Porsche Execs Say Boxster Version of Cayman GT4 RS ‘Is Possible’
Zuffenhausen hasn’t completely ignored the idea of a soft-top companion to the greatest Porsche Cayman ever built, the GT4 RS.
Porsche had never explored the 718's ultimate potential before the Cayman GT4 RS came along, which, equipped with the 911 GT3 RS's flat-six in the back, performs like a true supercar. It can do zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and continue on to 196 mph, all while reportedly lapping the Nürburgring quicker than a 911 Turbo S. The GT4 RS's upgrades seem natural to carry over to the Cayman's soft-top sister, the Boxster, which Porsche officials have admitted could get something similar to the GT4 RS treatment.
This confirmation comes directly from Porsche executives to make such a car happen: Andreas Preuninger, director of Porsche GT cars, and Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, vice president for the 911 and 718 programs. Both told Drive (unaffiliated) that a Boxster Spyder RS (as it has been speculatively named) is possible, and outlined how it'd differ from the track-focused GT4 RS, but emphasized that such a car isn't at all guaranteed.
"I could imagine something like that," Preuninger said of a GT4 RS-equivalent Boxster. "I think it's manageable and feasible and interesting, but it's not confirmed."
"Technically speaking, this is possible," added Dr. Walliser. "If we do it, I don't know. The question is where to position it. As an open-top, it's not a track-orientated car, so it must be something different. As always, we have a lot of ideas on the table and we have to make decisions. If you consider it as a wonderful extension of the RS idea to the Boxster platform... Would I love to see such a car? Yes."
The GT4 RS is seen as something of a last hurrah for the combustion-only 718, whose next generation will be available as an electric vehicle and has been prototyped as a hybrid. As outlined above, its hypothetical, more road-oriented Boxster sibling would have to be optimized for road use rather than track, though it seems safe to assume the drivetrain would remain identical.
That'd mean a 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat six revving to 9,000 rpm, and producing 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. Shortened gearing in its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission enhances acceleration, as does modest weight reduction through the use of composites. As it wouldn't be a track car, it could ditch the GT4 RS's rear wing (not that it'd do much), and it probably wouldn't have much use for the Cayman's 20-inch single-lug wheels either. Again, the Boxster Spyder RS is far from confirmed, but given the ease with which Porsche could build it—and thus extract big bucks from a limited-production model—it seems like a shoo-in.
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