The Porsche 718 Boxster is the Porsche sports car you buy when you can’t afford a 911. It’s cheaper but usually less powerful and, to be blunt, not as good as the hero model of the German brand.
At least, that’s the thinking of 911 snobs who look down on Porsche’s ‘entry-level’ sports car from the ivory tower above their garage. But the 718 Boxster I just drove may be the best sports car in Porsche’s line-up, leaving even the 911 in its dust.
That’s because the 718 Boxster Spyder RS (which I’ll refer to as the Spyder RS from here on in) has the heart of the 911 GT3 but packages it up in a different and more engaging way. The Spyder RS is the new pinnacle of the 718 range, sitting above the Cayman GT4 RS in Porsche’s published hierarchy, even though it’s basically just the open-top version of that car.
But the lack of a roof is actually a big part of the appeal of the Spyder RS, which means a lot coming from me because I usually find convertible sports cars or supercars the weaker member of the line-up (and are typically for those who prefer to pose rather than really drive). But the raw, unrestrained vibe that removing the (incredibly complex) roof provides to the Spyder RS driving experience elevates it to the next level above the Cayman-based GT4 RS and puts it on the same plane as the best 911s.
Having spent one glorious weekend in the Spyder RS, driving it across some of Australia’s best roads to the Bathurst 12-hour, I am deeply impressed by its power, dynamic abilities, visual appeal and, perhaps most of all, its glorious noise.
As I said, the heart of the Spyder RS is the same engine as the 911 GT3, a race-bred 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine that makes 368kW of power and 450Nm of torque. But because it has genuine race-inspired technology, it revs all the way to 9000rpm, which means it sounds like you’re in the middle of a Carrera Cup race whenever you unleash the engine’s full potential.
I’ll admit, on paper 368kW/450Nm doesn’t look that impressive, (and it is lower than the 375kW/460Nm offered in the 911 GT3, because Porsche is really trying hard not to belittle the bigger sibling) but Porsche has put the 718 on a diet to compensate. So there’s a lighter exhaust, lighter wheels, lighter bonnet, light front fenders, lighter roof, lighter door panels and even lighter carpet.
And if that’s not enough, you can opt for the Weissach Package that was fitted to our test car, which brings even lighter 20-inch forged magnesium wheels and carbon fibre reinforced plastic for a range of parts including the front luggage compartment, the rollover bars and the ducktail spoiler on the Gurney flap – plus some cosmetic enhancements.
This is only scratching the surface of the changes Porsche’s team of boffins made to the Boxster to turn it into the Spyder RS. The level of upgrades are immense and turn the Spyder RS into something much sharper and much faster, so much so it’s the fastest version of the Boxster yet.
The official claims are 3.4 seconds 0-100km/h, 10.9 seconds 0-200km/h and has a top speed of 308km/h.
But in the same way a picture tells 1000 words, all these details don’t really mean as much as just a few minutes behind the wheel of the Spyder RS. Even before you drive it, it’s clear this is nothing like a standard 718, the more aggressive body kit as well as the entirely new rear engine cover (to accommodate the bigger engine) with its large rear spoiler.
Then, from the moment you climb aboard it’s obvious that this Porsche means business, from the body-hugging sports seats, the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and the lightweight floor mats. When you fire it up the engine it barks into life and the lightweight stainless steel exhaust, completed by titanium tips with the Weissach pack, means it sounds fast even standing still.
On the winding, undulating Bells Line of Road to and from Bathurst, the Spyder RS feels at home.
Porsche says the engine is paired to a “close-ratio” seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but given the flexibility of the engine you find yourself changing gear a lot less than you might expect. While there’s the usual steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, I found myself using the sequential gear lever in between the seats, as it gave me more time to let the engine rev all the way out.
The noise from the 4.0-litre flat-six is addictive, especially as the soft-top is really just a rain cover and lacks any meaningful sound deadening material. But it’s when you manage to take the roof off entirely (which I’ll admit did take repeat viewings of a YouTube tutorial and a fair amount of trial and error) that the Spyder RS really hits its peak. You’ve surprisingly well cosseted inside the cabin, with the windows up, so it doesn’t feel like the wind is ripping your hair out, but you do get uninterrupted access to the noise of the engine.
It’s not all about the sound though, the engine pulls hard, giving the Spyder RS the kind of ferocious acceleration you expect from Porsche’s finest. It’s paired with a chassis that is a masterpiece of modern dynamic tuning, with fantastic steering, excellent responsiveness and powerful braking.
This isn’t just a car I enjoyed driving to the Bathurst 12-hour, I’d enjoy driving it for 12 hours to Bathurst, around Bathurst or frankly anywhere. Which is saying something, because there are a lot of really good sports cars on the market today, but very few that you just don’t want to get out of. But that’s how the Spyder RS makes you feel, like you never want to get out of the driver’s seat.
The only other car in recent memory that have made me feel that way was the Porsche 911 GT3, so while I’d stopped myself from declaring a 718 better than a 911, I will say the Spyder RS can hold its own against any of its bigger siblings.
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