Porsche has used the Touring T to mean driver-focused. Now it is applying the formula to its smallest cars. The Porsche 718 Boxster T and Cayman T
Porsche Pares Down With 718 Boxster T and Cayman T
When Porsche attaches a T to the tail of their cars in the way of the Turbo badge it means faster, quicker, more over the top performance. Other times, it’s a stand-alone T. That letter means something completely different. A pared-down, driver focused light and simple car. It’s been featured on the 911 Carrera multiple times over the years. This time, it’s moving to a different pair of models. The Porsche 718 Boxster T and Cayman T.
The T is for Touring in Porsche-speak. The automaker calls it “synonymous with driving pleasure in its purest form.”
What does that mean? Less. And more. Let’s take a look.
Less Porsche Means More Porsche
For a start, there is less weight. Some of the measures Porsche has taken to cut pounds include turning the door handles into fabric pulls. The sports seats get some of their power adjustment stripped away. Just two-ways of adjustment, plus cloth inserts. In markets that don’t require a back-up camera (sorry, U.S. buyers) the owner can even opt to have the entire infotainment system removed.
But when it comes to handling and performance, there is more. Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management is standard. That suspension constantly changes to maximize ride and handling, depending on the mode chosen by the driver. The Sport Chrono package is also standard. That adds extra drive modes, selectable by a switch on the steering wheel. It stiffens the suspension and dials up throttle and transmission responses. It also adds Launch Control.
Also on the fancy new tech list are active drivetrain mounts. They soften to improve the ride at low RPM, and an electric charge stiffens them to make them stiffer when the driver pushes harder. That sharpens steering and throttle response. It also lowers mass transfer when braking and cornering. There are special 20-inch wheels and Porsche Torque Vectoring with a mechanical limited-slip rear differential.
The package is only available with the base engine on the 718 Boxter T and Cayman. That’s a 2.0L turbo flat-four. It offers up 296 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The same as in the standard 718.
Of course, there will be external cues to tell passers-by that this is a Porsche 718 Boxster T or Cayman T. LIke a black-chrome twin-tip exhaust. And grey mirror covers.
Porsche hasn’t said what the extra kit of the Porsche 718 Boxster T will cost. They did say that it will give buyers a 5-10 percent savings compared with adding the same kit to a standard 718. The T package will be available with both the six-speed manual and the Porsche Dual-Clutch automatic.
Adding more of the performance suspension options while keeping the power levels the same isn’t exactly the time-honored formula for a performance bargain. But it’s the same move they made with the latest 911 Carrera T. And that car makes the most of the lowest power of all current 911s. It’s also been praised as being the best-handling and most balanced of all current 911s on real roads in the real world. Those are big shoes to fill for the Porsche 718 Boxster T and 718 Cayman T to fill, but they definitely seem up for the task.
