Here Are More Details About The New Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder

Lighter, more powerful, and naturally aspirated.

It’s no longer a secret that Porsche will shoehorn the 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six into the upcoming Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. While we still don’t know exactly when either of those mid-engine delights will be revealed (a good guess would be Geneva for at least one), Autocar has managed to gather a few more details about both cars. First off, a six-speed manual will come standard while the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox will be optional for those wanting to maximize track performance times.

Porsche can’t allow a supposed “lesser model” to outdo the 911 GT3, so that engine will be slightly detuned from 493 hp to around 425 hp. Considering the 718 Boxster is already lighter than the 911, we doubt anyone will complain. Speaking of lightweight, the Spyder especially requires a number of weight-saving methods in order to achieve Porsche’s desired power-to-weight ratio. Problem is, any roadster/convertible weighs more than its coupe counterpart, but Porsche has experience overcoming this. The Boxster Spyder has always been the feather light, end of the generation ultimate variant for a number of years.

As such, the 718 Boxster’s electric folding hardtop is a goner; that mechanism system, impressive as it is, is simply too heavy. Instead, the familiar Spyder “tent top” will be utilized. Convenience features such as air conditioning and a radio will also be absent, though they could be optional. Sound deadening materials will also be removed, and this is actually a smart thing because Spyder buyers will naturally want to hear as much of the open road as possible. A set of Michel Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires will come standard in order for the new Boxster Spyder to be one of the best-handling cars Porsche has ever built. It’ll certainly be the best-handling Boxster so far.

Overall exterior styling, save for the top, will be very similar to the new 718 Cayman GT4. However, the latter will be equipped with a large rear wing because, since it’s a coupe, will be considered even more hardcore.

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Upcoming Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder Will Get 911 GT3's Flat-Six

Porsche engineers. They just couldn't stop themselves. No one is complaining.

It’s time for a new Porsche Boxster Spyder. Only this time it’ll have ‘718’ in its name. You see, the Spyder version appears towards the very end of the Boxster’s production life cycle. Think of it as sort of the culmination of everything Porsche engineers learned from that generation combined with the best damn performance capabilities they can give it. According to Autocar, those crazy Germans in Stuttgart have decided to stuff the 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six behind the driver of the next Boxster Spyder.

To give you a better idea as to how nuts this is, the most powerful 718 Boxster you can get right now, the GTS, is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four with 365 hp. That n/a flat-six has an output of 493 hp in the GT3. Chances are, however, Porsche will slightly detune it in order to avoid outdoing the GT3, especially in the power-to-weight-ratio department, so expect somewhere between 425-450 hp. To retain its focus on driving, a six-speed manual will be standard and the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch will be optional. Like all previous Boxster Spyders, shaving weight is key. For example, conventional door handles have been replaced with nylon straps in the past.

This time around, expect that along with the removal of cabin insulation materials. A radio and air conditioning system will be optional. Another Boxster Spyder trademark is the removal of the power soft top. In its place will be a manually removable unit. As for the 718 Cayman GT4, expect the same engine and weight saving methods. Chances are, at least one if not both 718s will go on sale for the 2019 model year, meaning we could see a reveal in early 2018, likely at Geneva.

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Check Out The Next Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder With Little Camo

Its official debut is getting closer. This summer, perhaps?

What you’re looking at could end up being the last naturally aspirated Porsche 718 Boxster ever. Or it may not be. Porsche hasn’t exactly made an official announcement. But what will be official is the production version of the 718 Boxster Spyder prototype you see here sometime this summer. Our spy photographers caught the roadster as it performed some final winter testing, and there’s actually fairly little camouflage covering it. When test engineers decided to make a pit stop, our photographers swooped in for an up and close look.

A few things to take note of: first off, notice the exhaust pipes have grown and moved position when compared to the last Boxster Spyder. Why is this significant? Because it was done in order to accommodate the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine found in the new 911 GT3, where it produces 530 hp. For the 718 Boxster Spyder and its coupe twin, the 718 Cayman GT4, power will likely be downgraded to around 430 hp. Another noteworthy addition is that rear diffuser, which is definitely not found in the base 718 Boxster. And, as with any Porsche Spyder variant, there’s the rear pair of humps, and a cloth cover that resembles a tent. Remember, the goal here is to cut weight wherever possible and add power.

A few snaps were also taken of the interior, which shows a six-speed manual. We already knew this gearbox would be happening, but what we don’t know just yet is whether the PDK will be an option. Porsche could very well keep the 718 Boxster Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 manual only. We’re expecting to see the Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder debut this summer and it’ll also surely be at Paris next fall. Why a summertime debut? Because also at Paris the next generation 911, the 992, will make its debut. Remember, the 911 will always take precedence over the Boxster and Cayman.

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Porsche 911 Turbo S Laps Willow Springs Almost As Fast As 918 Spyder

It lapped the circuit less than a second slower than the 918 Spyder hypercar.

