Some cars are for winning races. Some are for winning attention. The Porsche 718 Spyder is for winning souls.
It's not the quickest car in the 718 Boxster/Cayman family. Or the most structurally stiff. But what it lacks on the spec sheet, it returns in deep and meaningful allure. We spent two days firing through the Spyder's six-speed gearbox, kissing 8000 rpm with its flat-six until our ears rang, and bending Southern California's Sierra Nevada roads to our will. No turbos, just a manual transmission and a 414-hp 4.0-liter flat-six with enough character to merit a documentary. What more could we ask for?
Central to its appeal, and at the core of what it once meant to be a mid-engine Porsche, is the Spyder's sound. Its intake note—especially in the meaty zone above 5000 rpm—is a slice of internal-combustion magic usually reserved for Porsche's immediately sold-out models. It begins as a hollow bellow then builds to a screaming rage by redline. Hello, sharpness, our old friend. We're glad to talk with you again.
Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder Specifications:
▪ Length/width/height/wheelbase – 4,430/1,801/1,258/2,484 mm
▪ Kerb weight – 1,420 kg
▪ Engine – 4.0-litre, 6-cylinder boxer, petrol
▪ Max output – 420 PS (309 kW) at 7,600 rpm
▪ Max torque – 420 Nm at 5,000-6,800 rpm
▪ Transmission – 6-speed manual, RWD
▪ 0-100 km/h – 4.4 seconds
▪ 0-160 km/h – 9.0 seconds
▪ 0-200 km/h – 13.8 seconds
▪ Top speed – 301 km/h
▪ Fuel consumption – 10.9 l/100km combined
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