The Boxster and Cayman ranges have been expanded to include GTS versions, which have more power and higher top speeds than any previous models. They are permanent models, not limited edition batches, and can be ordered in the UK now.
The GTS badge (for “Grand Turismo Sport”) was first seen on the Porsche 904 Carrera, a midengined sports car racer built in the mid 1960s, and whose sophisticated four-cam flat-four engine of two litres produced just under 200bhp.
That was almost the same horsepower of the first, 2.5-litre Boxster which was launched three decades later, but the new GTS version of the two-seat roadster has 326bhp, an additional 15bhp over the existing 3.4-litre Boxster S, on which it is based. Pulling power increases by 7lb ft to 273lb ft torque.
Porsche is out of step with other carmakers in not electronically limiting the top speed of its cars to 156mph, hence the regular 2015 Porsche Boxster S can be wound up to 172mph. This edges up to 174mph when the Porsche is in its standard, manual six-speed form, the PDK automatic car topping out at 173mph. Acceleration is sharpened too, the GTS’s 4.7sec 0-62mph (PDK) reduced by 0.3sec compared to the Boxster S. The engine spec makes the GTS the first Boxster to comply with Euro 6 emissions, but fuel consumption – 34.4mpg on the combined cycle, with PDK – remains the same as the Boxster S.
The Cayman has always been slightly more powerful than the equivalent Boxster, and hence the extra 15bhp gives the GTS version of the closed coupe 335bhp, while the added 7lb ft torque results in 280lb ft. Top speed for the six-speed manual car is 177mph, 3mph more than the Cayman S, and the 0-62mph sprint with PDK falls 0.3sec to 4.6sec. As with the Boxster GTS, fuel consumption is unaffected.
The Boxster and Cayman GTS are priced at £52,879 and £55,397, increases of £6767 and £6614 over the S models. Both come with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Sport Chrono package, Sports exhaust, 20-inch Carrera S wheels (with 235/35 front and 265/35 rear tyres) to replace the standard 19-inch, Dynamic Lighting and Sports seats Plus, all of which would add almost the price difference to the S models, allowing the extra power to be seen as something of a bargain.
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Additionally, both GTS models are available with a new sports chassis setting, lowering the ride height by 20mm, priced at £689. The original 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS pictured here sold for €1.3m (about £1m) at auction in Paris in February 2014.
GTS tag pays homage to the 904 GTS of the ’60s. The four cylinder coupe will be an even more relevant association with the arrival of four cylinder engines for the Boxster and Cayman.
