Porsche 718 - page 12

Porsche’s most famous sports car is the 911, but it is far from the only one the brand has ever made. Currently, the 718 is your entryway into Porsche sports cars. Like the rear-engine 911, the mid-engine Porsche 718 offers a version for any need. Four and six-cylinder boxer engines allow the compact Porsche sports car to produce anywhere from 296 to 493 horsepower. It all started with the 986 Boxster back in 1996, and since then, the mid-engine Porsche has been continuously evolving.

If you are a model car collector, Porsche Design of America, Inc. is offering a limited edition, 1:18 scale model of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS (982). This high-quality collector’s model showcases impressive attention to detail, capturing the essence of the real-life sportscar. Crafted primarily from resin with metal components, the model offers a luxurious feel and durability. The white exterior with green accents and a black interior faithfully replicate the original design.

Porsche provides multiple versions of all its models. It is safe to say, there is a flavor for everyone. This is especially true for its sports cars like the 718 and 911, both of which get the occasional, limited-edition variant. When it comes to all-out track performance, the mid-engine Cayman’s most hardcore variant is the GT4 RS. This track-focused 718 takes the best bits from some 911 models, including the engine, which comes from the 911 GT3. The Cayman GT4 RS is much more than a lightened, stiffened Cayman GT4. Porsche has gone above and beyond in pursuit of creating the ultimate, mid-engine track monster. Among the numerous distinctive features of the Cayman GT4 RS are the air intakes, unique to the model. There are a few good reasons why Porsche went with high-mounted air-intakes for the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, and it has as much to do with function as it does with enhancing the fun factor.

Porsche’s headlights are some of the most recognizable in the automotive industry. When it comes to the 911, the German sports car manufacturer has retained the classic forms since the 1964 original. This includes the round headlamps, which were present on almost all 911 generations, except the Porsche 996, featuring the controversial, "fried-egg" headlights. Like other carmakers, Porsche went from halogen to xenon headlights and, eventually, an LED setup on all its models. It started with the 993 generation, which introduced "Litronic” technology - Porsche’s first dabble in H.I.D. tech, only to be permanently replaced by LED technology over 20 years later. As Porsche says, "Light is identity, by day as well as by night", and the German brand’s current, four-line, LED headlight pattern is recognizable almost anywhere. The four-point LED principle, as Porsche likes to call it first became a feature on range-topping models, starting with the 2009 Porsche Panamera Turbo. Since then, the four-point headlight design has evolved and was extended to other Porsche models like the Cayenne, Taycan, 918 Spyder, and even the 911.

The 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS is a Boxster that has been turned up to 11. With the engine borrowed from its track-focussed sibling - the 911 GT3 RS, the 718 Spyder RS is a force to be reckoned with. It is a fitting send-off to the gasoline-powered Boxster as Porsche transitions the model to electric power. The engine makes slightly less power than the GT3 thanks to a more restrictive exhaust and tops out at 493 horsepower, compared to the GT3’s 518 horsepower. Unfortunately, it does not come with a manual gearbox, and the only transmission available is the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic which sends power to the rear wheels.

Currently, only two brands are associated with the boxer engine layout – Porsche and Subaru. Porsche’s obsession with boxer engines began long before the iconic 911 came to be. Despite the German brand having long traditions, of using this engine configuration, it wasn’t Porsche that invented it. The boxer engine was patented by Karl Benz, back in 1896. Porsche did not start using the boxer engine layout until the 1930s, and even then, its first use wasn’t in a Porsche model. Rather, it was the budget-friendly VW Beetle, the people’s car.

Toyota is hard at work reviving iconic nameplates, and luckily for enthusiasts, this also extends to the brand’s sports cars. We have been hearing about Toyota MR-2’s return since 2019, but until a few months ago, we didn’t have any concise information. Reports from Japanese outlets were gradually revealing details about Toyota’s soon-to-be-revived, mid-engine sports car. In stark contrast to what we initially believed, the new MR-2 will not be a budget-friendly model, co-developed with Daihatsu and Suzuki. This turned out to be Toyota’s S-FR, which will also be sold as the new Suzuki Cappuccino and Daihatsu Copen and would compete with Mazda’s MX-5 Miata. This puts the MR-2 in a whole other league, and judging by the performance figures revealed, it would also likely be able to keep pace with most variants of the Porsche 718. Maybe even outperform it?

Unleashed and unfiltered, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is a swan-song for the revered gas-only mid-engined sports car. A renegade freed from corporate shackles, it embodies the Cayman’s ultimate evolution. With the GT3’s glorious naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six pumping out a healthy 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, it’s a symphony of pure, unadulterated power.

The swan-neck rear wing, an aerodynamic spoiler design innovation that debuted in motorsport, emerged in response to safety regulations introduced by the Automobile Club de I’Quest (ACO) in 2009. These regulations aimed to address concerns about rear-wing-induced accidents during high-speed races. Engineers constantly tinkered, trying to squeeze out more downforce without sacrificing speed to increase on-track stability.

The Porsche 718 Boxster, alongside its hardtop sibling, the Cayman, has evolved into a performance powerhouse in the Porsche lineup over the past two decades. Even with the base 2.0-liter 300-horsepower turbo Boxer-four engine (which sounds similar to a Subaru Boxer four, in my opinion), the 718 not only offers performance that’s useable on a day-to-day basis but also has enough potential to carve corners with precision.

In 1996, Porsche made a bold move, transitioning from its iconic rear-engine layout to a mid-engine design with the Boxster. This sleek roadster, named after the combination of "boxer" engine and "roadster" body, introduced a new era of open-air thrills for the brand. Two decades later, in 2016, the 718 Boxster was born, inheriting the spirit of its predecessor but injecting a dose of modern performance and technology.

Fresh from the experts of Stuttgart for 2020, the Porsche 718 Spyder is the ultimate expression of the open-top, mid-engine sports car formula. This all-new flagship model of the 718 Boxster family boasts a 414-horsepower 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine mated to a crisp six-speed manual transmission. The result is a 0-60 mph timing of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 187 mph.