The Porsche GTS Cayman. Photo: Supplied

In 2019, to the delight of petrolheads worldwide, Porsche launched the purist duo of its mid-engined sports cars in the form of the hardcore 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder.

The celebration of these cars was in part due to them being endowed with a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre, flat 6-cylinder motor. This was important as the current generation of 718s was initially launched with 4-cylinder motors — a decision that left many missing the signature sound of the previous generation sixes. 

Round of applause for new Porsche GTS offering

In 2020, Porsche will receive another round of applause with the new GTS cars. They too feature a high-revving 4.0-litre, horizontally opposed 6-cylinder motor initially only in 6-speed manual guise. This should thrill driving enthusiasts countrywide.

The motor produces a healthy set of performance numbers: 294kW of power and 420Nm of torque, enough for a 4.5-second 0-100km/h sprint and a top speed of 294km/h. By comparison, the GT4 and Spyder versions produce 15kW more power.  

From R1 164 000 for the Cayman and R1 175 000 for the Boxster, Porsche South Africa has priced the GTS cars very competitively.

GT4 and Spyder are priced from R300 000 more and as much as they are more dynamic and more technically competent, the GTS has the added benefit of being more suited to everyday use yet still with the power, character and enjoyability that comes from a naturally aspirated, manual sportscar. 

Sporty and involved driving experience

The GTS is ultimately aimed at the driving enthusiast who requires a more sporty and involved driving experience, but isn’t a track-day frequenter.

Other alternatives could be the Toyota GR Supra which is less powerful (250kW) and also slightly less expensive, currently priced at R1 093 700. BMW’s Z4 M40i or the BMW M2 Coupe also make a good case, although they are different expressions and therefore will be a different experience. Pricing on these cars is R1 064 000 and R990 000 respectively. 

The first orders of the 718 GTS 4.0 are due to arrive in South Africa around June 2020 and we do expect some PDK-versions to be introduced at a later stage. 

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