2022 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS could spawn Boxster Spyder twin

A Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder RS is under consideration as an open-top twin to the upcoming Porsche Cayman GT4 RS – the fastest and most powerful Cayman to date.

The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman have been twins since the original Boxster in 1996 and the original Cayman in 2005. 

Now up to the fourth generation, Porsche has developed fitting exclamation points to its mid-engined sports-cars, in the lead-up to the modern electric-car era.

This generation of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman was introduced in Europe in 2015 and in Australia in 2016 – and is now approaching the final years of its lifecycle.

Future versions of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman will have the option of pure-electric power, but for now the company says it is still investing in the development of high-performance petrol models – in the Cayman, Boxster, and 911 – because there is still strong demand.

Until now, the top of the range in the 718 Boxster and Cayman line-ups were the GT4 editions.

Now Porsche has handed the 718 Cayman GT4 to its motorsports division to create the first-ever GT4 RS version.

Production of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is due to commence in a fortnight, with the first customer deliveries due in Europe and North America by the middle of this year – ahead of expected Australian arrivals in the second half of 2022. 

In Australia, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is priced from $300,800 plus on-road costs (not including option packs).

Powered by a non-turbo 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine that revs to a giddy 9000rpm, the 368kW/450Nm engine delivers a 0-100km/h time of 3.4 seconds.

The 2022 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS is also faster around the Nurburgring than a Porsche 911 Turbo S – according to internal Porsche testing data – thanks to sticky tyres, a lightweight body, and race-ready aerodynamics, brakes, and suspension.

When asked about the possibility of a GT4 RS version of the Porsche Boxster Spyder, Andreas Preuninger, Porsche director of GT cars, told Drive: “I could image something like that. I think it’s manageable and feasible and interesting, but it’s not confirmed.”

The vice president of Porsche 911 and 718 (Boxster and Cayman) model lines, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, told Drive: “Technically speaking, this is possible (to build a Porsche Boxster Spyder GT4 RS). If we do it, I don’t know. The question is where to position it.

“As an open-top, it’s not a track-orientated car, so it must be something different. As always, we have a lot of ideas on the table and we have to make decisions.

“If you consider it as a wonderful extension of the RS idea to the Boxster platform … would I love to see such a car? Yes.”

However, while Porsche has all the ingredients to create a Boxster GT4 RS – based on the same high-performance components in the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS – there is still no guarantee such a vehicle will go into production, the executives said.