Test Drive: 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 — Last Driver's Car?

Forbes

2 days ago

The 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is going away soon, and that's a little depressing because supposedly it's going to come back as an EV. I'm honestly shocked Porsche is doing that, because this car is so beloved and many driving enthusiasts consider the 718 Boxster, and its Cayman coupe twin, two of the best driver's cars you can buy right now. More importantly, the transition to electric cars is going to be a tough for Porsche because, like Dodge, Porsche's fan base loves internal combustion engines, and I specifically love the exhaust note these horizontally opposed 4.0-liter engines make.
I'm going to miss that sound, and a lot of the other aspects of these cars when they go full EV. We've been seeing a lot of back-and-forth on the EV transition in the past few months. Dodge has already turned the corner, going back toward internal combustion engines because it knows that's what Dodge's customers want. We'll see if Porsche reconsiders getting rid of the 718 Boxster and Cayman in the U.S. like it did in Europe, but for now you can still buy one…though not for much longer if things don't change. Contact your local Porsche dealer to see about configuring a 718 Boxster GTS 4.0.
Porsche 718 Boxster: Fast and Light, and Functional
While the base 718 Boxster features a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower, this 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is powered by a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine. It makes 394 hp and either 309 pound-feet of torque with the 6-speed manual, like this test car has, or 317 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the 7-speed PDK auto. The drivetrain is good for either a 4.3 second 0-to-60 time with the manual or 3.8 second 0-to-60 time with the PDK. It's the same story in the quarter mile, where the 6-speed manual is good for 12.4 seconds while the PDK gets there in about 12 seconds.
It's common with modern day drivetrain technology that manuals are a little slower than their automatic counterparts. And most driving enthusiasts don't care; they still want the manual, even with its theoretically inferior performance. The manual version of the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 does provide a weight advantage, at 3,172 pounds versus 3,241 pounds for the PDK. In a world drowning in two-ton 'sports cars' like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Ford Mustang GTD, the Porsche Boxster is floating on air at 3,200 pounds, and you can feel it with every driver input.
While the 718 Boxster retains its light weight, Porsche did swap its hydraulic-assisted steering for electric-assist steering over a decade ago. That's often a hit to driver enjoyment, but Porsche has figured out how to simulate mechanical steering feedback with computer code, giving the 718 Boxster effective front-end 'feel' through the wheel. It works well with the Boxster's inherent balance from its mid-engine chassis, building confidence through corners and under braking.
There's also a practical element to mid-engine sports cars, with many offering two storage areas – one in the front ("frunk") and one in the back (a traditional trunk). In the Porsche 718 Boxster 4.0 GTS, the frunk provides 5.3 cubic feet of storage space and the trunk delivers another 4.4 cubic feet. That's a total of 9.7 cubic feet of storage space – pretty good for a two seat roadster, and plenty of room for two efficient packers on a weekend getaway.
Porsche 718 Boxster: Pretty on the Inside, Too
Sitting in the 718 Boxster you're presented with Porsche's traditional three pod gauge cluster, featuring a big central tachometer (complete with 'GTS' lettering to remind you which Boxster trim you're driving) flanked by a speedometer on the left and a digital display screen in the right pod. With the GTS trim's included 'Sport Chrono' package, the steering wheel provides a knob on the lower right to adjust the Boxster's driving modes. These modes range from Normal to Sport to Sport+, or an 'Individual' mode, with the changing mode briefly displayed in that right display screen.
Additional data is available in that right digital display, which can be scrolled through using a rotating wheel in the right steering wheel spoke. Examples include engine temp, oil pressure, tire pressure, lateral G-forces, audio system information, and a map with navigation guidance. The 'GT Sport Steering wheel' on our test car also had a left steering wheel spoke with volume and phone controls, along with attractive contrast stitching on supple black leather.
The black steering wheel and dash leather was contrasted with crimson red leather (dubbed 'Bordeaux Red' by Porsche) on the seats and door panels. Optional 'Adaptive Sport Seats Plus', with 18 directional controls and memory settings, flanked a center stack with buttons for traction and stability control, the exhaust system, auto stop-start, suspension settings, and the soft top, which will raise and lower in 9 seconds at speeds up the 31 mph. There was also a 7-inch touchscreen with Porsche's PCM navigation system sitting above climate controls that included heated and ventilated seats.
While both the clarity and tactile quality of the secondary controls are impressive, a sport car's most important controls are the steering, throttle, brakes, and shifter, ideally all working together in harmony. In the 718 Boxster, they do. Despite my skepticism regarding electric-assist steering, Porsche has made it intuitive and progressive in this convertible. Combined with the engine's broad torque band (and intoxicating exhaust note), plus the engaging 6-speed shifter and confident brakes, the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is indeed one of the best drivers cars you can buy. For now.
Porsche 718 Boxster: He Who Snoozes…
But if you want one, you better hurry. The base Porsche 718 Boxster, with the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, starts at $76,895. That one won't include the GTS' 4.0-liter engine or Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) unless you add them to your order. The 718 Boxster 'Style Edition' and 'S' trims add some equipment for $83,295 and $88,895, respectively, but you have to pony up for the $103,795 GTS 4.0 trim to get the naturally-aspirated, horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder engine. And trust me, it's worth the extra cost. Our test car had several additional options and rang in at $121,005.
Think of the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 as a super Mazda Miata, another fabulous driver's car. The Miata costs about one-third the price of the 718 Boxster, and if you never drive the Porsche you'll be fine with Mazda's roadster. So don't test drive a 718 Boxster unless you can afford it! If you can afford one, you should move quickly. Cars like the 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 are not becoming more common as time passes, so get one while you can.