First Drive: Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 PDK Review

This is a simple, but effective recipe. Take the latest Porsche 718 Boxster, crowbar out the sometimes unloved four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and in its place slide the 4.0-litre flat-six from the Cayman GT4. The results is the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, perhaps for Porsche’s engineering department a bit of a backwards step, but for the standard Boxster anything but. GTS cars are sort of the “how we would spec it” of Porsches, above the standard Boxster and Boxster S, but not up to Cayman GT4 or Boxster Spyder standard.

Well, it’s a 718 Boxster, there’s really not much else to say. But if you insist then this is very much what we have come to expect of the Boxster. It’s mid-engined, has a very Porsche face, although with the headlights more triangular than the 911’s ovoid lamps. At the back the Boxster’s rump hasn’t really changed much since the second-gen car, the only addition has been the arrival of that 718 badge and the upright Porsche lettering below the rear spoiler. A folding cloth roof is atop two small roll hoops and the doors are cut in to channel air to the air scoops that feed air to that hungry flat-six. The only real noticeable bits that make this a GTS are the small GTS stickers on the doors (optional) and the GTS 4.0 lettering on the back.

That flat-six was specifically developed for the Spyder and GT4, and is a beaut’. The four-cylinder isn’t a dead experiment by a long shot, but developing a whole new engine like this and only using it in one car is just not economical. Which is a boon for the Boxster. The 4.0-litre unit produces 400PS (295kW) and 430Nm (318lb ft) of torque. That means the Boxster GTS will hit 62mph (100km/h) in four seconds flat and sprint on to 179mph.

The engine is actually producing around 20PS fewer than in the Cayman GT4, thanks to a reduction in the red line (down to 7,700rpm), but torque is the same, as is the sonorous dual exhaust system. This time though, it is harnessed by a seven-speed PDK gearbox. The Boxster GTS 4.0 launched earlier in 2020 with a six-speed manual but it is now here with the premium auto ‘box. The addition of that gearbox isn’t just there for convenience and speedy changes. Oh no, actually the PDK is able to handle a little bit more than the manual. Torque in the manual is 400Nm, giving the PDK an extra 30Nm. That, coupled with the faster shifts, mean that that sprint to 62mph is a few tenths faster than the manual.

The experience is no less for being an auto either. The PDK is an excellent ‘box and the Boxster GTS underneath is a car so engaging it puts some Porsches costing double to shame. Shoehorning that flat-six in was totally worth it. Natural aspiration brings a linear, almost old-fashioned surge of torque all the way to its peak somewhere around 5,000rpm. All the time this is sound tracked by that magnificent exhaust note, screaming a proper Porsche sound. Stick the car in Sport mode and it’s just a joy to drive. With power delivery this linear you can predict exactly when to apply a bit of right boot. The front end is sharp, although in the greasy December conditions we drove it in can be easily provoked to understeer. But no fear, keep the ‘box in manual and the revs up around 5k and you can easily fix that push. The balance in Sport is just so nice, the steering weighty, quick and full of feel, the chassis excellent, the engine singing – it just all comes together. Sport+ is a bit too much on the firm side to be honest – get the engine and steering in the top end, leave the chassis in sport and there are few experiences to beat this, roof up or down. Speaking of a roof, this doesn’t feel like much of a compromise any more, as the Boxster’s chassis is stiff and willing to take the heft that big engine can provide.

I back-to-backed the Boxster with three of its bigger brothers, so I have to admit the interior felt a little tired. There’s nothing wrong with it, but the 992/Taycan have moved Porsche’s interiors on so far that the old one feels, well, old. That said, the wheel is excellent, slim Alcantara-covered and nice to use, the sports seats are not as excellent as the buckets you get in a GT4 and the infotainment system runs the last version of Porsche’s system. But to be honest it really doesn’t do anything to diminish the experience. Take the Boxster in isolation and that is a decent interior, well put together and very, very easy to use.

The Boxster GTS 4.0 PDK (as usual Porsche have kept the name simple) will set you back £68,643 and comes, for Porsche, quite well-specced as standard. That means bi-xenon headlights, automatic headlights, electric seats and mirrors, air-con, digital radio, Sound Package Plus (six speakers) and that’s it. In no surprise for anyone who has seen a Porsche options list, the left-hand-drive German model we test drove’s extras (including 20-inch alloys, parking sensors, cruise control, climate control, heated seats and sat-nav) pushed the price up to an eye-watering €105,000, and it doesn’t even have Android Auto (only Apple CarPlay). So be careful when you tick through those options.

Long live the flat-six! Putting this engine into the Boxster has made this potentially one of the best cars in the current Porsche line-up. Strong words as Porsche is cranking out a few belters at the moment, but no exaggeration. The Boxster deserved this engine. It had always had an excellent chassis and looked great, but now it sounds and goes just like it should do. If you don’t want to fork out Spyder/GT4 money, this is almost as good an option and probably more liveable too. Drop the top, even in winter, and just listen to that flat-six do its business behind you and there’s absolutely no way you can avoid grinning.