Porsche Cayman and Boxster GTS
Oh-ho, now we’re talking. The fine folk at Dr Ing hc F Porsche (we’re very formal here at The Redline) have just dropped two new models.
The Cayman and Boxster have had the GTS treatment, making them even faster. How good is a weekend press release catchup?
Porsche Cayman and Boxster GTS
[GARD]
While the company is battling some slightly poor press regarding the self-immolating 911 GT3 engines, engineering has somehow found the time to make go-faster Cayman and Boxster twins.
This isn’t a strap-in-a-big-one and let ’em go sort of development. It’s subtle, yet effective, in true Porsche style.
The GTS pair is powered by a tweaked 3.4 litre flat six from the S editions. The GTS gets an extra 11kW, taking power to 243kW for the Boxster and 250kW for the Cayman coupe.
Porsches says the extra power comes from “optimised fine tuning” or what we would commonly say, “They chipped it.”
When fitted with a PDK double-clutch transmission, the Boxster will hit 100km/h in 4.7 seconds while the Cayman will get there a tenth faster. Again, the Boxster has a slightly slower top speed of 280 versus the Cayman’s 285.
Torque is also up 10Nm in both engines and Porsche reckons you’ll get 8.2l/100km on the Euro combined cycle, 9.0l/100km with the manual. Good luck with that, because these things are a hoot to drive.
The GTSes also pick up Porsche’s PASM and Chrono packages, which allow you to switch between driving modes, changing the damper rates and various things like throttle response.
The cars roll on 235/35s at the front and 265/35s at the rear, wrapped around 20-inch Carrera S wheels. Front and rear suspension has been tweaked, too, for a bit of extra grip.
The interior comes standard with leather and Alcantara, that grippy stuff that stops you sliding off your seat.
It’s not just the dynamics that get a tweak either – the headlights are blackened and come standard with dynamic lighting.
Porsche Boxster GTS: $146,000 + ORC for 7 speed manual
Cayman GTS: $161,400 + ORC for 7-speed manual
On sale in Australia: May
Meanwhile…
[GARD]
Four Cylinder Porsche Engine Coming
Yep, and it’ll be a flat four, too, Porsche CEO Matthias Muller told Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport.
The last four banger in the Porsche line-up was the 968, a car for which I have a secret crush in bonkers ClubSport form. That car had a 3.0 litre (!) inline four and went out of production almost twenty years ago.
The new four cylinder will not only be a boxer, but it’ll have a turbo – so it’ll be just like Mark Webber’s 919 WEC hybrid. Well, a bit like.
“We will continue with the downsizing strategy and develop a new four-cylinder boxer engine, which will see service in the next-generation Boxster and Cayman. We will not separate ourselves from efforts to reduce CO2.”
He says the engines could develop up to 295kW, rather more than the flat six in the current GTS pairing. With a lighter kerb weight, that should make them go even quicker and harder.
The link with the inevitably brilliant WEC program won’t go astray, either.
