Porsche 718 Spyder PDK
As poised as the Mona Lisa, as precise as the Mayor of Stuttgart’s timepiece, we benchmark Porsche’s pared-down 718 Spyder
If you’re a regular reader of CAR, you’ll no doubt have a copy of our January 2021 Performance Shootout issue in your collection. The victor on that occasion was the Cayman GT4 and it was by no means a foregone conclusion. Despite the manual transmission suffering clutch issues early on, it rose like a Phoenix, thrilled on-road with its high-revving histrionics and posted the quickest lap time at
Killarney Raceway to take overall honours. Now we have the GT4’S open-top cousin under the spotlight – the 718 Spyder – that adheres to the Cayman’s same pared-down principles, except with alfresco delights thrown in for good measure.
When you set eyes on the 718 Spyder for the first time, you can’t help but appreciate its beautifully honed shape … much of the design purloined from classic speedster-style vehicles from the ’50s. It’s all part of Stuttgart’s pincer plan to ensure the Spyder is the most expressive 718 Boxster to date. With the roof down, Boxsters of old had an almost symmetrical profile that made them look like they were going both ways at once, but there’s no such issue here. It’s more aggressive, more forward on its haunches thanks to a pronounced flyline rear of the cabin and a deep, sporty front bumper. Around the back, the twin centrally situated exhaust outlets, active rear spoiler and neat Ledtaillight arrangement conclude the styling masterclass.
In Spyder tradition, the interior is sparsely specified. Bar the Sports Chrono package that adds a lap timer and G-force meter, there’s little more than the active exhaust, Sport PDK and traction control switches situated down
You could have a Boxster 4.0 GTS for less, without the tricky roof, but the 718 Spyder is truly special Marius Boonzaier
As sad as it is to admit to the petrolhead in me, the PDK is a better fit than the manual Nikesh Kooverjee
If you can put up with the fiddly roof, the 718 Spyder is faultless. Likely to become a future classic, thanks to its rarity Ray Leathern
the transmission tunnel to act as embellishment. No quick-access Sports Response toggle on the steering wheel, satellite navigation or high-end sound system … nothing to distract you from the task of driving.
In terms of practicality, of course, the Spyder is a small, twoseater sportscar. You drop down into the cockpit and from there it is textbook Porsche. Finely bolstered seats sit low on the deck, your backside below your knees with your legs straight out ahead of you. That said, it is still one of the most cleverly packaged and well-thought-out vehicles of its type. Courtesy of a 150-litre front trunk, or “frunk”, as well as an additional 120-litre rear boot, it is a cinch to pack a couple of overnight bags and head away for the weekend.
However, in a bid to save weight, the Spyder’s soft-top roof is not electronically operated. Once you’ve got the hang of it, the finger presses, pulls and prods to operate the roof mechanism are easy enough, but the downside is you lose the convenience of being able to put the roof up or down on a whim at a set of traffic lights. You might find yourself on the side of the road if the weather changes quickly. Considering this, the 718 Spyder is more of a weekend toy for perfect weather, rather than an everyday conveyance. In that regard, it is an utterly sublime machine.
What defines the mid-engined 718 family is that sensation through your contact points with the car: your feet, bum, spine, the palms of your hands and fingertips. In the Spyder, it’s like these elements have been put under the microscope. The
steering wheel has a thin grip, so you instantly have full control of the machine. There is no better cog-swapping solution anywhere in the world right now than Porsche’s seven-speed PDK, and your fingers are instinctively guided to the high-quality aluminium paddles that reply with a satisfying snap as you go up and down the ‘box.
Look at the vehicle in profile and you appreciate that the 4,0-litre flat-six engine is mounted impossibly low down between the cabin and rear wheels. This reduces the centre of gravity and the roll centre seems at about hip height. As a result, it is lithe and nimble and feels like it has all the physical hindrances of a flea. Another 718 signature, the front wheel arches are raised so the driver can place the front flanks of the car inch perfectly. A mountain road is best tackled with flow and precision and as you build up confidence and connection with the machine, it becomes a test of your skill to see how much corner speed you can carry.
The transference of weight front to back and side to side is almost telepathic. You revel in clipping cat’s-eyes at the entry, apex and exit, arcing through turns like a guided missile. Unwinding the steering and opening up the throttle is a zerodrama process with no squirm or protest from the rear tyres. The Spyder’s gutsier 4,0-litre gives itself to a bit of manhandling and when provoked by working the rear axle with a toying right foot on the throttle, it still doesn’t let go. All your efforts are translated into searing speed, time after time. If you do pick up a hint of untoward handling in the form of understeer, you simply trail off the gas, loosen the steering angle and the whole shooting match pulls back into line with thrilling precision. This happens at a very high threshold in the Spyder.
All the while, a stirring naturally aspirated six-cylinder symphony is being conducted behind you; 309 kw and 430 N.m of purebred, naturally aspirated punch bellows and howls for your driving pleasure. Its noise is denser, more intense, particularly in lift-off situations, like a classical Steinway plugged into the base of your spine.
The Spyder is fast in anyone’s book and with launch control engaged, we matched the claimed 3,90-second zero to 100 km/h sprint time, and in tractability terms, it was only a few tenths off the times of the GT3 RS we tested in October 2020.
Before the 718’s four-pot
turbopetrols came along, it was easy to forget how the old 3,4-litre six-cylinder Boxster felt like the handbrake had been left on below 4 500 r/min. Not a bit of it from the Gt4-shared flat-six. Punchy pull-aways are a searing crescendo of revs and thrust and against my inner stopwatch, I’m not at all surprised by the nearsupercar performance, even if you’re more taken in by the accuracy of the drive to notice how fast you’re travelling.
TEST SUMMARY
As a driver’s car, the 718 Spyder – like the 2021 Performance Shootout-winning Cayman GT4 before it – is almost entirely without fault. Sure, the manual roof is a bit fiddly, but as is the way with limited-run cars, that is a unique characteristic that will probably define it as a must-have classic one day. However, that’s of secondary concern when the weather and the traffic play ball and you find yourself on a perfect piece of road. Exploit the moment to the fullest and the Spyder rewards with speed, poise and agility beyond your wildest dreams. Only Porsche could pull it off; building a perfectly defined sportscar that delivers the thrills and immersion of lightweight, exotic supercars costing more than twice as much.