2015 Porsche Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS Preach to the Choir

There is a sizable chunk of Porsche fanatics who want their Stuttgart sports car to be as analog and unfiltered as possible. No PDK transmissions, no electric power steering, no electronic safety nets that make you look more competent than you are…just a direct hotline between you and the road and/or track. Is that really so much to ask?

Well, it didn’t use to be. The last generation 911 GT3 was one of the most organic and ornery driving utensils not built in a shed in central England. The new GT3…well, it’s stupendously capable, and its limits are fairly easy to explore, but the dual-clutch transmission, four-wheel steering and cornucopia of computerized driver aids have arguably subtracted a significant chunk of the model’s specialness. (And, at the moment, it’s also highly-susceptible to sudden self-immolation.) Much of the same watering-down has befallen (or improved, depending on your perspective) the 911 Turbo.

So what’s a Porsche purist who prefers to buy new to do? Well, he could buy a new 911 Carrera S with the 7-speed manual. Or if he’s willing to wait a few months, he could slide into the new-for-2015 GTS versions of the company’s non-supercar mid-engine models, the Boxster and Cayman.

Marking the first use of the GTS suffix on a production mid-engine Porsche since the legendary 904 Carrera GTS of the 1960s, the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS are enhanced versions of the already-zippy Boxster S and Cayman S. Both GTSs share exclusive front and rear fascias, smoked headlight and taillight lenses, black 20” alloy wheels borrowed from the aforementioned Carrera S, and twin center-exit black tailpipes. Interior enhancements include a special red-faced tachometer with the stylized “GTS” script, “GTS” embroidery on the headrests, and Alcantara adorning the steering wheel rim, center console, headliner and seat inserts.

Of course, unlike most American “muscle cars” built between 1974 and 1985, the GTS sisters have extra go to go along with their extra show. In the case of both cars, the 3.4L flat-six generates an extra 15 horsepower and 7 lb.-ft of torque over the corresponding S model; that means the Boxster GTS makes 330 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft, and the Cayman GTS makes 340 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. Like all current Porsche sports cars, the company’s stellar 7-speed PDK is available, but unlike the latest hot 911s, a proper manual transmission (a 6-speed, to be exact) is standard. The Sport Chrono package and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) are also included.

However, if you want to hit 60 mph in a big hurry, you’ll want to step up and get the PDK: With Sport Plus mode engaged, the Boxster GTS will bolt to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, while the Cayman GTS will do it in 4.3 seconds. As for top speed, the three-pedal die-hards among you will be happy to know that the standard-shift Boxster GTS will max out at 174 mph, while the identically-equipped Cayman GTS will hit 177 mph.

Suggested retail prices for the GTS models will run about $10k above those of their S counterparts, specifically $73,500 for the Boxster GTS and $75,200 for the Cayman GTS (plus a $995 destination fee). That’s serious coinage, but ordering an S car with the same features will cost you an even prettier penny. Expect the mid-motor GTS siblings to start showing up in U.S. showrooms sometime this summer.

Source: Porsche