Porsche has just released a set of new "Genetic Code" videos showcasing the manufactures latest and greatest! A lightweight lithium-ion battery is optionally available for the Boxster Spyder, the 911 GT3 RS, the 911 GT3 and the 911 GT2 RS. Its shape and function are comparable to those of a conventional lead battery. However, the lithium-ion battery offers a weight saving of more than 10 kg in comparison with the conventional vehicle battery used as standard. These are not all the advantages, however: the compact construction reduces the height by approx. 70 mm, the power output is uniformly high regardless of the charge state, the number of charging and discharging operations is also higher and the service life is longer. The benchmark could hardly have been set any higher: the 911 GT2. The objective: to create something even better. The means: Porsche Intelligent Performance. The result: the new 911 GT2 RS.
No lack of muscle. No excess weight. No more than 500 vehicles. On the most demanding race track in the world, this concept car peaked with a lap time of 7 minutes and 18 seconds. The factor predominantly responsible for this enhanced performance: Porsche Intelligent Performance. An efficiency concept, which is reflected for example in an effective lightweight construction. Consequently, for every 1 hp in the 911 GT2 RS there is only 2.21 kg of body weight. The very first sports car to bear the Porsche name won races. We treasure our heritage and never forget where we came from. In the field of motor sports we have achieved countless successes and written history. In motor sports, fractions of seconds count. This is what our engineers are working for. Example: Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). Extremely fast gear changes with no interruption in traction at any time. Yielding a substantial improvement in acceleration values and fuel economy. Our genetic code is particularly evident here. Technology is not an end in itself. Instead the driver should benefit.
Our Porsche 718 Cayman review assesses the cheapest sports car made by Porsche. Renamed with the addition of the three-digit badge in 2016鈥檚 overhaul, the Cayman now undercuts its soft-top sibling, the similarly rebranded 718 Boxster. The two cars are essentially identical under the skin, but the Germans finally saw sense and followed market convention by pricing the tin-top coupe below the convertible roadster choice from 2016 onwards; previously the Boxster was the cheaper car. Both models have jettisoned the charismatic flat-six engines in favour of much smaller, turbocharged four-cylinder motors. This is a very simple line-up, with just two models offered at launch: the 718 Cayman with its 2.0-litre flat-four and the 718 Cayman S with a larger 2.5-litre version of the horizontally opposed engine. It鈥檚 worth explaining what that engine layout means. Most road cars have the cylinders arranged vertically in a straight line, but Porsche is famous for its 鈥渇lat鈥?six engines, where the pistons are flattened, punching in opposite, or 鈥渉orizontally opposed鈥?directions.
It鈥檚 a great way of lowering the centre of gravity of a car - and also provides a distinctive soundtrack. The junior Porsches are rivals to the BMW Z4, Jaguar F-type and Mercedes-Benz SLC. This means that the smallest Porsche follows the engineering blueprint of Subaru. The reason for shedding a pair of cylinders and all that cubic capacity is simple: the new Cayman has cleaner CO2 emissions (meaning cheaper tax bills) and less thirsty economy figures. On paper, at least. Not quite. It鈥檚 come at the expense of some engine character. This is a shame, since the spine-tingling, six-cylinder soundtrack was a highlight of pre-2016 Cayman sports cars. There鈥檚 no doubting the turbocharged performance on offer, however. Even the base 718 has a decent turn of speed, although you have to rev the Cayman quite hard to access all the thrust. Pick the more powerful Cayman S and turbo lag (the delay in power delivery you normally experience as the turbocharger starts spinning) is even harder to encounter - this is a very fast car indeed. We鈥檝e driven models with both six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic PDK paddle-shift gearboxes and are pleased to report that both are brilliant.
Test drive one yourself and check which is your preferred method of cog-swapping. Driver engagement is what lies at the heart of the 718 Cayman鈥檚 appeal. This car steers so sweetly, corners with a purity rarely encountered, and yet retains a composed, cosseting ride quality that makes it a viable daily driver option. Practicality is strong on the 718. Considering this is a focused two-seat sports car, it comes with an impressive amount of space - thanks to a pair of boots front and rear, wrapped around the mid-mounted engine. You鈥檒l stow 150 litres under the bonnet and a further 125 out back under the tailgate. That鈥檚 more than you鈥檇 accommodate in some superminis. Quality, too, is decent. It鈥檚 a robustly built thing and one that pampers both passengers. Just watch out for a long list of optional extras, that can quickly send the price tag spiralling. In December 2018 Porsche unveiled the 718 Cayman T, which follows the recipe of the 911 T by offering a sporty drive with understated looks. The engine is a 300hp version of the regular Cayman's 2.0-litre, but it uses chassis parts from the S for better handling.
