The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder now come with a paddleshift gearbox

By topgear, 08 September 2020

Porsche has confirmed the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4 are getting a PDK paddleshift gearbox.

But fear not, for this is no repeat of the 911 GT3 saga of several years ago; a six-speed manual remains standard fit, with the 7spd PDK optional.

The big numbers you need to know are 2,000 and 0.5, respectively the number of seconds it shaves from both cars’ 0-100km/h times, the 4.4secs of the manual sliced down to 3.9secs.

Claims of 10.7l/100km and 242g/km of CO2 emissions are also a weeny bit cleaner than in the stick-shift Spyder and GT4.

It naturally brings a bunch of different settings with it, too, including launch control and the overtake-friendly ‘Sport Response’ button on the steering wheel.

It boosts engine and transmission to the maximum response for 20 seconds regardless of which mode you’re in.

The Spyder and GT4 also get a retuned limited-slip differential with PDK, with higher locking percentages yielding even more traction.

The Spyder and GT4 have gained a new colour option – Python Green (pictured) – while both are offered with gold wheels now, too.

Porsche has also popped the PDK transmission on the options list of the 4.0-litre 718 GTS, where it provides similar cuts to emissions and acceleration times for a slight price hike.

STORY Stephen Dobie

Related Articles