- porsche announced that the once manual-only 718 cayman gt4 and spyder are now available to order with a seven-speed pdk dual-clutch transmission.
- the 718 cayman gt4 and spyder are powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six that produces 414 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque.
- in addition to the gt4 and spyder, the recently announced flat-six–powered 718 cayman and boxster gts 4.0 models can be had with a pdk, with u.s. dealers slated to get them in early 2021.
we give kudos to porsche for originally offering the flat-six–powered 718 cayman gt4 and spyder with the sole option of a six-speed manual transmission, lending a helping hand to the #savethemanuals campaign. however, now customers who don't want to row their own gears can opt for porsche's lightning-quick-shifting seven-speed pdk dual-clutch transmission.
the 718 cayman gt4 and spyder are powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six that produces 414 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque. it's a naturally aspirated version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter found in the 911 carrera and carrera s that has been upped to 4.0 liters, and it helped launch the manual-equipped cayman gt4 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. the ultra-quick shifting pdk dual-clutch automatic will surely provide much quicker acceleration and laps times, but to us, it's less fun.
additionally, the new 718 cayman and boxster gts 4.0 models, which now return to flat-six power, will also get the option for the pdk dual-clutch automatic transmission. but when porsche announced the new model in january, it said that the flat-six–powered gts 4.0 cars would only be offered with a manual transmission. however, a porsche spokesperson told car and driver that they were "initially announced with the manual being the first available transmission, speaking to the purists, with the pdk planned to be added at a later date."
the six-speed manual is still standard, and pricing for the pdk dual-clutch automatic option is $3210 for the 718 cayman gt4 and 718 spyder, and $3730 for the 718 cayman and boxster gts 4.0.