2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS to Make 493 Glorious Open-Air Horsepower
Porsche revealed the 718 Spyder RS, the most aggressive Boxster model to date. The new Spyder RS will share the illustrious 4.0-liter six-cylinder from the 911 GT3 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS and will produce 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque.The Spyder RS will carry a starting price tag of $162,150 when it begins arriving at dealerships in the spring of 2024.
Get your earplugs ready, then think better and throw them out, because Porsche has just announced the 2024 718 Spyder RS, the most aggressive Boxster model ever. Sourcing its 4.0-liter flat-six engine straight out of the 911 GT3 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the Spyder RS will be a naturally aspirated symphony.
Open Air, 9000 RPM, 493 HP
We’ve been hearing rumors about a GT4 RS equivalent for some time, but now Porsche has confirmed it. In addition to the Spyder RS being a droptop, there are a few key differences, but Porsche assures in its press materials that the powertrains are identical. The 4.0-liter six-cylinder revs up to 9000 rpm and produces 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. That gives it a 79-hp advantage over the already powerful 718 Spyder.
Like every other modern Porsche with the RS designation, the Spyder RS will only be available with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK automatic transmission. Just like in the Cayman, the ratios have been shortened to improve acceleration. According to Porsche, the new RS will match the Cayman’s on-paper claim of a 3.2-second time to 60 mph. We reckon those are conservative estimates and think the new RS will manage closer to the 2.8-second time we recorded in our testing of the GT4 RS last spring.
The chassis of the new RS is a blend between the Cayman GT4 RS and the 718 Spyder. It comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management along with sport calibration, and has been lowered by 1.2 inches. It features a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear, as well as ball-jointed suspension mountings and 20-inch center locking forged alloy wheels. Compared to the GT4 RS, the spring and damper rates have been reduced, something that will likely hurt lap times, but it’s also what Porsche describes as “a more relaxed, characteristically convertible-style setup.”
The front end of the new RS is designed to be nearly identical to the front of the GT4 RS with a slightly shorter carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic splitter at the front to account for the lack of a wing at the rear. Instead, an enlarged and reshaped ducktail spoiler helps with downforce at the rear.
Upgrading to the Weissach package leads to even more weight savings. The front hood, door mirror caps, upper and lower side air intakes, and Gurney flap on the duckbill are all swapped for carbon-fiber replacements. The Weissach package also includes a titanium exhaust Porsche says is inspired by the limited-edition 935 from 2018.
Intentional Weight Savings
As this is an RS model, Porsche was keenly focused on saving weight. That means fabric door straps instead of interior handles. Furthermore, when the weather gets nice and drivers want to enjoy their Spyder RS correctly (with the top down), they need to manually lower the soft top. Of course, weather non-permitting, that means getting out of the car and scurrying to and fro to get it secured in place again. The whole top weighs just over 40 pounds and shaves 16 pounds compared with the weight of the standard Spyder.
Once it begins arriving at dealerships in spring 2024, the new Spyder RS will carry a starting price tag of $162,150. Porsche plans to hold the public premiere for the car at a celebration in June before it makes an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. That’s a roughly $20,000 premium over the starting price of the Cayman GT4 RS equivalent, though Porsche has always been good at getting customers to pay more for less.
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Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
