Review: The Porsche Spyder 718 RS is the Ultimate Swan Song

The GT4 RS was a matter only of time. Porsche did something it’d never done before: it put the 911 GT3 flat-six engine with 9,000-rpm into a 718 Cayman. The result was dramatic.

Never mind its 493-horsepower output, an extra 79 hp over the GT4, the RS gained a close-ratioed seven-speed PDK, weight-saving carbon components, and beefed-up aero pieces complete with a swan-neck rear wing. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS was bound to follow, but it did not arrive in the way that many expected. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS was designed to be a roadster, not a track car. It has a 4.0-liter V8 engine, a PDK and a lot of the GT4 RS aero. As such, you’ll find softer suspension hiding beneath its arches, a modest ducktail instead of a towering wing, and a two-piece top you’ll have to break down and stow yourself.

Most importantly, its engine intakes remain tucked behind your ears, now unmuffled by metal or glass. It does not sing. The engine’s screams change from a low-pitched bass note to an ear-splitting shriek when the needle of its tachometer approaches its redline at 9,000 rpm. Yet even then, as your ears ring and your head pounds, the feeling behind the wheel is bittersweet.

The Porsche 718 Spyder RS arrives at a crucial moment for the German carmaker and the broader sports car scene. It will be phased out later this year along with all the gas-powered Caymans and Boxsters. A yet-to-be announced electric successor is expected to debut within months. It is feared that the car will grow in size and weigh more as it needs to accommodate a battery. It’s far too soon to start a rant. The Stuttgart engineers know how to make an exciting EV. The Spyder RS is one of the last opportunities to own a mid-engined Porsche with a naturally aspirated high-revving engine. The 911 will continue to use atmospheric aspiration, but the Spyder RS represents the end of a era.

That’s the bitter, but what about the sweet?

There’s plenty. Driving a Porsche 718 Spyder RS is an experience that can only be described in superlatives. This is one of the most exciting, sounding and driving sports cars in the past decade. After you have driven it, you will never want to live without it. It first draws you with its steering. It chatters even before you accelerate. Although it may not provide as much road surface as an older Porsche’s hydraulic system, the electric power system is excellent. The wheel is small, but paired with a quick rack it gives a snappy response. The RS is 1.2 inches lower and wider than a Boxster standard. You’ll see a pair MacPherson struts under its front fenders, with a main spring and a helper one. This is similar to the 911 GT3 RS 991.2 generation. Although the Spyder has lower damper rates for a more comfortable ride, it also comes with Porsche Active Suspension Management. This allows you to firm up your suspension quickly when necessary. The ride height, camber and toe of the Spyder, as well as its anti-roll bar, are also individually adjustable. You don’t have to mess around with anything. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS is the perfect balance of comfort and performance. The roofless RS is still firmer than a Spyder, but it doesn’t translate harshness behind the wheel. You get the same feedback from the chassis that you would want, but without the extra roughness you might experience when driving a car primarily designed for track use. The RS doesn’t require a special event or a perfect route to be enjoyed. It’s engine can rev to the moon but it is equally happy to cruise around town with its seven-speed PDK. The Boxster is practical too. It retains the front and back storage space that make it a versatile sports vehicle. It’s not easy to set up if dark clouds are looming overhead. It’s still far from a quick setup should dark clouds begin to loom overhead.

Point it towards your favorite mountain road, open the valves in its exhaust, firm up its shocks, and you’re instantly reminded that it is still the most extreme Boxster ever produced.

Tipping the scales at 3,214 pounds, it’s a featherweight by modern sports car standards. The RS weighs 59 lb less than a 718 Spyder equipped with PDK thanks to the carbon fiber front fenders, hood and fenders. A set of magnesium wheels and the $12,570 Weissach package reduce unsprung weight by 22 lb.

More important, the RS is virtually massless when driving on a curving road. The ultralight wheels contribute to this feeling. Spyder RS is not a sports car that relies on clever suspension and tire tech to mask its weight. Despite the softer suspension there is no body roll. The Spyder RS is able to navigate a winding road with ease, while providing constant feedback and a high level of speed. Its $8,000 carbon ceramic brakes are excellent and make no noise in the city. The driving experience is engaging, cohesive and thrilling. Its 4.0-liter flat-six engine, derived from the 911 GT3, will be remembered as one of history’s greatest. It can rev to 9,000 revs, which is 1,000 revs more than the 718 Spyder. This engine produces power across all rev ranges. It will reach 60 mph flat out in just 3.2 seconds, and the quarter mile in 11.3 seconds. The top speed is 191 mph. You’ll often rocket around a corner and then look at the tachometer to see that the needle is still only half way there. The power of a high-strung motor is not hidden in the top shelf. However, getting to it is still exciting.

An exciting drive up a mountain with the top down will give you the best headache of your life. The buzzing noise that occurs as the redline nears is deafening. The sound is unlike anything else in a modern production car because it’s not coming from the twin pipes, but rather from the rear-mounted intakes. It’s a noise that’s as authentic as it is loud and will be sorely missed in an electric future.

Still, there’s an elephant in the room, and that is its price. The 2024 tester’s starting price is $163,650. This includes a $1650 destination fee and a $1,000 glass guzzler charge. The $211,090 price tag of this car should not be a surprise if you add up all the extras.

Yet after experiencing it, it’s hard to fault anyone who puts up the money to have one, or even those who pay even higher sums on the

.

It’s not always immediately apparent that you’re behind the wheel of something special. It may seem counterintuitive, but it can take several hundred miles or a Sunday morning drive along a perfectly winding road to experience the epiphany. Other times, the greatness of a car can be hotly debated for decades. Take the Lamborghini Countach for example. This won’t be the case with the Porsche 718 Spyder RS. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS will not be like that.