Porsche Ups Its Mid-Engine Game with New Boxster GTS and 718 Cayman Models

Porsche Ups Its Mid-Engine Game with New Boxster GTS and 718 Cayman Models

Published: October 21, 2017 | By: American Luxury Staff

Drivers who like a manual gearbox will be happy to learn that Porsche’s new GTS siblings—the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster—will be available with a six-speed stick as standard. But that’s just the beginning of the story. Power, performance and cosmetic updates make either of the two 2018 GTS cars a very competitive choice for the upcoming model year. And, most interestingly, both models will feature four-cylinder engines.

Aside from the six-speed manual, other standard performance features include active suspension and torque vectoring. But, to the powerplant. The 718s each receive a 2.5L flat four engine that produces 365 horsepower, a considerable improvement over the S model Cayman and Boxster. Torque numbers come in at 309 for the manual gearbox, and 317 for the optional seven-speed PDK; those are impressive numbers for a smaller engine, and a good indication of just how efficient ICE design is becoming toward the end of the second decade of the century, although a redesigned intake and bigger turbo help the numbers along.

With the dual-clutch transmission tied to the engine, the GTS cars reach a top 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. Regardless of gearbox, they reach a top speed of 180 MPH.

Sport chrono packages and sport exhaust systems are also standard in both cars, as are cosmetic appointments like tinted lamps and lights, and black or blacked-out tires, intakes, diffuser, and GTS logos. Cabin features include abundant leather and Alcantara.

Pricing for the 2018 718 Cayman GTS begins at $81K; the 718 Boxster GTS starts at $83K.

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