► After 30 years of Boxster, the fastest yet
► New Porsche 718 Spyder RS revealed
► 1410kg, 493bhp and £123,000
Ever wanted to know what the revvy GT3 engine would feel like in a Boxster bodyshell? The new 2023 Porsche 718 Spyder RS unveiled three decades after the original Boxster concept holds the answer – it’s the brawniest and fastest roadster yet (as well as the most expensive).
That RS tag is a key detail, signalling that the high-revving, naturally aspirated flat six is present and correct in Stuttgart’s smallest sports car. It’s quite the tantalising prospect, as borne out by some decidedly wild specs:
- Engine: 3996cc 24v naturally-aspirated flat-six
- Outputs: 493bhp @ 8400rpm and 332lb ft @ 6750rpm (pegged back slightly from GT3 duty)
- Redline: Scream-and-you’ll-miss-it 9000rpm
- 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds
Those engine, power, torque and acceleration figures are identical to the specs of its tin-top counterpart, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The Spyder is on UK sale now, priced at £123,000, although we fear allocations will be stretched thin.
The engineering specs behind the brawniest Boxster
It’s a compelling recipe, to those of us who mourn the arrival of the turbocharged flat-fours in more humble Cayman and Boxster sports cars. The Spyder RS promises to ratchet up the excitement exponentially in Porsche’s 75th anniversary year.
The regular 718 Spyder is no shrinking violet, but the RS with the GT3 engine adds an extra 79bhp, lops a full half second off the 0-62mph sprint and allows an unfettered top speed of 191mph, only five digits off its hard-top brother.
In line with all RS models, it’s PDK only. The transmission here is the familiar short-ratio, seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox operated through paddles on the steering wheel or a nudge of the gearlever sprouting from the centre console.
It makes for searing acceleration, at any engine speeds. Porsche quotes 0-124mph (200kph) in just 10.9 seconds.
Porsche 718 Spyder RS: lighter, sharper
Performance comes from the age-old recipe: more grunt and less mass. The diet includes a basic manual canvas roof weighing just 18kg, composite bonnet and lightweight stainless steel exhaust, whose air inlets are nestled near the headrests for maximum bark. At 1410kg, the Spyder RS is 40 kilos lighter than the regular 718 Spyder and – impressively – 5kg less than the closed 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
Subtle aerodynamic mods keep the Spyder RS planted on the road, most noticeably the ducktail rear spoiler (above), designed to make up for the lack of a large rear wing like on its Cayman brethren.
The lightweight top is a more temporary affair than a regular Boxster’s hood, including a ‘sun sail’ to protect occupants from bright sunshine and a weather deflector to provide basic protection from rain.
Chassis mods are carried over to the Spyder, although spring and damper rates are tailored for the open-top Boxster bodyshell: the ride is 30mm lower than standard, 20in wheels and limited-slip differential are fitted, while the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is standard.
We’ll be driving the Spyder RS this summer, so stay tuned for our first review. In the meantime, look out for it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer – it’ll be haring up the hillclimb every day, marking its dynamic debut.
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