The 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 Is Basically Perfect

Four-cylinder haters, this car is for you. Enthusiasts, journalists among them, almost universally criticized Porsche's decision to fit the Boxster and Cayman with turbocharged flat-fours in place of a naturally aspirated flat six. Most 718 reviews could be summed up as "one of the best chassis in the world is let down by an uninspiring four-cylinder."

I'm one of the four-cylinder's few defenders. It's a clever engine with surprisingly great throttle response, excellent power and torque, and a sound that's characterful if nothing else. And in China, where engines are taxed by displacement, the 2.0-liter base model sells strongly enough to justify the 718’s existence. But many Europeans and Americans don't want a four-cylinder 718. To shut them up, Porsche now offers a 4.0-liter flat-six. Not a bad substitute.

We knew the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4 were always going to get some sort of six, but the new GTS 4.0 models came as a very pleasant surprise early last year. It appeared then that they'd hit the sweet spot: cheaper and more road-oriented than the Spyder and GT4 with little sacrifice in performance. Both Boxster and Cayman GTS 4.0 also undercut the base turbocharged 911 Carrera in pricing, which is intriguing indeed.

I thought about this car a lot before I drove it. I've always enjoyed the 718; good as it is with a four-cylinder, what would it be like with a six? And a four-liter six with a 7800-rpm redline, at that. In my mind, this car sounded basically perfect, though I have to admit that as a longtime Porsche fan and a current Boxster owner I'm predisposed to like the GTS 4.0. Call me biased if you want, though I'll counter by saying my expectations for this car were extremely high.

But you know where this is going. The 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is one of the best sports cars on sale now. It's everything you hope it is. I imagine you're less than shocked by this conclusion, which in fairness was somewhat foregone. Porsche simply put a killer engine in a car we already love.

Perhaps we'll get the bad points out of the way first:

1. As ever with a Porsche, the first three gears are too long. First takes you to 49 mph, second to 84, third to 116 mph. This means you can't legally take the engine out to redline beyond first gear on the road, except on that one 85-mph highway in Texas.

2. The exhaust note is a little strange. The US-spec cars don't have the noise-muting gasoline particulate filters that some others do, but the exhaust baffles still remain shut until around 3800 rpm, even in the two Sport modes. The car also has cylinder deactivation, which is neat but further contributes to the same tones.

3. Academically, I know the 718 Spyder is better because it's got a bit more power, and more importantly, a chassis developed by Porsche Motorsport. However, it's also more expensive and the top is fiddly. What I really want is this car with that chassis.

And that's about it. This is that rare thing, a car that feels right the moment you drive away. The seating position and the control weights are absolutely spot on, as you'd expect from a Porsche, and the car immediately feels lightweight and poised. This is gonna be good.

What's interesting is that the 718 GTS 4.0 is hardly revolutionary. It evolved from the 981 Boxster, which debuted nine years ago, an age in the automotive world. And that car was available with a flat six. This car is really just an evolution of the 981.