Porsche 718 Spyder RS breaks cover
Thought a GT3 engine in a Cayman was cool? You ain't seen nothing yet
That a 500hp flat-six crammed into a Cayman was mesmerisingly good shouldn’t have surprised anyone; the bigger shock remains that Porsche even signed off on the GT4 RS at all. Up until very recently, it was widely assumed that the 9,000rpm 4.0-litre was the preserve of the 911 - how wrong we were.
Now it would appear that Porsche is dishing out GT3 engines like sweets on Halloween, with a bug-spattered 718 Spyder testing with what’s alleged to be that sensational engine. How to tell? This prototype has the higher intakes just like the Cayman, the induction noise from which has already made the GT4 an RS icon. They perch a little incongruously on the Spyder as opposed to the coupe, so you can’t miss them.
Also different are the wheels (which look like GT3 rims), with what seem like larger brake discs and perhaps a slightly bigger ducktail spoiler. Maybe the bonnet, a slightly different shade of black to the rest of the car, could be carbon - like a Weissach-packed GT4 RS - though it’s hard to be sure. The intakes remain the biggest giveaway.
Given the response to the RS, and with the Boxster also set to lose its combustion engines in the not too distant future, a drop-top GT4 RS - or a 718 Speedster, if you will - does make sense. It’s hard to imagine a struggle to sell any of them, put it that way. And the motorsport department has already proved itself a dab hand at convertibles with the Spyder, so it’s not like there’s any question regarding the outcome. Or the quality of the soundtrack. Moreover, if the 718 Cayman is deserving of an unforgettable sign off, it only seems right that the Boxster is treated to the same thing. Can’t have enough 9,000rpm Porsches, after all…
Image credit | S.Baldauf/S.B.Medien
People complain about limited supply but they make massively (truly, massively) more GT cars now than ever before. Like an order of magnitude more than the 996 and 997 era. Economic outlook looks a bit sketchy. If it all does go to hell in a handbasket, I suspect it'll suddenly become a lot easier to buy one of these cars. Don't think it will take that much in terms of a drop in demand to expose the actually very plentiful supply.
People complain about limited supply but they make massively (truly, massively) more GT cars now than ever before. Like an order of magnitude more than the 996 and 997 era. Economic outlook looks a bit sketchy. If it all does go to hell in a handbasket, I suspect it'll suddenly become a lot easier to buy one of these cars. Don't think it will take that much in terms of a drop in demand to expose the actually very plentiful supply.
Can I order one?
Didn't think so.
Cynical in me wonders if there are more engines than demand or ability to make GT3s
May as well do all the crazy stuff before the final curtain. Sadly.
Can I order one?
Didn't think so.
Cynical in me wonders if there are more engines than demand or ability to make GT3s
Isn't the next Boxter / Cayman / Macan all going to be EV only?
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