2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS Photos, engines & full specs

In 2023 Porsche unveiled the Spyder version of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, but somehow it managed to save some weight compared to the fixed-roof version in the process.

The German automaker used to have unusual open-top vehicles, such as the 911 Speedster or the 2009 Boxster Spyder. It built these sports cars to be driven under the open sky and only covered only when needed. They were not just like regular convertibles that people drove with the top up and AC on during hot summer days. So, Porsche continued the same idea when it developed the 718 Cayman Spyder RS.

Porsche went the whole nine yards to create a real race car able to wear license plates. Thus, since the car no longer had a fixed roof, it had to find other solutions to create a zero-lift aerodynamic vehicle, and the engineers did it. At the front was a new spoiler that included a wider chin to increase downforce. Furthermore, the carbon fiber front fenders sported redesigned vents that extracted air from wheel wells, reducing the lift. A surprising decision was to make the windscreen's frame slimmer, at least at the top, since it was also a safety arch. On the car's sides, the automaker placed a pair of air intakes on the quarter panels. Finally, at the back, a wide duck-tail that resembled the one installed on the glorious Porsche 935 "Moby Dick" added more downforce to the vehicle.

The interior looked very with the same race bucket seats as in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, but available with either red or gray inserts. The roof was stored behind the cabin in a special compartment and was manual. No electronic was involved. Porsche did that to save weight. While the roof didn't provide too much protection against rain, it was more effective than an umbrella and a baseball cap.

As expected, Porsche installed the same flat-six powerplant found in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and the GT3 Cup race car. It was a 9,000 rpm, 4.0-liter engine that produced 500 PS (493 hp) sent to the rear wheels via a standard seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) PDK gearbox.