It was a rumor with the 981 generation GT4 and Spyder, and was confirmed for the 718. We knew it was coming, and now it’s finally here. Ladies and gentlemen, the Porsche 718 GT4 and Spyder now come with PDK transmissions. It may not seem like it -given almost every Porsche has it-but this is a HUGE deal. The Porsche Cayman and Boxster have finally reached 911 performance levels.
The only weakness of the manual only Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder was their unusually long gearing. This flaw was present in both the 981 cars and the 718s. It was effectively proof that Porsche was purposely holding back the Cayman and Boxster, but with the new PDK, that weakness is no more. Porsche unleashed the beast.
The 7 speed PDK transmission in the new GT4 and Spyder costs an additional $3,210 and gives the cars an additional 8 lb/ft of torque along with a higher locking limited slip differential. As a result, the 0-60 time on both cars is reduced by a drastic 0.5 seconds. For comparison, the 992 Carrera S (yes, the S) does 60 in 3.5 seconds. So now, the Cayman and Boxster have near identical 0-60 times along with a significant weight advantage. They just might be faster now.
This new transmission will certainly add a whole new level of performance on the track as well. That shorter gearing will help both cars launch out of corners even faster, and that new differential will help them grip even harder. We already know the the manual GT4 can beat a Carrera S around certain tracks, and I wonder how much wider the performance gap will get with this new transmission.
The only question left now, is the upcoming GT4RS. Rumor has it that, it will make somewhere within the realm of 500 hp. Will that be enough to take on a 911 GT3? I wouldn’t be surprised, would you?
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