2018 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS

One certainty in life is that people always want more. Porsche buyers included. So while many people dream of owning a 718 Boxster, some have no interest in Porsche’s entry-level roadster.  Well, that might change, as Porsche has now spread their GTS treatment to the 718 family. Let us now experience that Porsche “moreness”.

If you’ve already been to a Porsche dealer and are still having a hard time choosing between a base 718 Boxster and the Boxster S, well things just got even harder. Now there is a new for 2018…718 Boxster GTS in the mix as well. 

It seems like every other month or so we’re driving some fantastic new Porsche, and sometimes even we have to remind ourselves to stop sounding like total fan boys.

But, then comes along this Boxster GTS. Much like the 911 GTS, it largely takes a host of performance options already currently available, and puts them together under one label. 

But, you do get added power as well. More boost from the turbo and a redesigned intake add 15-horsepower over the S for a total of 365, along with 309 lb-ft. of torque with the standard 6-speed manual transmission. 317 lb-ft. if you opt for the 7-speed PDK like our test car. 

Included, is the Sport Exhaust System; black tips of course, as GTS adds black trim throughout both the exterior and interior.

Alcantara leather covers the center of the Sports seats, GT sports steering wheel, door armrests, and gear selector.

Now, it’s no fun sitting still in a Porsche, so off to the track. 

In typical PDK fashion, launching is easy as pie.  Take off is not as brutal as some of the 911s we’ve been in lately, but it’s enough of a thrill ride to scare people that don’t do this for a living. 

There is a slight bit of turbo lag early on, but power arrives soon enough; as does the rev limiter, at least through the first two gears. We hit 60 in 3.7-seconds, a tenth quicker than we got in the lighter Cayman S last year. 

PDK shifts are just as quick and deliberate as always, taking us to the end of the ¼-mile in 12.2-seconds at 116 miles-per-hour. 

For the handling department, GTS includes a suspension lowered by 10-millimters, with Porsche Active Suspension Management, a mechanical torque-vectoring locking rear differential, and the Sport Chrono package.

For these, it was off to the challenging road course at Dominion Raceway near Fredericksburg, Virginia.

This Boxster may still be rear-drive only, but its mid-engine neutrality, makes it one of the most balanced cars we’ve ever driven.

Even with the additional power, grip remains spectacular, seemingly never-ending; unless you really go out of your way to induce some oversteer with a quick stab of the throttle. 

We noticed that turbo-lag even more here, especially when coming out of slow speed corners. 

But, no matter the corner, the GTS stays very flat; and has that divine feel that everyone seems to want, yet no other manufacturer seems to be able to deliver with such consistency as Porsche. Who knows how much more power this chassis could handle, but it feels just about perfect right now. 

The GTS does not come standard with ceramic brakes, but they are available. They’re certainly not a necessity for good stops, but a worthy consideration if track days are on the agenda, as our standard brakes-equipped GTS’s pedal did get a little soft towards the end of our long test day. 

With performance stopping just short of a 911; it makes sense that pricing winds up almost as lofty. $82,950 to start, and of course you can get the GTS treatment for the hardtop cousin Cayman as well, for about 2-grand less. 

So, while the 2018 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS does not include a major engine upgrade over the Boxster S; its value-added, pre-assembled package of already available upgrades, touch every part of the car that matters. All to make a driving experience even more so.  It feels fantastic no matter what road or track you’re on.  And all-in-all, it’s more proof that when it comes to Porsche, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing.