precise movements.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#2]
Give or take a kilo here or there, the new Spyder weighs exactly the same at a GT4, which means it weighs a touch more than it used to. Porsche admits that the kerb-weight has unfortunately risen by around 35kg to 1495kg due mainly to the fitment of new particulate filters in the huge new rear silencer. These will however keep it emissions friendly for many years to come.
On paper the Spyder has near identical performance to the GT4. It can hit 62mph in 4.4sec and takes 9.0sec dead to hit 100mph. Top speed is 186mph, and it’ll do that with the hood up or down, says Porsche.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#11]
The Spyder’s chassis is exactly the same at the GT4’s, which means it is a lot more focused in setup than the previous Spyder. Essentially it’s a mid-engined version of the latest GT3 beneath the skin, and although there’s slightly less scope to adjust the suspension settings compared with the GT4 (whose dampers you can adjust manually if you know your way round a set of spanners) the two cars really are one and the same on this occasion.
Except for their aerodynamics. Without the GT4’s big rear wing or its dramatic front splitter, the Spyder doesn’t generate downforce, despite it featuring the same underbody diffuser as the GT4. Instead it merely suffers from no lift, says Porsche, which is good to know given the 186mph top speed.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#13]
The brakes feature the same huge cross ventilated steel rotors at each corner as the GT4, again sourced pretty much lock-stock from the GT3. And if you’re going to do lots of track days in your Spyder there’s also the option of carbon ceramic discs, albeit for an extra £5597.
Unlike the GT4 the Spyder gets Porsche’s PASM system as standard, plus the normally optional Sports Chrono Pack as well. Both cars come on the same bespoke-for-Porsche Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, another sign of how much more serious a driving machine the Spyder is this time round.
What’s it like to drive?[/h2]Pretty special, to be honest. On a sunny day with the hood down, and under full beans in a low-ish gear, there is nothing else quite like the Spyder. And its combination of attributes is unique. The highlights include immense and instant throttle response at anything above 3000rpm, a spine-chilling exhaust scream, eye-watering body control, pin sharp steering and some of the best brakes you’ll come across in any road car, at any price. Yet it’s detail of the Spyder’s responses that arguably leave the biggest impression of all.
This is not a sledge-hammer kind of car, despite the fact that it is a seriously quick one. Instead it’s a car that’s multi-layered in its appeal. Even at 40mph there is feel through the steering wheel, through the seats and via the brakes that is simply missing from most, if not all other cars. There is a delicacy of touch to all its controls that can be appreciated, revelled in even, at any speed.
[link=https://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/22887/porsche-718-boxster-spyder-review-pictures#3]
But when the moment comes and the right road eventually appears in the windscreen, and you deploy the throttle accordingly, the Spyder delivers a level of involvement and excitement – and a turn of pure speed – that really does take your breath away.
It’s torquey, too, so although the gearing is long in the first three ratios the engine can handle it. So at 3000rpm it feels strong; at 5000rpm it feels – and sounds – properly fast and furious; and between there and the 8000rpm red line it goes to another level again. One that no rival at this sort of money can deal with. Not that the Spyder has any bona fide open top rivals this side of £100k (and not many well beyond that, truth be told).
Price and rivals[/h2]Rivals? What rivals? At £73,405 the Spyder seems incredibly well priced given how much of a thoroughbred it is beneath the skin, or how quick it is in the real world. It’s hard to think of many open top cars that are as good-looking as this, either. A Jaguar F-Type SVR convertible has more power and more straight line performance, theoretically, but is frankly nowhere beside the Spyder overall. The [link=https://www.evo.co.uk/audi/r8]Audi R8[/link] Spyder also has more go on paper but costs almost twice as much and is not as good a sports car as the Porsche. Like the GT4 on which it’s based, the Spyder sits aloft of the rest of them in a class of one. Nothing this side of six figures gets anywhere close.
Especially a Resale Racing Red 981kitchens said:andyuk99 said:
Compared to what [
[link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKFqMz8JRc4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKFqMz8JRc4[/link]
[h1]Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 UK review[/h1] Feels like a more mainstream car than the last, until you find the right road and discover it’s as special as ever.
[ul][*]
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What is it? It is a measure of the way the wizards of Weissach go about their work that [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-goodwood-festival-speed/new-porsche-718-cayman-gt4-and-boxster-spyder-land]this new GT4[/link] is not the quickest [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman]Cayman[/link] on sale. Despite its new 4.0-litre engine, despite it being the first mid-engined [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-reviews/porsche]Porsche[/link] to offer more than 400bhp ([link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/history-porsche-gt-cars]Carrera GT [/link]and [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/918-spyder-2013-2015]918 Spyder[/link] hypercars aside), if you look at the numbers you’ll discover that, thanks to offering more torque lower down and offering the option of a paddle-shift transmission, a humble [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911/first-drives/2017-porsche-911-carrera-gts]GTS [/link]can be configured to be quicker to 62mph and no slower to 100mph. Criticised though they are, you can’t say those turbo motors are entirely without merit.
But a Porsche GT car has never been about the numbers, and this one is no different. The Motorsport department that makes these cars recognises [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/qa-leading-engineers-debate-future-performance-cars]‘fast’ as a mere component of ‘fun’[/link], and that speed comes in more than just straight lines. If they simply wanted this car to be quick, they could have easily wrung more power out of the 2.5 turbo four than offered by this normally aspirated 4-litre six, kept the PDK and saved a fortune in the process.
But no. Every Porsche to date to wear the GT badge has been flat six powered, this one would be no different and hang the expense. And it would only have manual gears (though we believe PDK will be made available) as well as [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-gt3]GT3[/link] front suspension like the last.
Yet despite these modifications and the aero package offering half as much downforce again as [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the previous GT4[/link] (but with no drag penalty), it’s very much business as usual inside. There’s some Alcantara and GT4 badging (plus optional carbon fibre race seats in the test car you need to sit in before choosing), but even when you twist the key and hear the flat six spark up it doesn’t feel like you’ve finally reached the promised land. You may be grateful there’s no four cylinder fart, but six-cylinder Caymans are nothing new and like them, this one does not threaten to rip your head off at the first blip.
What's it like?
Indeed despite offering over 100bhp per litre, it is reasonably quiet, flexible and civilised. There’s enough of an edge in its voice to suggest there’s a monster waiting to be unleashed, but that’s being saved for the 911 GT3 which will rev at least 1000rpm higher than this, all the way to 9000rpm, minimum.
In short, this is a very pleasant car in which to go about your daily business. All the usual refinements are here – air, cruise, digital radio and so on – and there are times you might even forget you’re in a GT car.
But not on a decent road. On the way, you might even fear that this car has lost its edge, that the promise of a 4-litre, flat-six Cayman – which to me sounds about as enticing as it gets – may not be entirely fulfilled. The car feels so, well, normal.
Have faith. It’s been a while since I’ve driven the old GT4, but I’d say some sense of occasion has perhaps been lost, that as a thing in which simply to stooge about this car feels less special than the last. You can look at the 80kg weight gain as a possible reason, but I think the car is simply set up to be more usable more of the time. Which is fine so long as when it matters, it delivers.
It delivers. Actually part of the joy of this car is the re-education process that comes with it. It’s amazing how rapidly the diet of paddle-shift turbos has become the norm, how quickly you forget how things always were, and how recently. You can’t just plant a hoof and expect it to take off: maximum torque doesn’t arrive until there’s 5000rpm on the clock. In a Cayman GTS that figure is 1900rpm. The car makes you work which means, of course, it gets you involved.
So drop a couple of gears, press the auto-blip button if you must (they should have hidden it behind the steering wheel so your mates will think the rev-perfect downshifts are your own doing), get the revs above the magic mark and let it go.
[*]Now the engine is superb, a searing, soaring powerhouse that seems as surprised as you to hit its 8000rpm limiter. It feels like it would go forever or at least a lot farther and, in time and in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911]911s[/link], I have no doubt it will. The gearbox can been criticised its ratios that are little different – if at all – from those in the last GT4 and still too long in all (bar top which is too short), but the shift quality is essentially faultless. Fast, fluid, mechanical in action with just enough heft… can I just say now how lovely it is to be talking about changing gear again in such a car?
But even a stick-shift, atmospherically inducted powertrain like this still plays a supporting role to the Cayman’s chassis. Grip levels on standard Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres are almost gratuitous – in fact I’d like to see a harder, skiddier option available – the steering unsurpassed among other electrically assisted systems. Together they allow the car to flow along the most difficult roads with breathtaking precision and ease. On the limit it’s probably the best behaved mid-engined car I’ve driven, trumping even the [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/alpine/a110]Alpine A110[/link] because it has a gentle limited slip differential providing little additional understeer on the way into a corner and as much oversteer at the exit and you could want. In fact the back moves quite fast as you’d expect, but it’s so linear it’s easily caught.
Should I buy one?
The Cayman GT4, then, is a near pitch-perfect introduction to the world of the Porsche GT. For you it’s fast, fun and almost absurdly accessible. For Porsche, however good it is, it’s a car that’s likely to leave the owner wanting more, and more determined than ever to work harder for longer until he or she can graduate to the top table where GT3s dine in their increasingly varied forms. Job done all round, I’d say.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 specification
Engine 6 cyls, 3995cc, normally aspirated Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1420kg 0-62mph 4.4sec Top speed 189mph Economy 25.7mpg (WLTP) CO2 251g/km (WLTP) Rivals [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/lotus/evora/first-drives/lotus-evora-gt410-sport-2018-uk-review]Lotus Evora GT410 Sport[/link], [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-alpine-a110s-faster-more-hardcore-flagship-revealed]Alpine A110S[/link]
[/ul]
[ul][*]
But a Porsche GT car has never been about the numbers, and this one is no different. The Motorsport department that makes these cars recognises [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/qa-leading-engineers-debate-future-performance-cars]‘fast’ as a mere component of ‘fun’[/link], and that speed comes in more than just straight lines. If they simply wanted this car to be quick, they could have easily wrung more power out of the 2.5 turbo four than offered by this normally aspirated 4-litre six, kept the PDK and saved a fortune in the process.
But no. Every Porsche to date to wear the GT badge has been flat six powered, this one would be no different and hang the expense. And it would only have manual gears (though we believe PDK will be made available) as well as [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911-gt3]GT3[/link] front suspension like the last.
Yet despite these modifications and the aero package offering half as much downforce again as [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/cayman-gt4-2015-2016]the previous GT4[/link] (but with no drag penalty), it’s very much business as usual inside. There’s some Alcantara and GT4 badging (plus optional carbon fibre race seats in the test car you need to sit in before choosing), but even when you twist the key and hear the flat six spark up it doesn’t feel like you’ve finally reached the promised land. You may be grateful there’s no four cylinder fart, but six-cylinder Caymans are nothing new and like them, this one does not threaten to rip your head off at the first blip.
What's it like?
Indeed despite offering over 100bhp per litre, it is reasonably quiet, flexible and civilised. There’s enough of an edge in its voice to suggest there’s a monster waiting to be unleashed, but that’s being saved for the 911 GT3 which will rev at least 1000rpm higher than this, all the way to 9000rpm, minimum.
In short, this is a very pleasant car in which to go about your daily business. All the usual refinements are here – air, cruise, digital radio and so on – and there are times you might even forget you’re in a GT car.
But not on a decent road. On the way, you might even fear that this car has lost its edge, that the promise of a 4-litre, flat-six Cayman – which to me sounds about as enticing as it gets – may not be entirely fulfilled. The car feels so, well, normal.
