Porsche’s 718 Spyder RS Debuts as the Ultimate Drop-Top
As an open-top counterpart to the venerable GT4 RS, Porsche has ripped the covers off its 718 Spyder RS variant, deemed the fastest and most powerful 718 Roadster ever.
Packing a naturally-aspirated 6-cylinder boxer engine shared with the 911 GT3 and coupe variants, the powerplant gushes out 368 kW and a whopping 450 Nm, enough to whisk the roadster from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.
It will accelerate until it hits a 308 km/h top speed while shuffling through a short-ratio 7-speed PDK transmission like many other modern Porsches with the RS designation.
The 718 Spyder shares its components with the coupe version, such as the standard Porsche Active Suspension Management with sports tuning which lowers the car by 30 mm, Porsche Torque Vectoring with a mechanical limited-slip differential and a set of 20” forged aluminium wheels.
The 718 Spyder is available in four plain and three metallic hues, including the new Vanadium Grey Metallic and special Arctic Grey, Shark Blue and Ruby Star Neo colours.
As for the manually-operated, single-layer soft-top and its mechanical parts weigh only 18.3 kg, and for those seeking to shave off additional weight, the roof can be removed completed and stored at home.
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The interior remains similar to the coupe courtesy of an RS sports steering wheel wrapped in Race-Tex and features a 12 o’clock yellow marking, standard full bucket seats made of CFRP finished in carbon weave, and seat covers made of black leather. The dashboard and trims are covered with leather, while contrasting colours include Arctic Grey or Carmine Red.
It can be coated in a choice of four plain and three metallic paint hues. Porsche offers the 718 Spyder with optional packages such as the performance-focused Weissach Package.
Priced at R3,024,000, the 718 Spyder is earmarked to arrive in SA in the second quarter of 2024 and, like the GT4 RS, in limited numbers. The pricing carries a 3-year DrivePlan.
This marks the end of the road for an ICE-powered 718 model as electrification becomes part and parcel at Porsche. If this matches the coupe’s flawless attitude, we will have another TopGear SA 10/10 car.
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