Neunelfer fans have constantly been swept off their feet over the past year or so, with Porsche introducing no less than four GT models (the GT3, GT3 Touring, GT2 RS and GT3 RS), along with the Carrera T special. Nevertheless, those who prefer Zuffenhausen's mid-engined sportscars have only been blessed with the GTS incarnations of the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman. Well, all this is about to change, with the Germans being almost ready to introduce the 718 Boxster Spyder and the 718 Cayman GT4.
We've spied both mid-engined special editions on multiple occasions and the time has now come to focus on the open-air model. That's because the 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder has been recently spied doing its thing on the German Autobahn.
And since the prototype got caught in traffic, the aficionado recording the sportscar from his vehicle got the change to capture its soundtrack.
Sure, the resulting piece of spy footage, which you'll find at the bottom of the page, only captures a sample of the newcomer's voice, but this is still better than the written details we had to rely on in the past.
So while we can't really tell from the video, the 718 Boxster Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 will maintain the naturally aspirated flat-six tradition.
The rumor mill talks about the two borrowing the new 4.0-liter boxer animating the 991.2 GT3 and GT3 RS. And since the German automotive producer would need to prevent cannibalization in such a case, the engine should arrive in detuned trim - while the motor delivers 520 hp on the GT3 RS and 500 ponies on the GT3, we're expecting its output to sit close to 400 ponies for the mid-engined models.
And while the GTS models simply come with the Sport Design bumpers (optional on "normal" models) as standard, the Spyder and GT4 will receive dedicated aprons. In fact, this video allows us to notice the aggressive diffuser of the open-air model, along with its new exhaust layout.
We'll remind you that the previous incarnation of the mid-engined specials saw the Spyder getting 10 hp less than the GT4. And while the first came with Boxster GTS suspension, the latter packed sticker rubber and 911 GT3 suspension bits.
Nevertheless, the 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder seems to maintain the canvas roof of the replaced car. The work of art that is the top saves 11 kilos by skipping the electric folding mechanism of the normal car, while manually operating the thing isn't complicated.
You can expect both mid-engined special editions to land by the end of the year.
Update:Here's another Autobahn sighting of the Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder, which also involves the 2019 Macan Facelift.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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