Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder to use flat-six power

Featherweight drop-top will swap turbo four power for the 911 GT's high-revving unit.

Published On Feb 06, 2018 06:00:00 AM

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Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder to use flat-six power

The previous-gen Boxster Spyder.

Porsche is developing the most driver-focused version of its current 718 Boxster. The car will be heavily related to the 718 Cayman GT4. In place of its current hottest 718’s turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four, the new car will use the naturally aspirated, flat-six engine of the latest 911 GT3. The German automaker has now moved testing to the cold climate of the Arctic Circle.

Porsche Motorsport has stuck to the formula applied to the car’s predecessors, which have cemented themselves as the driver’s Boxster model since 2009, giving the car a more responsive drivetrain that will make it the most involving Boxster on sale.

“Natural aspiration is one of our main USPs,” Andreas Preuninger, head of GT car development at Porsche told our sister publication, Autocar UK, earlier this year. “At Motorsport, we think we can achieve throttle response and immediacy a little bit better with an atmospheric high-revving engine than any kind of turbo.”

Output for the 4.0-litre unit is rated at 500hp at 8,250rpm in the 911 GT3. However, the Boxster Spyder’s power may be slightly down on this, in order to leave breathing space for its more expensive sibling.

The previous Spyder used a 3.8-litre flat-six taken from the 911 Carrera of the time that was good for 375hp. The recently unveiled Boxster GTS and related Cayman GTS use highly-strung four-pot engines with 366hp. So the new Spyder will need to produce more power to cement itself as the top Boxster – an output of around 430hp seems likely.

To signify its driver-focus, the car will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard; but those after maximum on track performance will be able to select the option of a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission.

The Spyder will also go on a hefty diet, ditching cabin insulation, along with its radio and air conditioning. The 718 Boxster’s electric folding soft top will also go. Taking its place is a manually removable ‘tent top’. These weight savings will combine with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber to make the car the sharpest handling production Boxster, yet produced.

Much of the design treatment applied the Boxster Spyder will mirror those featured on the GTS. The Cayman GT4 will likely get the same adjustments, along with a more prominent rear wing to signify its even harder status.

There is no word on if the 718 Boxster Spyder will come to India. Considering the less hardcore GTS versions of the Cayman and Boxster will not be coming, the Spyder is less likely to do so.