You can’t say that Porsche doesn’t give its buyers enough variety. Hot off the reveal of the new 992-generation 911, that car’s little siblings, the popular 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster, are receiving the “T” treatment. The new models will slot in between the base models and the uplevel S versions.
In effect, the 718 T copy/pastes the options list from the 911 Carrera T from earlier this year. It’s a driver-focused package, adding a healthy schmear of performance hardware from the S and GTS trims that is either optional or unavailable on the base car, all for a price that Porsche says is “five to ten percent” better than a theoretically similarly equipped base 718.
Whether you pick the Boxster or the Cayman, each 718 T packs the base 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four, pushing out 296 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Pick the six-speed manual transmission, and 60 mph arrives from a standstill in 4.9 seconds. The PDK automatic drops that time down to as quick as 4.5 seconds, while both T cars top out at 170 mph.
For the first time, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is offered with the base engine, dropping ride height by 0.8 inch. There’s also trick Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), a mechanical limited-slip diff, a sport exhaust, active engine mounts, and 20-inch wheels. Just like the Carrera T, the shifter on the manual transmission is shortened for quicker shifts.
Visually, each 718 T gets Titanium Gray wheels with matching mirror caps. The Sport Chrono package is standard as well, adding selectable driving modes on the steering wheel and launch control for cars equipped with PDK. Inside, the changes are subtler, being limited largely to red nylon door pulls and “718 T” badging on the door sills and gauges.
Pricing isn’t available yet, but expect the T to essentially split the difference between the $57,950 base 718 Cayman and $70,350 718 Cayman S. Boxsters will cost a couple grand more.