Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 ups the cylinder count to six

Published: 15 January 2020

► GTS-spec 718s now have flat-six
► Power boosted by 54bhp
► Replaces the flat-four version

Praise be! Porsche’s 718 twins, in GTS format, now come with a 4.0-litre flat-six engine, with a Porsche spokesperson confirming they replace the four-cylinder GTS version in the process.

Is this Porsche doing a U-turn on its four-cylinder 718 engine? Probably not but, at the very least, it’s a welcome return for what made previous-generation Caymans and Boxsters so good. Regular and S 718 models will still use the flat-four.

We’ll see the new 718 Cayman and Boxster GTS twins at the 2020 Geneva motor show.

Woohoo! The flat-six is back!

It was technically back with the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder, but yes! For the new GTS 4.0, a 394bhp version of Porsche’s 4.0-litre flat six has been dropped in. That’s 20bhp less than the GT4 and Spyder, but 54bhp more than the now-defunct flat-four GTS this replaces.

718 gts 2020 cornering

The GTS 4.0 models come with a manual and are capable of a 4.5sec 0-62mph sprint – 0.4sec quicker than before – and a 182mph top speed.

Any other performance kit?

Plenty. Porsche’s active suspension management (PASM), a limited-slip diff with torque vectoring (PTV), active drivetrain mounts (PADM) and the sports exhaust system as standard. A lot of acronyms, there.

Given they are GTS models, they come with black accents on the outside and Alcantara everywhere inside. Porsche’s very good Sports Seat Plus chairs are included, too, and you can add the GTS pack which colours details like the rev counter and seatbelts in red or grey.

I want one!

Both are available now, and you’ll have to pay £64,088 for the 718 Cayman or £65,949 for the Boxster – about £3k more than the outgoing four-cylinder models.

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By Jake Groves

CAR's deputy news editor, gamer, serial Lego-ist, lover of hot hatches

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