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It seems not that long ago that we were told that Porsche’s new line of 718 Boxsters and Caymans would be made four-cylinder-only. Even though the turbo flat-fours had decent power, we bemoaned the fact that this incredibly capable chassis had lost one of the key elements of the Porsche driving experience: a nice and vocal flat-six.
Thankfully the enthusiasts’ cries didn’t fall on deaf ears, and the six-cylinder models were introduced, albeit as a step up from the turbocharged four pots. One such model is the 718 Spyder, a nod to the past with a funky engine, which along with the Cayman GT4, transformed the 718 into a proper 911 challenger.
The party piece of the 718 Spyder is its 4.0-liter naturally aspirated six cylinder engine, a modified 3.0-liter twin-turbo lump borrowed from the 911. Saying it gives the 718 Spyder a bit of extra verve and distinction is an understatement.
However, fresh from its unveiling at the Shanghai Auto Show, the 718 Spyder now comes in a with a 300 hp 2.0-liter flat-four, at least in the Chinese market. As luck would have it, the very next day our spies managed to snap one testing at the Nürburgring.
While the four-cylinder Spyder is thought to be a China-only afair, its presence at the Green Hell has got us wondering if Porsche sees potential in a global roll-out. And while it wouldn’t be the first time China has got a lower-powered version all to itself, we do dig the simplistic looks of this new Spyder.
The four-pot 718 Spyder features the standard Cayman/Boxster bumpers as opposed to the aggressive ones from the full-fat GT4-engine’d 718 Spyder. It will also ride on the standard suspension and presumably feature smaller brakes. Although all of this doesn’t sound great, especially because it has a smaller engine. Moreover, while this might not matter so much if it were to launch as an entry-level point to Porsche’s sports car range, we can’t see it happening, for two reasons: first, the Spyder has never been an entry-level model, and second, even in China it’s priced at 738,000 yuan (~$113,000), which puts it between the 661,000 yuan (~$102,000) Boxster T and the 797,000 yuan (~$123,000) Boxster S – and way above the 565,000 yuan (~$87,000) base 2.0-liter Boxster.
