2018 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS Drivers' Notes Review | All thrills, no frills
It's faster than the old Cayman GT4
Models like the 2018 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS have always been considered a bit of a performance bargain (at least as far as Porsches are concerned). They've generally combined a number for options for less money than said features would cost individually. With the 718 twins, that means a 365 horsepower 2.5-liter boxer four that — with the dual-clutch transmission — will send the cars to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The Sport Chrono Package is included as standard equipment. That's a $2,000 option on other models. Is the $11,000 price gap between a Boxster S and GTS worth a bit of extra performance? That's up to you do decide.
Our test car, unlike so many Porsches you may see on the street, was light on options. That's fine with us. You can get pretty far into the weeds when it comes to Porsche's à la carte options. The GTS comes with enough goodies as it stands. This 718 Boxster came with simple and clean white paint with a killer-looking red top. Options include $3,730 for Porsche's seven-speed PDK transmission, $290 for PASM sport suspension, $530 for heated seats and $1,780 for an updated infotainment system. All in, the car came out to $91,100.
Editor-in-chief Greg Migliore: I enjoyed a cathartic commute with the top down in the 2018 Boxster. The steering is excellent. Gripping the big, Alcantara-wrapped tiller and piloting through the suburban streets, I felt in control and connected. The brakes were excellent, too, something I noticed when a yellow light turned quickly and stopping required a stomp. The boxer four is quick, sounds raspy, and then growls. Most important, it offers spot-on power for this car. As much as I like manuals, I must admit the PDK is probably better. Inside is fine. This one is trimmed in black with leather. It's subtle but also pedestrian. Outside, styling of the Boxster (and Cayman) is attractive and proportional. It's a swoopy silhouette dressed up with snazzy lights and big wheels. Fun car. Perfect for a summer night.
Our test car, unlike so many Porsches you may see on the street, was light on options. That's fine with us. You can get pretty far into the weeds when it comes to Porsche's à la carte options. The GTS comes with enough goodies as it stands. This 718 Boxster came with simple and clean white paint with a killer-looking red top. Options include $3,730 for Porsche's seven-speed PDK transmission, $290 for PASM sport suspension, $530 for heated seats and $1,780 for an updated infotainment system. All in, the car came out to $91,100.
Editor-in-chief Greg Migliore: I enjoyed a cathartic commute with the top down in the 2018 Boxster. The steering is excellent. Gripping the big, Alcantara-wrapped tiller and piloting through the suburban streets, I felt in control and connected. The brakes were excellent, too, something I noticed when a yellow light turned quickly and stopping required a stomp. The boxer four is quick, sounds raspy, and then growls. Most important, it offers spot-on power for this car. As much as I like manuals, I must admit the PDK is probably better. Inside is fine. This one is trimmed in black with leather. It's subtle but also pedestrian. Outside, styling of the Boxster (and Cayman) is attractive and proportional. It's a swoopy silhouette dressed up with snazzy lights and big wheels. Fun car. Perfect for a summer night.
Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: This car is an absolute joy to drive. It's quick and excellently balanced. The response to driver inputs — steering, acceleration, paddle shifts, braking — are snappy and satisfying. It's a great car to blast down a country road or dart through highway traffic. With the top down, the added visibility makes the latter super easy. The shove from the rear end, with a little bit of wiggle here and there, feels both punchy and well controlled.
What's pretty special about this car is simply the amount of sensual performance wrung out of a mere four-pot mill. With 2.5 liters and a turbocharger, this boxer engine — at least on paper — is reminiscent of the engine under the hood of the Subaru WRX STI. This is something entirely different, especially sonically. The flat four slapping away behind you, culminating in a pulse-raising exhaust crackle, is really something. The fact that the format works just as well, though with entirely different character, in a mid-engine, rear-drive roadster as it does in the all-wheel-drive STI sedan is pretty incredible.
Video Production Manager Eddie Sabatini: Love at first drive. This has happened a handful of times for me. The BMW M2. The Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Volkswagen GTI and now Porsche's 718 Boxster. I had the Boxster for one day, and I think I put 60 miles on it. I live 5 miles from work, so I took the loooong way home. It was one of those drives where you take the open lane. If there is a car in front of you but the left turn lane is clear, you make the left and know you can always get back to your route. But I was in no rush to do so. I just wanted to keep driving.
The 718 looks great, feels great, sounds great. Where is the cupholder, though? Found the infotainment system a bit lacking. Climate controls are odd too. The choice is a sliding scale between "cold" and "hot." How cold is cold? How hot is hot? At least the buttons feel nice/substantial. This is the first mid-engine car I've ever driven. I loved how balanced it felt. If I were getting one, I'd need to test drive the dual clutch and the manual options back-to-back, but the older I get the more I lean toward automatic. I would totally daily drive the 718 (Cayman or Boxster) but I don't think my knees (or my patience in rush hour traffic) could handle shifting for much longer. If this is your second vehicle, sure, get the manual.
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What's pretty special about this car is simply the amount of sensual performance wrung out of a mere four-pot mill. With 2.5 liters and a turbocharger, this boxer engine — at least on paper — is reminiscent of the engine under the hood of the Subaru WRX STI. This is something entirely different, especially sonically. The flat four slapping away behind you, culminating in a pulse-raising exhaust crackle, is really something. The fact that the format works just as well, though with entirely different character, in a mid-engine, rear-drive roadster as it does in the all-wheel-drive STI sedan is pretty incredible.
Video Production Manager Eddie Sabatini: Love at first drive. This has happened a handful of times for me. The BMW M2. The Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Volkswagen GTI and now Porsche's 718 Boxster. I had the Boxster for one day, and I think I put 60 miles on it. I live 5 miles from work, so I took the loooong way home. It was one of those drives where you take the open lane. If there is a car in front of you but the left turn lane is clear, you make the left and know you can always get back to your route. But I was in no rush to do so. I just wanted to keep driving.
The 718 looks great, feels great, sounds great. Where is the cupholder, though? Found the infotainment system a bit lacking. Climate controls are odd too. The choice is a sliding scale between "cold" and "hot." How cold is cold? How hot is hot? At least the buttons feel nice/substantial. This is the first mid-engine car I've ever driven. I loved how balanced it felt. If I were getting one, I'd need to test drive the dual clutch and the manual options back-to-back, but the older I get the more I lean toward automatic. I would totally daily drive the 718 (Cayman or Boxster) but I don't think my knees (or my patience in rush hour traffic) could handle shifting for much longer. If this is your second vehicle, sure, get the manual.
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