Double Bubble Bliss: Porsche’s 718 Spyder RS Is An Unfiltered Mid-Engined Screamer

We’ll need to have a memory bank the size of superclusters to name every event Porsche organised this year. Granted, it’s their 75th anniversary, which also coincides with 60 years of 911. But stars seemingly never fail to align for Porsche this year - it’s also the 30th year since we saw the Boxster concept. Surely, they have to announce something to mark this occasion…

For the first time, the high-revving naturally aspirated engine from the 911 GT3 is being deployed in an open-topped mid-engined sports car. Introducing the Porsche 718 Spyder RS, the fastest and most powerful 718 Roadster ever. The open-top counterpart to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS revs up to a spine-tingling 9,000rpm and generates an output of 493bhp along with 450Nm worth of peak torque.

Paired with a short ratio 7-speed PDK transmission (no manual offered), it shoots to 100km/h from rest in 3.4 seconds. All these figures almost seem insignificant, upon realising that the side-mounted air intake behind the headrests on the Cayman GT4 RS are retained.

Compared to the 718 Spyder without the ‘RS’ designation, this range-topper benefits from an additional 79bhp and accelerates to 100km/h half a second faster. At 1,410kg, it’s 40kg lighter than the 718 Spyder with PDK, and is actually 5kg lighter than the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Savings are primarily due to the manually operated single-layer lightweight soft-top weighing in at just 18.3kg, 7.6kg less than the 718 Spyder.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with sports tuning will come as standard - now lowered by 30mm. Compared to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, spring and damper rates have been reduced to achieve a more relaxed, characteristically convertible-style set-up. Wise move, Porsche…

“The 718 Spyder RS raises driving pleasure to a new level for open top cars,” says Andreas Preuninger, Head of GT Cars. “The combination of our unmistakable GT3 engine, the close-ratio transmission, compact dimensions, low weight, road-optimised racing suspension and maximum openness offers an extremely compelling and unfiltered driving experience.”

Public premiere for the 718 Spyder RS will be in June, before making an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed shortly after. If that wait is too long for you, a first-gen Boxster pegged at VW Golf levels of depreciation can fill the gap before official launch and delivery dates are made known for the Singapore market.

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