Porsche 718 Spyder GT4 RS is a 493bhp Swansong for Porsche’s ICE Boxster

The Porsche 718 Spyder GT4 RS arrives as a 493bhp drop-top swansong for Porsche’s mid-engined ICE Boxster.

It’s no secret that Porsche is heading inexorably down the EV road, and we’re going to see electric 718 models cropping up at some point.

But ICE versions of the 718 models -Cayman and Boxster – as still very desirable, and in 2021 we saw peak 718 with the arrival of the Cayman GT4 RS. Now it’s time for its drop-top sibling to bid farewell too with the new 493bhp 718 Spyder GT4 RS.

The 718 Spyder GT4 RS is the most powerful Boxster since it arrived in 1995, with the same 493bhp 4.0-litre flat-six which powers its sibling, redlining at 9000rpm with power going to the back wheels through a seven-speed PDK and hitting 62mph in 3.4 seconds.

The GT4 RS comes with the same looks as the Cayman below the open top, with plenty of aero going on, CFRP bonnet and wings, 20″ centre lock alloys, stiffer shocks, PASM, torque vectoring and diff lock.

Above the waistline, there’s a pair of buttresses on the deck and a ducktail back wing and a lightweight manual soft-top, with weight saving including lightweight CFRP bucket seats in leather and microfibre, pull straps for the doors and even weight-reduced steering wheel.

No word yet on how many cars Porsche plans to build, and although there are no UK prices yet, expect it to start around £130k when deliveries start in the summer after a Goodwood public debut.