Automakers love riling off performance specifications of new models, but comparing lap times is a better measure to prove a new car's capabilities. Take the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, for example. Porsche billed it as the most powerful 911 ever produced, but people really started to take notice when it shattered the Nurburgring production car lap record. Motor Trend uses the Willow Springs circuit as a benchmark, and its latest test of the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S shows that it approaches hypercar levels of performance.

While filming an upcoming episode of Ignition, Motor Trend’s Randy Pobst set an impressive time of one minute and 24.26 seconds in the Turbo S at Willow Springs. It shows just how much progress Porsche has made when you compare it to the one minute and 27:81 time posted in the previous Turbo S, or the last GT3 which set a time of one minute and 27.22 seconds. Things get even more interesting when you compare it to the 918 Spyder as the times were less than a second apart. The hybrid hypercar posted a time of one minute and 23.54 seconds at Willow Springs, making it only 0.72 seconds quicker than the Turbo S.

It’s surprising given that, on paper, these cars are in completely different leagues. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the 2017 Porsche Turbo S pumps out 580 horsepower, while the 918 Spyder’s hybrid setup brings the output up to 887-hp. Don’t forget, too, that the $190,700 Turbo S is considerably cheaper than the 918, since used examples will set you back around $2 million. With the 911 setting new performance benchmarks, it now makes sense why Porsche is reluctant to build a successor to the 918 any time soon. No doubt Porsche is waiting for the technology to significantly evolve to justify the costs before bringing out a new halo car.

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Here Are More Details About The New Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder

Lighter, more powerful, and naturally aspirated.

It’s no longer a secret that Porsche will shoehorn the 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six into the upcoming Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. While we still don’t know exactly when either of those mid-engine delights will be revealed (a good guess would be Geneva for at least one), Autocar has managed to gather a few more details about both cars. First off, a six-speed manual will come standard while the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox will be optional for those wanting to maximize track performance times.

Porsche can’t allow a supposed “lesser model” to outdo the 911 GT3, so that engine will be slightly detuned from 493 hp to around 425 hp. Considering the 718 Boxster is already lighter than the 911, we doubt anyone will complain. Speaking of lightweight, the Spyder especially requires a number of weight-saving methods in order to achieve Porsche’s desired power-to-weight ratio. Problem is, any roadster/convertible weighs more than its coupe counterpart, but Porsche has experience overcoming this. The Boxster Spyder has always been the feather light, end of the generation ultimate variant for a number of years.

As such, the 718 Boxster’s electric folding hardtop is a goner; that mechanism system, impressive as it is, is simply too heavy. Instead, the familiar Spyder “tent top” will be utilized. Convenience features such as air conditioning and a radio will also be absent, though they could be optional. Sound deadening materials will also be removed, and this is actually a smart thing because Spyder buyers will naturally want to hear as much of the open road as possible. A set of Michel Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires will come standard in order for the new Boxster Spyder to be one of the best-handling cars Porsche has ever built. It’ll certainly be the best-handling Boxster so far.

Overall exterior styling, save for the top, will be very similar to the new 718 Cayman GT4. However, the latter will be equipped with a large rear wing because, since it’s a coupe, will be considered even more hardcore.

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New Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder Looks Focused At The Nurburgring

Could this be the last naturally aspirated Porsche 718 Boxster ever made?

We last saw a prototype of the Porsche Boxster Spyder undergoing some final winter testing in the snow, but now our spies have sent us some new photos of the roadster being put through its paces at the Nurburgring, in what promises to be the most focused 718 Boxster yet. Once again, the prototype has been spotted virtually undisguised wearing very little camouflage, giving us a clear look at its aggressive styling. At the front is a bumper that looks similar to the 918 Spyder, along with a vent below the hood and LED running lights.

The prototype is riding on lightweight alloy wheels with high-performance brakes sporting distinctive yellow calipers. Compared to the previous Boxster Spyder, the exhaust pipes are also larger and located in a different location. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but this could well be the last naturally aspirated Boxster 718 ever made. Rumors suggest the new Boxster 718 will be powered by the same 4.0-liter flat six engine as the latest 911 GT3, detuned to produce around 430 horsepower instead of the 500-hp used in the GT3. That’s still plenty of power for a compact sports car, and a welcome increase over the current 365-hp Porsche 718 Boxster GTS range topper.

Recent photos also revealed the 718 Boxster Spyder will be fitted with a six-speed manual, but a dual-clutch gearbox will most likely be available as an option too though this hasn’t been confirmed. Then again, Porsche could decide to sell both the 718 Boxster Spyder and its coupe sibling, the 718 Cayman GT4, with manual gearboxes only. Judging from these latest spy shots, development of the new Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder appears to be nearly complete, so expect an official reveal to happen sometime this summer.

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