Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Boxster Spyder to get PDK gearbox

Porsche’s been teasing the availability of a PDK gearbox in the 718 Cayman GT4 for at least five years. In 2015, the honcho in charge of GT car development, Andreas Preuninger, told a Planet-9 forum member the next-gen Cayman GT4 would add the dual-clutch transmission to the options sheet. We heard the update again in 2017, once more in 2018 when the 718 Boxster Spyder was included in the news, and again in early 2019. Evo magazine keeps the streak going with word that the 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Boxster Spyder buyers will be able to get the seven-speed PDK by the end of this year. The difference this time is that Evo writes Porsche has confirmed the news. When the new transmission appears, it will mark the first time the top-end Cayman and Boxster have offered the choice of a PDK.

The additional gearbox for the specialist 718 models piggybacks on news that a dual-clutch “could eventually join the range” of the standard 718 twins in GTS trim. Since we’re effectively talking about the same 4.0-liter engine in flagship twins and the GTS models, this won’t come as a shock. Engine outputs vary, the GTS models producing 394 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque, the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder making 414 hp and 309 lb-ft. While that’s not much daylight between outputs, the suspension and aero modifications make the real difference on the more powerful models.

The PDK, meanwhile, should make the difference in acceleration. The GT4 and Spyder both hit the sprint to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds. With the PDK good for a gain of anywhere from 0.2 to 0.4 seconds compared to the standard six-speed manual, there’s every chance the self-shifting 718 twins could reward those who put speed above all else with a dip into the high threes.

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