German luxury sportscar carmaker Porsche has announced introducing automatic variants for its flagship 718 models - the 718 Spyder and the 718 Cayman GT4. Both models will now also come with the company's tried and tested 7-speed Porsche Dual-Clutch Transmission (PDK), in addition to the existing 6-speed manual transmission. It was just in August 2020 that the company launched the models in India priced at Rs. 1.60 crore and Rs. 1.63 crore (ex-showroom India) respectively. As for the newly introduced automatic options, they are yet to be launched in India.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder were launched in August 2020 with a 6-speed manual transmission
Porsche says that compared to the manual version, the 718 Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 now accelerate from 0-100 kmph half a second faster, in 3.9 seconds. The 0 to 200 kmph sprint is achieved in 13.4 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the manual versions. The top-speed stands at 300 kmph. The Porsche 718 range continues to be powered by the 4.0-litre, six cylinders engine that comes with direct fuel injection (DFI), integrated dry-sump lubrication and adaptive cylinder control. The engine continues to make the same 414 bhp at 8,000 rpm, 35 bhp more than the previous model. Peak torque stands at 420 Nm, which is developed between 5,000 to 6,800 rpm.
Also Read: 2021 Porsche 718 Range Updated With New Features And PDK Gearbox
The Porsche 718 range continues to be powered by the 4.0-litre, six cylinders engine that offers 414 bhp and 420 Nm torque
The 2020 718 Spyder and the 718 Cayman GT4 also come with Porsche Stability Management and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear differential lock that enhances the longitudinal and lateral dynamics as well as cornering performance. Visually, the cars come with Porsche's signature design language with LED headlights and LED taillights, along with a set of 20-inch alloy wheels. The GT4 gets a fixed rear wing that not only adds to the model's looks but also adds 20 per cent more downforce over its predecessor. The 718 Spyder, on the other hand, comes with a retractable rear spoiler that automatically rises at 120 kmph.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 gets a fixed rear wing that adds 20 per cent more downforce than its predecessor
The PDK versions of the 718 Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 come with updates made to their mechanical locking rear differential: in traction and overrun modes, this achieves locking values of 30 and 37 per cent as compared with 22 and 27 per cent with the manual transmission. The models also come with the Porsche Active Suspension Management damping system lowers the ride height by 30 mm which also lowers the car's centre of gravity and improves the lateral dynamics. Both cars come with Aluminium monobloc fixed brake calliper, while customers will have the option to upgrade to ceramic composite brakes as well.
