It’s been every week now since I drove the 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS within the rolling hills of the Swabian Alps in Germany. Usually I don’t get this a lot time to replicate on a day of driving a brand new automobile earlier than writing about it, however I’m glad that on this case, I did. See, the 718 Spyder RS is a comparatively easy automobile, however it generates some complicated emotions in me, not the least of which is remorse as a result of this would be the final mid-engine inner combustion car to come back from Zuffenhausen. With that weight on its shoulders, the Spyder RS must make a press release. However does it succeed?

To begin, the simplest approach to describe the 718 Spyder RS is because the roofless sibling of the Cayman GT4 RS. They share a drivetrain – the 911 GT3’s 4.0-liter 9,000-rpm 500-hp flat-six and that automobile’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox, completely – they usually share some physique panels, too, plus an inside (minus the roof, obvs). The place they differ is of their meant function and the tuning that Porsche GT czar Andy Preuninger has given them to realize that function.

The place the Cayman GT4 RS is a hardcore track-rat’s dream, with unflinching suspension and an enormous adjustable wing out again, the 718 Spyder RS is supposed as a automobile for the highway and for driving engagement. It’s a softer, extra snug automobile (although given the standard of German roads, it’s arduous to say by how a lot that’s noticeable) with much less aero due to a shorter entrance lip and the change to a ducktail spoiler with Gurney flap (or wicker invoice should you’re a Corvette engineer studying this).

Should you’re considering that it’s bizarre {that a} Porsche product with an enormous fats RS on the finish of its mannequin title being arrange for quick, enjoyable highway driving is bizarre, you’re not unsuitable. When in comparison with one thing like the totally bananas 911 GT3 RS, it nearly doesn’t make since that Porsche didn’t name it one thing else. Nonetheless, I’ll affirm to you now that this automobile remains to be razor sharp and impossibly fast down a curvy highway – seemingly faster and sharper than you’re as a driver, if we’re being trustworthy. Fortunately, it’s nonetheless a reasonably forgiving automobile, and Porsche’s digital security methods are among the many greatest within the enterprise, so that you’re not prone to want your brown pants should you take the automobile out for an actual rip.

The suspension setup is mechanically nearly equivalent to what you’d discover on the GT4 RS, simply with considerably lowered spring charges. It’s nonetheless heim-jointed and ultra-adjustable, and when you’d usually really feel and listen to all of the vibrations, clunks, creaks and rattles {that a} hard-mounted suspension brings with it, on this automobile, you don’t, and that brings me to the following neatest thing concerning the Spyder RS: the intakes.

Should you’ve learn something concerning the GT4 RS, then you definitely’ve seemingly heard individuals wax on concerning the automobile’s epic, all-consuming consumption noise. With that air-hungry GT3 motor spinning at 9,000 rpm, these facet window-mounted air scoops make for one hell of a racket, and within the Spyder, that racket is even wilder as a result of the intakes are open and mounted just about proper by your head.

In the course of the press drive, my co-driver used a cellphone app to measure the amount of that consumption honk below full throttle. He noticed a excessive of 106 dB. In fact, a cellphone app isn’t that correct, however even when it’s off by 5 decibels, that’s nonetheless loud sufficient to trigger everlasting listening to injury after half-hour. That is the primary time I’ve wished a pair of earplugs in a inventory highway automobile and whereas that’s undoubtedly gnarly, it’s additionally fairly fucking rock-and-roll should you ask me.

Every thing else concerning the automobile and the way it drives is kind of improbable, however that shouldn’t come as a shock. The 718 platform is now fairly previous and intensely well-sorted. The drivetrain is a recognized amount and top-of-the-line ever created, although I do lament the shortage of a handbook transmission possibility. The explanation it doesn’t have one is two-fold. First, the six-speed from the 911 wouldn’t match (the axles are within the unsuitable place) and redeveloping it to work with a mid-engine platform simply wasn’t cost-effective. Secondly, Porsche maintains that RS fashions needs to be dual-clutch solely because it’s sooner.

The 718 Spyder’s different trick is its comparatively mild (no less than by in the present day’s requirements) curb weight of three,109 lbs (in European trim). That makes the automobile a whopping 88 kilos lighter than the PDK Boxster Spyder and 11 kilos lighter even than the Cayman GT4 RS. That delta will increase should you buck up for the Weissach bundle which provides a bunch of carbon fiber bits and a titanium exhaust and you’ll spend much more ($15,650, to be particular) on magnesium wheels, which drop a complete of twenty-two lbs of unsprung and rotating mass.

The opposite large change from the 718 Boxster and Boxster Spyder is the transfer to a very handbook roof. The one energy element is you popping the rear clamshell to entry the roof and most of its fixings. As handbook roofs go, this one feels a bit of bit too DIY, however it’s not unmanageable, it provides two extra methods to expertise the automobile and it appears to be like dope when its up. It’s a single layer of cloth, and the arduous elements are largely carbon fiber, so it’s depraved mild. How mild? Attempt 40 kilos, all in, and you’ll simply go away most of that 40 lbs at dwelling should you’re satisfied it received’t rain. Bonus!

Right here’s a cellphone video of me attempting to place it up after having executed it for follow a couple of instances. I apologize for the wind noise and for being a spaz, however it was actually windy.

The halfway place with the principle a part of the highest up, however no wind deflector/rear window is perhaps my favourite approach to drive the automobile. It acts like a solar sail and provides up loads of climate safety however doesn’t curb any of that giggle-inducing and ear-splitting consumption sound. One main annoyance with the highest is that if it’s put in, you’ll be able to now not open the rear clamshell. You must unbuckle the 2 rear tensioning flaps (manually, on both sides of the automobile) earlier than you’ll be able to entry the rear trunk. Is it a dealbreaker? No. Does it form of suck? Yeah, however that’s why you’ve got an enormous entrance trunk to make use of, proper?

So, we’ve to date established that the 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS is a depraved quick and tremendous agile mid-engine sports activities automobile that’s method much less handy to have and use than a daily ol’ 718 Boxster. We’ve established too that this isn’t the automobile for you should you’re attempting to exit and chase lap instances. Lastly, we’ve established that this automobile will most likely break your listening to completely however that it’s price it. With all that, does the 718 Spyder RS make a sufficiently big assertion to justify its lofty $162,350 beginning value (together with a $1,650 vacation spot cost)?

Hell sure, it does. It feels just like the GT division’s love letter to the outgoing mid-engine chassis, and it additionally seems like Andy and his crew letting free a bit of bit and making the form of automobile that they’d need to drive quite than one which’s out to set Nurburgring lap instances. It’s particular, and for thus many causes, it’s a straightforward automobile to like. I can’t wait to spend extra time in it on my dwelling roads, the place my spouse and I can share a pair of earplugs (left for me, proper for her) and let that lovely flat-six yowl its guts out.

The 2024 718 Spyder RS is ready to hit the US market in early 2024, however the always-absurdly-granular Porsche configurator is stay now, so present me your best spec. Right here’s how I’d have mine: