Over Half Of Porsche 718 Sales Could Soon Be GTS-Flavoured

While it still may not have the flat-six engine we want, the sharper, more powerful ‘GTS’ trim level for 718 Boxster and Cayman siblings should at least be a financial success.

Sales for the 718 Boxster dropped 14 per cent during the first 11 months of this year, while the Cayman experienced a 22 per cent drop. The more focused variant is expected to change that, and quite dramatically so - Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer told Automotive News that as much as half of all 718 sales could ended up being for GTS versions.

“The segment overall of where we play with our 718 is a challenging segment, but especially now with the GTS, we see some activities at the shop floor, and orders being taken,” he said.

GTS-badged 718s get a slighly more powerful version of Porsche’s 2.5-litre flat-four, with a 15bhp boost bringing the total poke to 361bhp. The usually optional Sport Chrono pack is fitted as standard, suspension is a tad lower, and the exterior has been liberally daubed in black trim. The interior meanwhile is super sporty Alcantara-fest. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The price for all that? £8000 on top of the price of an S model. A fairly big premium, but one that clearly isn’t putting buyers off.