Motor Australia – September 2019

d motorofficial f motor_mag^37

IFYOUKNOWthenewPorsche 718
CaymanGT4,youknowthenew
Porsche 718 BoxsterSpyder.Onemay
gettopbillingasthetrack-daystar
while the other plays second fiddle
as its road-ready counterpart, but in
mechanical terms they are the same,
even down to the suspension tuning.
That’s exciting, because never in two
previous iterations has the Spyder
been engineered by Porsche’s GT
division in Weissach. This is a marriage
of style and substance the likes of
which we don’t often see at this price,
and you might even think of it as a
junior 911 Speedster.
The Cayman GT4 and Boxster
Spyder, which arrives here is early
2020, weigh the same 1420kg. That’s
some 105kg more than the old Spyder,
but is overcome by the same upsized
4.0-litre flat-six as the Cayman GT4
(tested last issue). It’s a big engine in a
small car – shorter than a Golf and only
millimetres wider – and powers the
Spyder to 100km/h in 4.4sec with the
six-speed manual. A seven-speed PDK
is at least a year away.
The Boxster Spyder is remarkably
good, even by Porsche standards. With
the roof down, there’s a different vibe
to the GT4, but it’s still 95 per cent as
capable. And 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 car does the basics so well you

canhavethetimeofyourlifewithout

everengagingyourrisk-assessing

frontallobe.

Steeringis lighterthanyoumight

expect and only moderately geared –

among electromechanical racks, this is

surely the current benchmark for feel

• it handles with stunning neutrality,
  and the standard steel brakes are so
  good (both in pedal feel and power)
  that understeer can only come about
  by gross negligence. So sharp is the
  throttle response that you can quickly
  tease the rear axle out of line – or
  more than tease if you like – and you’ll
  certainly have the confidence to try.
  Ride is very good, even though
  the Spyder sits 30mm lower than the
  standard Boxster. Its two damper
  modes are quite close, and on our
  Scottish test route there was no need
  to move out of the softer default
  setting, even at great speed, so
  controlled are the body movements.
  The damping force is beautifully
  progressive and just feeds into the
  overwhelming sensation of balance,
  composure and flow.
  The new 309kW engine takes the
  Spyder to a top speed of 300km/h, with
  or without the canvas roof in place, and
  for some reason appeals more here than
  in the GT4. It doesn’t make the superb
  racket of the previous 3.8-litre unit, but
  is fabulously smooth and full and suits
  the Spyder’s nature. It happily strokes
  the car along at around 3000rpm, at

GT4mechanicals makeslifting thelid simply sublime

PORSCHE 718 SPYDER

BY• RICHARDLANE

ENGINE3995ccflat-six,DOHC,24v

POWER309kW@7600rpm

TORQUE420Nm@5000-6800rpm

0-100KM/H4.4sec(claimed)

5.0 WEIGHT1420kg•PRICE$209,000

Rating

LIKE:Chassisbalanceand

grip;big-enginegrunt;brawny

looks;rideandcomposure

DISLIKE:Reservedengine

sound;manualfoldingroof;

bootaccess

which point it’s still superbly responsive,

and only gets better as you stretch

it out. Second gear takes care of

everything from 60-120km/h, but the

gearshift is so good you’ll itch to slide

across the gates and into third. There’s

a very good autoblip function, though

you don’t need it.

Images don’t do the looks justice.

The arrival of GT3 hardware coincides

with an injection of visual brawn. With

a jutting front splitter, ducktail spoiler,

beefy rear diffuser, huge front air

intakes those buttresses on the rear

deck, it’s not classically beautiful but

plays the junior supercar card well.

You can’t access the rear boot unless

the manual roof is folded away, and

you have to get out to open it, 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.

The 718 Spyder is such a distinctive

car both in look and feel that it could

well be most broadly desirable car

Porsche now makes. Character,

dynamism, usability and price; there’s

barely a chink in its armour. It might

not be the car you need, but it is one

you should covet deeply.

OPPOSITE

Suspension is

adjustable for toe,

camber and anti-roll

bar stiffness. New-

design 20-inch wheels

wear Michelin Pilot

Sport Cup 2 tyres

ABOVE LEFT

Deep-sided

carbonfibre bucket

seats first seen on

the 918 Spyder

BELOW

The 360mm steering

wheel is smaller than

that of a standard

Boxster

➜