Porsche has revealed that the manual-only 718 Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder will be getting a PDK gearbox for the first time, as part of the automaker’s plan to widen their appeal, Evo reports. The dual-clutch gearbox is said to be introduced by the end of the year.
Past versions of the GT4 and Spyder have all been strictly manual only, meaning this will be the first time the midship sports cars can be had with paddle shifters. Besides that, the new Cayman GTS 4.0 and Boxster GTS 4.0 will also be getting the PDK option. Both models share the same 4.0 litre naturally-aspirated engine producing 400 PS and 420 Nm of torque (420 PS, 420 Nm for the GT4 and Spyder), and would sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The PDK gearbox is expected to trim that down considerably.
On the grand scheme of things, Porsche’s GT division has been consistently putting out cars for hardcore enthusiasts, but often finds itself torn between transmission options. For example, the 991-gen 911 GT3 broke the mould when it debuted with a PDK instead of the traditional manual, but was later offered with a six-speed stick as standard after the limited edition 911 R (essentially a manual 911 GT3) flew off the shelves.
The 911 GT3 Touring package was available after that as well, allowing customers the option of having a manual transmission as standard. Now that the 718 GTs are getting PDKs, perhaps future GT models will be engineered with both transmission options from the ground up. What do you think?
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