Have faith. It’s been a while since I’ve driven the old GT4, but I’d say some sense of occasion has perhaps been lost, that as a thing in which simply to stooge about this car feels less special than the last. You can look at the 80kg weight gain as a possible reason, but I think the car is simply set up to be more usable more of the time. Which is fine so long as when it matters, it delivers.
It delivers. Actually part of the joy of this car is the re-education process that comes with it. It’s amazing how rapidly the diet of paddle-shift turbos has become the norm, how quickly you forget how things always were, and how recently. You can’t just plant a hoof and expect it to take off: maximum torque doesn’t arrive until there’s 5000rpm on the clock. In a Cayman GTS that figure is 1900rpm. The car makes you work which means, of course, it gets you involved.
So drop a couple of gears, press the auto-blip button if you must (they should have hidden it behind the steering wheel so your mates will think the rev-perfect downshifts are your own doing), get the revs above the magic mark and let it go.
[*]Now the engine is superb, a searing, soaring powerhouse that seems as surprised as you to hit its 8000rpm limiter. It feels like it would go forever or at least a lot farther and, in time and in [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/porsche/911]911s[/link], I have no doubt it will. The gearbox can been criticised its ratios that are little different – if at all – from those in the last GT4 and still too long in all (bar top which is too short), but the shift quality is essentially faultless. Fast, fluid, mechanical in action with just enough heft… can I just say now how lovely it is to be talking about changing gear again in such a car?
But even a stick-shift, atmospherically inducted powertrain like this still plays a supporting role to the Cayman’s chassis. Grip levels on standard Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres are almost gratuitous – in fact I’d like to see a harder, skiddier option available – the steering unsurpassed among other electrically assisted systems. Together they allow the car to flow along the most difficult roads with breathtaking precision and ease. On the limit it’s probably the best behaved mid-engined car I’ve driven, trumping even the [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/alpine/a110]Alpine A110[/link] because it has a gentle limited slip differential providing little additional understeer on the way into a corner and as much oversteer at the exit and you could want. In fact the back moves quite fast as you’d expect, but it’s so linear it’s easily caught.
Should I buy one?
The Cayman GT4, then, is a near pitch-perfect introduction to the world of the Porsche GT. For you it’s fast, fun and almost absurdly accessible. For Porsche, however good it is, it’s a car that’s likely to leave the owner wanting more, and more determined than ever to work harder for longer until he or she can graduate to the top table where GT3s dine in their increasingly varied forms. Job done all round, I’d say.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 specification
Engine 6 cyls, 3995cc, normally aspirated Power 414bhp at 7600rpm Torque 310lb ft at 5000rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1420kg 0-62mph 4.4sec Top speed 189mph Economy 25.7mpg (WLTP) CO2 251g/km (WLTP) Rivals [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/lotus/evora/first-drives/lotus-evora-gt410-sport-2018-uk-review]Lotus Evora GT410 Sport[/link], [link=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-alpine-a110s-faster-more-hardcore-flagship-revealed]Alpine A110S[/link]
[/ul]
Andrew Killington
New member
4.5 stars; not sure I saw a 981 review less than 5 stars 
i think that sums up the boxster/cayman evolution; bigger, more grown up, but ultimately less smiles per miles unless you’re on it.
i think that sums up the boxster/cayman evolution; bigger, more grown up, but ultimately less smiles per miles unless you’re on it.
Hi Andrew here is Henry's views and Pt 2 "The Spyder" to follow shortly [8D]Andrew Killington said:4.5 stars; not sure I saw a 981 review less than 5 stars
i think that sums up the boxster/cayman evolution; bigger, more grown up, but ultimately less smiles per miles unless you’re on it.
[link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skYatVjFTlY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skYatVjFTlY[/link]
Andrew Killington
New member
I like Henry, but that was short and sweet , an appetiser for the main event lol
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