2023 Porsche 718 Spyder Performance

Many tend to focus on outright performance these days. Sure, figures and stats are important, but there's so much more to performance cars than 0-60 mph times and top speeds. Just ask anyone who has driven modern sports cars after a spin in a classic: they'll tell you that it feels arcade-like, disconnected, or synthetic. The 2023 Porsche 718 Spyder might not be the quickest or fastest in its class, but that doesn't matter when you feel just how visceral this thing is to drive; but first, the numbers. The Porsche 718 Spyder will bolt from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds if the Sport Chrono Package is in play and you row your own gears - opt for the seven-speed PDk, and this drops to just 3.7 seconds. Even with the manual, the Spyder is quicker than the BMW Z4 M40i. The Porsche drop-top will max out at 186 mph with the automatic, and 187 mph with the manual. These figures might seem tame to some, but with that 4.0-liter flat-six screaming in your ears at 8,000 rpm and power channeled to the rear wheels, everything feels twice as fast. In town, this car slinks along happily with traffic, and on the highway, it will sing past slower-moving traffic, and you're likely to enjoy wringing it out a little to get it to surge forward.

The Porsche 718 Spyder looks great, has a wonderful chassis, and displays excellent build quality, but all that really matters are those six pistons hiding behind the rear engine cover. This 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-six engine is a true work of art and features an aluminum block and cylinder head with VarioCam variable valve timing and lift, adaptive cylinder management, direct fuel injection, and dry sump lubrication. Not only does this engine deliver beautifully linear power, but it also sounds fantastic while doing so, thanks to a variable intake manifold with two switchable resonance valves and a twin-tract sport exhaust system. The headlining figures are 414 hp at 7,600 rpm, a redline of 8,000 rpm, and a torque figure of 309 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is available, and with the latter equipped, the specs on the Porsche 718 Spyder increase to 317 lb-ft of torque. The PDK transmission is the one to get if you want to complete the benchmark sprint fastest, but either is excellent in this application.

Unlike its base Boxster and Cayman siblings, the Porsche 718 Spyder'sengine is a large capacity, naturally-aspirated six-cylinder unit that doesn't do fuel efficiency any favors. According to the EPA, the 718 Spyder will manage gas mileage estimates of 18/24/20 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycle in automatic configuration, while the manual car will see that figure drop to 17/23/19 mpg. Its 16.9-gallon fuel tank gives it a range of between 320 and 338 miles.