Porsche 718 Spyder
Porsche 718 Spyder offers insights on UK market prices, inspection tips, and running costs. Discover off-market options and find yours.
The 718 Spyder revives a Porsche name with real racing weight behind it. The original 718 sports-racers of 1957–62 took class wins at Le Mans and overall victories at the Targa Florio. The modern Spyder, launched in 2019 and built through 2023, is the open‑top counterpart to the 718 Cayman GT4, developed by Andreas Preuninger’s GT department rather than the mainstream Boxster line. Under the deck sits a 3,995 cc naturally aspirated flat‑six from the 9A2 Evo family. It makes 420 PS (414 bhp) and 420 Nm, revs to 8,000 rpm, and features adaptive cylinder shutdown for part‑load efficiency. The chassis is 30 mm lower than a standard 718, with GT‑style ball‑jointed links, bespoke spring/damper rates and a functional rear diffuser that, for the first time on a Boxster‑shape car, generates rear downforce. Brakes are 380 mm steels as standard, with PCCB optional. Transmission choice matters. The Spyder launched with a 6‑speed manual whose long gearing suits fast A‑roads but can feel tall on tight B‑roads; from 2021, the 7‑speed PDK became available, dropping 0–62 mph to sub‑4 seconds and making the car ruthlessly consistent on track. Our view is that the manual delivers the purist road experience; PDK is the better tool if you’ll regularly circuit the car or drive year‑round in traffic. The hood is a lightweight manual assembly with flying buttresses. It’s more involved than a standard 718 Boxster’s powered roof, but, in practice, far more usable day‑to‑day than the Spyder RS’s minimalist canopy. Cabin spec is deliberately restrained, with buckets optional and most comforts available if you want them. Hub summary: 2019–2023 open‑top GT 718; 4.0‑litre NA flat‑six; manual or PDK; manual roof that’s fiddlier than a Boxster’s but genuinely liveable; effectively a GT4 without the fixed wing.