It was born with the desire to offer the customers of the German brand an exciting, uncovered car that was more affordable than the legendary and incombustible Porsche 911. From the arrival of the popular Boxster 30 years ago, a model that the Stuttgart brand passed to be named later 718.
The historic sports car manufacturer launches this course the most powerful version to date of the 718 Spyder, with the famous surname RS. Designed for driving enthusiasts, and coming forward to the end of an era -that of combustion engines-, the 718 Spyder RS is the convertible equivalent of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
That is to say, it is the first time, and probably the last, that Porsche uses the naturally aspirated 500 hp six-cylinder engine in a sports car with an open body and in a central position.
At the same time, it is an excellent opportunity for customers and fans of the brand to own an exclusive car, which will soon become an icon as it is a full-fledged tribute to combustion engine sports cars in a central position.
When talking about a six-cylinder boxer engine, good sports fans already know that Porsche is behind it.
Thus, this brilliant engine is capable of spinning up to 9,000 rpm and, together with the seven-speed PDK transmission and short ratios, it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. The maximum speed stands at 308 km/h. And the PDK paddle shifters allow you to keep your hands on the wheel, even when using the gearbox in manual mode. Alternatively, the driver can use the ergonomically designed selector lever to perform this function.
It is said that design purists, in convertible sports cars, are always in favor of fabric hoods. And manually operated. Just what Porsche has designed for its new mechanical gem.
In addition to saving weight by avoiding mechanisms that facilitate automatic opening and closing, a manual top does not break down, is maintenance-free and always works. In any case, Porsche has opted for a lightweight, single-layer soft top.
The interior is faithful to the philosophy of its concept: functional, light and ergonomic, with the RS steering wheel covered with Race-Tex, a particularly adherent fabric, which has a yellow mark at 12 o'clock. The extraordinarily supportive sports seats are made of CFRP, a special carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, and finished with parts of the same material.
