The 718 may be Porsche's entry-level sports car, but that doesn't mean the 718 plays second fiddle to the 911. Remember that certain 718s come with a free-breathing sixer derived from the high-revving boxer of the 992-gen 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS. Be that as it may, not all six-pot 718s are created equal.
The 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 718 Spyder RS are far more interesting and collectible than the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 and 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, but alas, Manthey's latest performance kit is exclusive to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The kit in question costs $53,946 excluding installation, which is the kind of money that Audi charges for the entry-level version of the Q5 Sportback. An extra $5,890 gets you a supplementary upgrade package comprising lightweight aerodynamic goodies designed to increase rear-axle downforce by four percent.
That said, let's recap: $160,700 for the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, then $53,946 for the Manthey Kit, plus a further $5,890 for extra rear-axle downforce. That means $220,536 excluding the destination charge, dealer markups, and the cost of installation. A helluva lot of money, for sure, but said kit and supplementary package do make a difference.
On the Nurburgring, for example, Manthey's performance upgrades cut a little over six seconds from the lap time of the standard car. In the hands of Jorg Bergmeister, the midship thriller clocked a very impressive 7:09.30 on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires back in September 2021. With the Manthey Kit, the former racing driver pushed the 718 Cayman GT4 RS to 7:03.121 on the very same tires on the Green Hell's 20.8-kilometer layout.
On that note, what does the Manthey Kit add to the already visceral mid-engine sports car? The list includes a larger wing with an additional position over the standard rear wing, carbon-fiber reinforcements for the engine cover, coilover suspension with four positions for the spring struts, a 20-percent increase for the front spring rate, compression and rebound stages that can be adapted without any tools, and steel brake lines.
Photo: Porsche
The $5,890 supplementary package replaces the front fender louvers and further augments the ducktail-style rear wing with a slightly larger gurney flap. Towing loops can be ordered as well, although pricing for those hasn't been made public by Atlanta-based Porsche Cars North America.
Without said $5,890 upgrades, the kit promises 372 pounds (169 kilograms) of downforce at 124 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour) as opposed to 196 pounds (89 kilograms) without Manthey's go-faster bits. While that may not seem like much, extra downforce makes a world of difference on any racetrack. The coilover suspension is available in two flavors: one for cars rocking a front-axle lift, and the other for cars without said lift system.
2024 is the final year of the internal-combustion 718 series in Europe. Similar to the fossil-fuel Macan, the 718 doesn't meet the European Union's new cybersecurity laws. The legislation in question will come into effect July 2024. This, in turn, means that European customers will be presented with the zero-emission 718 sometime in late 2024.
The 718 EV is believed to be underpinned by the Premium Platform Electric developed by Volkswagen Group brands Porsche and Audi. First deliveries are likely to be carried out in the first half of 2025, whereas the heavily anticipated Cayenne EV will follow suit in the first half of 2026.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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