STUTTGART - With no turbochargers to speak of and manual gear shifting only, the 4-litre versions of Porsche’s 718 Boxster and Cayman are an absolute godsend for purists who enjoy driving the good old fashioned way.
However, with Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch gearboxes being so good, and urban traffic congestion increasingly dampening the appeal of manual boxes, Porsche has decided to make its PDK gearbox available on the flagship 718 models.
This applies to the 718 Boxster and Cayman GTS, which are powered by a 294kW version of Porsche’s 4-litre flat-six, as well as the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4 models, which are good for 309kW.
According to Porsche, all four auto models are half a second faster off the mark, with the GTS derivatives now taking four seconds on the dot to get from zero to 100km/h, while the slightly perkier Spyder and GT4 models now need only 3.9 seconds to do the deed. Both are also 0.4 seconds quicker to 200km/h, for the record, taking a respective 13.7 and 13.4 seconds.
In the GTS models, the standard Sport Chrono package adapts the gear shift characteristics of the PDK according to the four different driving modes: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual.
Porsche has also improved the mechanical locking rear diff in the 718 Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4..
Furthermore, the German sports car maker has made some minor specification changes to the 718 range for 2021. For instance, Alcantara interior fabric has been replaced by Race-Tex material, a motorsport-derived fabric which Porsche says is more breathable and supportive.
Furthermore, the GT4 and Spyder models will now be available in the vivid special paint finish Python Green, while the 20-inch Aurum alloy wheels that were previously only available on the GT4 will now be offered with the Spyder too.