Porsche 718 Spyder RS: the most powerful, fastest and most expensive convertible in the family

The market career of petrol Porsche 718s is heading towards decline, as early as 2025 all-electric successors will enter the market, but petrolheads still have time to enjoy the masterpieces of a bygone era — the Porsche 718 Spyder RS ​​convertible with a 500-horsepower naturally aspirated engine is presented.

Porsche will happily bring the 718 to the altar of electrification, because this mid-engined family has long eroded the glory of the brand's icon, the rear-engined 911. The Porsche 718 is more accessible and often more pleasant to drive than similarly equipped versions of the Porsche 911, and the open versions of the 718 also look more elegant. . The base Porsche 718 Boxster with a 4-cylinder 300-horsepower engine is an ideal pleasure car at a fairly affordable price (from 65,968 euros in Germany), while the 718 Spyder versions are made more for gourmets and collectors. The Spyder differs from the Boxster with a more intricate stern design and a manually folded «cloak-tent» instead of an electrified soft top. In addition, it is the Spiders who are supposed to have the most powerful motors.

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In technical terms, the top Porsche 718 Spyder RS ​​largely repeats the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS coupe that debuted in 2021: a 4.0-liter 6-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer from the Porsche 911 GT3 is installed here, its maximum output is 500 hp. at 8400 rpm and 450 Nm at 6750 rpm. All power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed PDK automatic (dual-clutch) and limited-slip differential. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS ​​accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 308 km/h.

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The aerodynamic body kit made of carbon fiber Porsche 718 Spyder RS ​​also borrowed from a related coupe, but instead of a massive fixed rear wing, a more accurate “duck tail” is installed at the stern. Lowered by 30 mm, the adaptive ball-and-socket suspension on the convertible is set softer by default than on the coupe, but the driver has the opportunity to adjust it to his own taste. The curb weight of the 718 Spyder RS ​​is 1410 kg compared to 1365 kg for the base 718 Boxster with PDK, and despite the fact that the 718 Spyder RS ​​folding soft top weighs only 18.3 kg — 16.5 kg less than the 718 Boxster.

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The basic equipment of the Porsche 718 Spyder RS ​​includes lightweight sports seats with a carbon fiber frame, and for an additional fee, a Weissach package with lightweight 20 inch magnesium alloy wheels, titanium tailpipes and special carbon fiber exterior trim.

1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 Germany is 155,575 euros, that is, more than two times more than they ask for the base 718 Boxster, which is able to gain the first “hundred” in 5.1 seconds and accelerate to a maximum of 275 km/h. In general, the markup turned out to be large and hardly justified from a consumer point of view, but collectors will buy anyway, because there will be no new gasoline 718 Spyder RS, then — “one continuous electricity”.