PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER GTS 2018
PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER GTS
The two new GTS models are the sportiest and most emotional designs in the 718 line. They are aimed particularly at drivers who love design and appreciate a vehicle that is ideally suited for everyday use but do not want to sacrifice sportiness. In addition to a number of performance-orientated features, the GTS models boast a high trim level, even in the basic package. Sporty contrasts and exceptional details give them that added extra.
The 904 Carrera GTS first brought motorsport technology to the streets as a road-approved sports car back in 1963. The 924 GTS and 928 GTS that followed refined this principle throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 2010, the GTS celebrated its rebirth in the form of the 911 Carrera GTS (Type 997), followed in 2014 by the Porsche Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS.
Performance and engines - new intake duct provides more power
The beating heart of every Porsche sports car has always been the flat engine. The mid-engine 718 GTS is powered by a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo flat engine with 269 kW (365 hp). The maximum torque of 430 Nm in conjunction with PDK is achieved between 1,900 and 5,000 rpm. As a result, it is available much earlier than in the previous GTS with a six-cylinder flat engine. In combination with the six-speed manual transmission, a maximum torque of 420 Nm is available between 1,900 and 5,500 rpm. With these improvements, the turbo engine delivers 11 kW (15 hp) more power than the 718 S models and up to 26 kW (35 hp) more power than its GTS predecessor with naturally aspirated engine.
The increase in performance is made possible thanks to a redeveloped intake duct with greater volume as well as an optimised turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG) and increased boost pressure. Instead of a maximum boost pressure of 1.1 bar as seen in the 718 S, the optimised single turbocharger with VTG and a larger compressor pushes the air into the combustion chambers with a pressure of up to 1.3 bar. This means that the high torque plateau begins even at a low engine speed of 1,900 rpm and remains at the maximum value all the way to 5,000 or 5,500 rpm.
This results in improved torque characteristics and faster acceleration. The two 718 GTS variants with the standard Sport Chrono Package and optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) sprint from zero to 100 km/h 0.1 seconds faster than the current 718 S models, reaching 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds. In combination with the manual six-speed transmission, they hit 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds. The top speed of the two GTS models is 290 km/h.
However, the GTS models are not only fast on the straights. As mid-engine sports cars, they combine impressive acceleration and sprint qualities with excellent lateral dynamics. The 718 GTS completed the 73 corners and 20.83 kilometres of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:40 minutes on standard tyres. Compared to its predecessors, this makes it 16 seconds faster than the Boxster GTS, 13 seconds faster than the Cayman GTS, and two seconds faster than the current 718 Cayman S (7:42 minutes).
The standard sports exhaust system with centrally positioned black sports tailpipes lends the flat engine an inimitable sonorous tone. The specially aligned interplay of the engine and exhaust flap control and the automatic intermediate acceleration function give the GTS models their distinctive emotional and sporty sound, which further accentuates the sports car's character.
As standard, the GTS models feature a six-speed manual transmission for power transmission to the rear axle; alternatively, the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) is available as an option. The PDK combines the high mechanical efficiency of a manual transmission with the shifting and driving convenience of an automatic transmission. Rapid gear changes with uninterrupted traction, combined with a slight torque enhancement in the Sport programmes, results in improved acceleration values and enables even faster lap times. The optimal transmission-ratio spread and shifting strategy of the PDK also provide increased efficiency.
Sport mode at the push of a button as standard: The mode button integrated on the small 360-millimetre sports steering wheel with the Sport Chrono Package allows the driver to choose between the Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual driving programmes. In Sport mode, the engine responds even more directly, while the PDK is set up for shorter response times and optimum shifting points to provide maximum acceleration. The transmission shifts down earlier and holds the revs to maximize performance. When downshifting throttle blip is automatically activated. In Sport Plus mode, these characteristics are even more pronounced and tailored to maximum performance. This mode also features Launch Control for a racing start. For vehicles equipped with PDK, the button can also be used to activate the "Sport Response" function. This primes the engine and transmission for the fastest possible unleashing of power, and the turbocharger builds up the pressure faster. This guarantees maximum responsiveness for a period of around 20 seconds.
Chassis - sportier and firmer
Power and longitudinal acceleration were on the list of criteria. So, too, were high cornering speeds and maximum driving precision. In the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS and 718 Cayman GTS, the focus is on an even sportier tuning of the chassis components. The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system integrated as standard provides even better traction and thus enhanced driving performance, while maintaining comfort. The PASM sports chassis, which is lowered by 20 mm, is also available as an option. It is ten millimetres lower than the GTS standard chassis.
Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which provides automatic stabilisation control of the vehicle at the limits of its driving dynamics, permanently monitors the direction of travel, speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration. PSM Sport mode is included in the standard Sport Chrono Package. This mode enables ambitious drivers to take the vehicle even closer to its limits on the racetrack or during winter training, without compromising on safety. Compared to "PSM On", the function enables a significantly larger side slip angle and more slip on the drive wheels. This allows for far sportier driving while the PSM remains active in the background.
Additional standard systems also improve steering precision, agility and traction: With the expanded PSM scope, Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with mechanical rear differential lock increases performance and driving pleasure. When steering into a corner, angular momentum is generated around the vehicle's vertical axis via a brake impulse on the inside wheel. This boosts the vehicle's steering precision and agility. The mechanically controlled differential lock ensures that more power is redistributed to the slower wheel. This promotes traction when accelerating sharply out of tight corners, considerably improving the longitudinal and lateral dynamics.
The grey cast iron brakes with red brake callipers provide first-rate deceleration values, even under high thermal loads on the racetrack. In the standard version, the GTS comes with four-piston fixed callipers and brake discs measuring 330 x 34 millimetres at the front and 299 x 20 millimetres at the rear. Customers can also opt for the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), which offers six-piston fixed callipers (painted yellow) combined with 350 x 34 mm discs at the front as well as four-piston fixed callipers with 350 x 28 mm discs at the rear.
Both GTS models boast 20-inch Carrera S wheels as standard. 235/35 ZR 20 tyres at the front and 265/35 ZR 20 tyres at the rear ensure optimum grip.
The Sport Chrono Package is included as standard and includes dynamic gearbox mounts. The PADM system (Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts) minimises engine vibrations and reduces movements that can influence driving dynamics due to the overall weight of the drivetrain. It combines the advantages of hard and soft gearbox mounting: Handling is noticeably more precise and stable under load changes and around fast corners without having to compromise on driving comfort on uneven road surfaces.