![]() One that no rival at this sort of money can deal with. So at 3000rpm it feels strong at 5000rpm it feels – and sounds – properly fast and furious and between there and the 8000rpm red line it goes to another level again. It’s torquey, too, so although the gearing is long in the first three ratios the engine can handle it. There is a delicacy of touch to all its controls that can be appreciated, revelled in even, at any speed. Even at 40mph there is feel through the steering wheel, through the seats and via the brakes that is simply missing from most, if not all other cars. ![]() Instead it’s a car that’s multi-layered in its appeal. This is not a sledge-hammer kind of car, despite the fact that it is a seriously quick one. Yet it’s detail of the Spyder’s responses that arguably leave the biggest impression of all. The highlights include immense and instant throttle response at anything above 3000rpm, a spine-chilling exhaust scream, eye-watering body control, pin sharp steering and some of the best brakes you’ll come across in any road car, at any price. And its combination of attributes is unique. On a sunny day with the hood down, and under full beans in a low-ish gear, there is nothing quite like the Spyder. On the road, this all feels pretty special, to be honest. Both cars come on the same bespoke-for-Porsche Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, another sign of how much more serious a driving machine the Spyder is this time round. Unlike the GT4 the Spyder gets Porsche’s PASM system as standard, plus the normally optional Sports Chrono Pack as well. Porsche also offers the ubiquitous seven-speed PDK for an extra £2000, which trades some driver involvement for a more agreeable spread of gear ratios. The ‘box features a switchable auto blip function on downshifts that works a treat in practice, while the gear lever itself is also shorter than before for more precise movements. The gearbox is a six-speed manual with the same unusually long ratios in first and second as the GT4 it will do 85mph in second gear. Like the GT4, it also features cylinder de-activation at light or zero throttle loads where it goes on to three cylinders to improve fuel consumption. In this case it’s been bored out to 4.0-litres (the stroke remains unchanged from the 992’s motor) and its turbos have been removed. Maximum torque of 310lb ft is developed between 5000-6800rpm, and if you’re wondering about its heritage the engine is actually a development of the new 992’s 3.0-lite flat six turbo. It produces 414bhp and can rev to 8000rpm. The 718 Spyder is powered by the exact same 4.0-litre atmospheric flat six that propels the GT4. So the Spyder generates no lift as such, but also no downforce. On aesthetic grounds Porsche decided not to fit the Spyder with a big rear wing (correct decision) and has instead gone for a smaller wing that retracts back into the rear bodywork at low speeds, plus the front splitter is nowhere near as pronounced. The only real difference between the Spyder and GT4 this time is the aerodynamic package. > Click here for our review of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Same 4.0-litre flat six 992-based engine that revs to 8000rpm, same six-speed manual gearbox with auto blip on the downshifts and, most important of all, exactly the same GT3-inspired chassis, suspension, steering and brakes. ![]() This time, however, the 718 Spyder is exactly the same as a GT4 beneath its knee-tremblingly beautiful new skin. Point is, though, it was nowhere near as focused in its chassis and suspension design as its fixed head brother with the big wing on the back. ![]() It was basically a restyled Boxster GTS, not that there was a great deal wrong with that. Last time out the Porsche Boxster Spyder was a very different car from the Cayman GT4. ![]()
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