2020 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 Photos, engines & full specs

Porsche decided to give a boost to the 718 Boxster range in 2019 when it introduced the GTS 4.0 version, and the new open-top vehicle was a true competitor for its bigger and more notorious brother, the 911.

When the German sports car maker launched the original Boxster back in the ‘90s, it did it to provide a more affordable but still performant sports car. That model had a 2.0-liter engine that couldn’t provide enough performance, and soon, Porsche increased the displacement to a 2.5-liter powerplant. It was close, but no cigar. Later evolutions of the model started to make customers think of the Boxster not as a cheaper 911 but as a different sportscar, and the GTS 4.0 from the 718 Boxster’s fourth generation was the kind of go-fast vehicle that customers waited for.

The 2019 GTS 4.0 version looked very similar to its 2.0-liter turbocharged sibling, but there were some subtle differences between them. Just like the 2016 model, it featured a flat nose with a lower bumper that sported a broad air intake divided into three parts. The central one featured an A-shape and was flanked by side scoops that wore a single horizontal slat, unlike the lesser-powered 2.0-liter version that had three. From their profiles, these two versions were almost identical, with the main difference being that the GTS 4.0 sported a specific logo on the lower front part of the doors. The most significant difference was at the back, where the 2019 flat-six GTS had two round exhausts placed towards the car’s sides instead of a center-mounted, rectangular-shaped one. Furthermore, the smoked taillights were also a signature design for this punchier version.

Inside, the automaker installed standard Sports Seats Plus wrapped in Alcantara and a unique steering wheel. In addition, Porsche upholstered the rest of the cabin with the same material: the door cards, the A-pillars, and the gearshift lever. The kickplates also sported the Boxster GTS badging. The instrument cluster featured a red-dial tachometer that took center stage and was flanked by the speedometer and an LCD for additional information from the car’s onboard computer. On the center stack, Porsche installed a 7-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system that supported Apple CarPlay only. The power-retractable roof was also standard and could quickly cover and uncover the car at speeds up to 30 mph (48 kph).

When Porsche introduced the fourth generation of the Boxster, it offered it with a two-liter turbocharged unit. Later, it added other engines to the lineup, but the GTS 4.0 was the most evolved version of it. Its engine was carried over from the Porsche Cayman GT4 and was a flat-six powerplant that provided 400 PS (395), enough to rocket the car from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) in less than five seconds. Power went to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) PDK gearbox.