Porsche comes to its senses

(Image credit: thomas@strogalski.de)

published 24 January 2020

If you’ve read anything in the automotive corners of the internet in recent years, you’ll probably have seen some diatribe about the “rumbly four-cylinder turbo engines, which have proved barely more economical than the glorious naturally aspirated flat-sixes… turfed out of Porsche’s mid-engined sports cars”, says Stephen Dobie in Top Gear. Happily, the German carmaker has come to its senses, says Bradley Brownell on Jalopnik. “If you don’t quite want to pony up the money for a Boxster Spyder or Cayman GT4,” you can now opt for a GTS version of the 718 Boxster and Cayman models, which have four-litre, flat-six engines. “Oh baby, this is good news.”

Indeed, more flat-six Porsches “in the world can only and wholly be considered a good thing”, says Pistonheads.com . “Wringing the engine out will see it rev to 7,800 rpm and the sounds should be downright delightful, thanks to a standard sports exhaust system from Porsche, complete with a GT4-like twin tailpipe finish,” says Sean Szymkowski on CNET’s Road Show. Inside, the cabin has “Alcantara trim all over, specifically covering the centre seat sections, wheel rim and centre console”. A seven-inch touchscreen is also on hand for your “infotainment” needs.

We’re guessing you probably want one of these cars, says Matt Robinson on carthrottle.com. “That’s understandable,” but the premium over the 718 Boxster S and 718 Cayman S is much “bigger this time than it was with the last GTS cars.” For the 4.0-litre models, expect to pay £64,088 for the Cayman and £65,949 for the Boxster.

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Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

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