WE WILL SEE YOU IN JUNE – Lightweight bodywork, sophisticated aerodynamics, makeshift canopy and – for the first time on an open model of the family 718 – the naturally aspirated 500 HP engine of the 911 GT3. Here, in a nutshell, is the identikit of the new one Porsche 718 Spyder RSwhich the company from Zuffenhausen will present live next June as part of the great celebrations for its first 75 years.
SWAN SONG AT 9000 RPM – Pulls up to 9000 rpm, burns the “0-100” in 3.4 seconds, breaks through the wall of 200 per hour from standing start in 10.9 seconds and reaches 308 km/h. Numbers that place it one step higher than the already very sporty one 718 Spyderbut that don’t say everything about the new one Porsche 718 Spyder RS. A car that has just been born and has already carved out a special place for itself in the history of the Zuffenhausen brand: it ideally closes the cycle of the 718 with open bodywork born in 2016 and could be the swan song of the model with the internal combustion engine. before conversion to batteries planned for the end of 2024.
LIGHTER AND MORE POWERFUL – The invisible thread that in the “spirit” unites the new Porsche 718 Spyder RS the most fascinating models of the house with Speedster body belongs to the prototype of the Porsche Boxster, which saw the light in 1993, exactly thirty years ago. Like its most distant ancestor, the new racing car also promises absolute driving purity, with the plus of a killer engine – combined, as on all RS models in the 718 range, only with the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox – and of an expressly conceived setup for sports use, both on the road and on the track. Thirty millimeters lower than a standard Boxster, thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic materials this “beast” is also lighter: it weighs 1,410 kg, or 40 less than the normal Spyder version, compared to which it has but 80 hp more.
DUCK TAIL AND A ROOF ONLY OF LUCK – The Porsche 718 Spyder RS it also differs from the other models in the Boxster family due to its special bodywork and interior fittings. The front bumper and the bonnet, furrowed by two NACA intakes for cooling the brakes, are those of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, while the shape of the tail is unprecedented, which instead of the showy wing present on the coupé sports a more sober “duck-tail” spoiler reminiscent of that of the legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of the 70s. One, if not the main focus of this car’s design was lightness and to shave off every superfluous kilogram the designers didn’t leave out any detail. Suffice it to say that the thin canvas roof, formed by a sun visor and a deflector both completely removable manually, weighs just 18.3 kg: practically half compared to the standard cover of the 718 Boxster. Thanks to this and other expedients, the slimming diet had a surprising result, as evidenced by the empty weight of the car, which is 5 kg lower – despite the reinforcements of the body structure, typical of open cars – compared to the more powerful, lighter and sports of 718 Cayman.
THE ENTIRE PILOT DECIDES – From a chassis point of view, the new one Porsche 718 Spyder RS maintains the structure of the normal 718 Spyder, with some refinements borrowed from the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and active suspension management, which allows the driver to individually adjust the car’s ride height, stiffness of the stabilizer bars and angle of inclination of the wheels. To more effectively discharge the much power available to the rear wheels there is a self-locking differential with limited slip, while to guarantee a slightly higher level of comfort – since it is a car to be enjoyed, if you like, even at the most relaxed pace in the open air – the springs and shock absorbers are slightly less stiff than those of the most extreme of the caymans.
AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT EVEN MORE “HOT”… – The optional Weissach package features 20-inch forged magnesium alloy wheels instead of the standard aluminum ones, a titanium sports exhaust system with a pair of tailpipes inspired by those Porsche 935 of 2018 and the covering of the upper part of the dashboard in a special technical fabric. That material also covers the central part of the seats, which are super enveloping and whose shell is made, like other internal and external components of the Porsche 718 Spyder RS, in plastic strengthened with carbon fiber.
THE CLOCK IS OFFERED BY THE HOUSE – In the price of Porsche 718 Spyder RScurrently unknown, includes an exclusive chronograph: made in Switzerland by the craftsmen of the Porsche watch factory in Solothurn, it has a titanium case, carbon dial and strap in the same leather used for the seat upholstery.
