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2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS Costs More Than the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ in the US

What do you call a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS without a roof? The German automaker refers to its most extreme road-going Boxster yet as the 718 Spyder RS. The newcomer stickers at $160,700 in the United States, excluding the mandatory $1,450 destination fee and the ridiculous markups that most dealerships will charge.
2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS 15 photos
Photo: Porsche
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As the headline implies, the starting price is higher than many larger and more technologically advanced cars available in the United States at the moment of writing. The Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ is the pinnacle of the EQS Sedan lineup at press time, with the 53 retailing at $147,550 with 649 horsepower on tap.

More powerful and way torquier, the dual-motor liftback simply doesn't hold a candle to the 718 Spyder RS in a straight line. From zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), the 53 4MATIC+ needs 3.4 seconds. The far lighter sports car does it two-tenths quicker, and it also shames the EQS in terms of top speed. More specifically, Porsche advertises the corner-carving thriller with 191 mph (307 kph) compared to 155 mph (250 kph) for the zero-emission 53 series.

Similar to the Cayman GT4 RS, the roadster equivalent rocks one of the best-sounding production engines of the decade. Its 4.0-liter boxer comes from the 911 GT3, a six-cylinder lump that Porsche reportedly developed from the 911 GT3 R endurance racer. Motorsport pedigree or marketing hogwash, does it really matter when you can push it to a spine-tingling 9,000 rpm?

The high-revving engine is a naturally-aspirated sixer with 493 ponies to its name, as well as 331 pound-feet (450 Nm). In other words, even the lowliest of small-block V8s from the fifth-generation LT engine family belts out more torque. Far more exotic than a Silverado's 5.3, the German powerplant is connected exclusively to a Doppelkupplung dual-clutch transmission. Referred to as PDK in Porsche vernacular, this box is lightning quick on upshifts and downshifts. A three-pedal arrangement would've been perfect in a driver's car like this fellow, but hey, the PDK is no dealbreaker at all.

A highly emotional car that's certain to sell for huge money once the 718 goes electric, the 718 Spyder RS isn't only about its engine. It was also designed to corner like nobody's business thanks to trick suspension, forged alloys, torque vectoring, and hi-po tires. The previously mentioned goodies wouldn't mean a thing had the 718 Spyder RS been heavy, which it certainly isn't at 3,108 pounds (1,410 kilograms).

Even if you're first on the list at your dealer of choice, bear in mind that the first units will arrive stateside in the spring of 2024. The latest and greatest Boxster yet will make its public debut next month in Zuffenhausen, where Porsche will celebrate 75 years of sports cars.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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