718 GTS

[Porker]

718 GTS....apparently 

 

http://ca.motor1.com/news/129459/porsche-nurburgring-testing-boxster-gts/

[Luke]

More confirmation in that article that the 718 Boxster Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 will keep the flat 6 as well. I've grown to like the shape of the 718 more and more so will be interesting to see what it looks like in GT trim

[Porker]

Also interesting speculation about a 250hp version for the chineese market. Wonder if we'll see any grey imports? 

[Highland Fling]

The advent of the GTS versions of the 718 Boxster/Cayman coming sooner rather than later in the production run looks like the marketing suits are panicking a bit. Are they trying to entice the luddites and doubters to change their opinions of the flat 4 pot turbo? Only time will tell. I'm soon to be taking delivery of my new 718 Cayman S PDK and have no regrets about that.

 

My opinion is that the GTS versions should consolidate the establishment of the 718 models, particularly with the Cayman, where it'll begin to squeeze up against the current GT4 in the power stakes.

 

If, as it is rumoured, Porsche up the power and torque of the 718 GTS to 375 and 330 respectively, the GT4 generation 2 will need to be hiked up to 410bhp minimum to maintain the gap to the GTS. The difficulties for Porsche marketing will be the ever narrowing gap between the normally aspirated performances of the GT4 and the established 911 GT models.

 

In my opinion, I don't foresee a problem, as the GT4, and to a lesser extent the Cayman S and rumoured new GTS, are cars appealing to different enthusiast markets. The 911 is a Grand Touring car in the purist sense. It's big, bulky, and suited to wide open autoroute spaces. It's also got 4 seats. Even the sublime 911 R would not be at home on the constraints of narrow A and B roads. Conversely, the Cayman is an agile, 2 seater, A and B road driving machine where it's smaller footprint on the road makes it a far more enjoyable tool for the keen driver. I only wish Porsche marketing would recognise that the Cayman and 911 appeal to different tastes of driving enjoyment. I rest my case.

 

Brian