We test the new Porsche 718 GTS and Macan GTS 2020 on track and on the road

By definition, a Porsche is always a sports model. And we are not only referring to the Porsche 911. It doesn’t matter what type of car we are talking about, whether it’s a large SUV like the Porsche Cayenne, a convertible like the 718 Boxster, or an electric car like the new Porsche Taycan…

But if a Porsche carries the GTS badge, you can expect much more from it. Among other things, more sportiness, but without going to the extreme of the most radical or top-of-the-range versions, and without losing the comfort and versatility offered by the entry-level versions. Put another way: they are cars perfectly prepared even for track sessions, but in which you can reach every circuit driving comfortably on the road.

The GTS badge comes from Gran Turismo Sport. The Porsche 904 GTS of the 1960s can be considered the first model of the brand to wear this badge. Today, Porsche has GTS versions across its entire range, from the 911 to the Cayenne or the Panamera. Now, the German brand presents the new GTS versions of the Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, as well as the Macan. And we have driven them.

Porsche 718 Cayman GTS and 718 Boxster GTS: the dynamic duo

If I had to choose a Porsche for daily use, I’m clear it would be a Porsche 911. But if I were offered a choice between a 911 and the new 718 GTS solely for lapping a circuit, my choice would be the 718. And it makes no difference to me, Cayman or Boxster.

In this new generation, the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS once again switches to turbo. Now, the 4-litre flat-six boxer engine is found, no more and no less, under the bonnet of the Cayman GT4. Quite something.

Compared with the previous generation with its naturally aspirated engine, it gains 35 CV, to reach 400 CV. It features direct injection, a system that deactivates half the cylinders when little power is demanded, and a particulate filter. It allows the 718 GTS to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 293 km/h.

But cold figures don’t give an idea of what the Porsche 718 conveys when you’re at its controls… with a closed circuit all to yourself. Indeed, Porsche took us to Lisbon, where we shut ourselves in one morning at the Estoril Circuit, to test the 718 Cayman GTS to its limits.

Before getting into the driving sensations, let’s recall some key points. First, Porsche initially only offers the 718 Cayman GTS and 718 Boxster GTS with a manual gearbox. It is expected that by the end of 2020 it will also be available with the fantastic PDK dual-clutch gearbox. But I warn you: this Porsche’s manual gearbox is, without doubt, the best you’ll find in a series production sports car at present.

Other changes included in these GTS versions are the adaptive suspension (lowering ride height by 20 mm), the electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential, and the Sport Chrono package. The wheels are 20 inches, with 235/35 ZR tyres at the front and 265/35 ZR on the rear axle. As for the brakes, they rely on discs of 350 mm and 330 mm on the front and rear axles respectively, internally ventilated, with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear. Optionally, the brakes can be fitted with carbon-ceramic discs.

All the optional equipment that may affect the dynamic behaviour of the 718 Cayman GTS was fitted to the test unit we drove at the Estoril Circuit, from the PTV differential to the ceramic brakes. It was only five laps, but they were enough to confirm that the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS is one of the most effective and most sporty-feeling cars on the current market.

The first thing that surprises you is the feel of the gear change. The second, its precision. The third, how well, in Sport+ mode, the system automatically assists you with the double-declutching and the “heel-and-toe”. It is the perfect gear change – with due respect to the PDK dual-clutch, of which I am a faithful admirer – to get the most out of an engine with exquisite throttle response.

Everything happens exactly as quickly as you want it to: traction is magnificent, and the stability control in sport mode even lets you enjoy the rear sliding if you provoke it. And the brakes give the impression they would keep the same feel and power even if you suddenly had a 1,500 kg trailer behind you and were still reaching the end of the straight at 250 km/h. Absolutely incredible what they endure without fading, whatever you do.

Our circuit session ends with the feeling that we will take a long time to drive a car like this again… and we switch to the convertible version, the 718 Boxster GTS, now on the open road. Little can be said about the Boxster that we haven’t already said about the Cayman, although we could not subject it to the demands of circuit driving.

But if the question is whether the bodywork is sufficiently rigid for a car with such a sporty layout, the answer is yes. Perhaps for the buyer or user profile of a 718 Boxster, if you place the concept of “convertible” before that of “sports car”, a basic 718 Boxster with a 300 CV engine might fit better. Or the Boxster S with 350 CV and the PDK gearbox. But if you want everything in one, and above all if you don’t plan to take it onto a track, the Boxster GTS still seems to me an option not to be ruled out. Especially considering it costs 2,300 euros more than the closed 718.

Porsche Macan GTS: an SUV with “nine-eleven” spirit

If you’re one of those who would buy a Porsche 911 but need more space and have caught the SUV bug, the Porsche Macan is your car. Specifically, this new GTS version.

It is not the first SUV from Porsche to wear this badge, since in 2007 the Porsche Cayenne GTS was presented. In the Macan, the first GTS version arrived with the first generation of this model, in 2015.

The new Macan GTS represents the perfect balance between the Macan S and the Macan Turbo. Although in power it sits closer to the former and in price to the latter, its dynamic qualities and the sensations it conveys when driven are closer to those of the Turbo.

The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine gains 20 CV in this new generation, reaching 380 CV, with a maximum torque of 520 Nm available from 1,750 to 5,000 rpm. It is a magnificent powertrain, paired with the lightning-fast PDK dual-clutch gearbox and with the new sports exhaust developed for the Macan GTS, so you won’t miss a powerful push at any rev range. But it also stands out for how easily it revs with the tachometer needle close to the red zone. And for a sound like the one you’d expect from a Porsche… with the GTS badge.

The chassis tuning and the Porsche intelligent all-wheel drive round off an ideal setup for tackling any winding road with the same confidence and expectations you would have in a much lower car with fewer seats. And as soon as you select the Sport or Sport Plus programme that the Sport Chrono package allows (in addition to Normal and Individual modes), you’ll forget that you’re really driving an SUV.

By the way, this package is optional, and in this GTS version it should be standard. Its price is 1,300 euros. In addition to the different driving modes, it offers the “Sport Response” button, which gives you 20 seconds of total sportiness, with all the vehicle’s systems prepared to deliver maximum performance. Thanks to this mode, the Macan GTS with the Sport Chrono package clocks – if you’ll pardon the pun – 4.7 seconds in the 0 to 100 km/h sprint.

When the curves run out and you switch to “Normal” mode, the Macan GTS becomes an SUV in which you can travel comfortably and, to a certain extent, even efficiently. To that end, the Macan GTS has a system that disconnects the engine from the transmission, which activates in certain situations when the car can keep moving by using its own momentum. Being careful – very careful – with the right foot, it won’t be hard to achieve consumption figures of around 10 l/100 km. But don’t be alarmed if you unleash all your enthusiasm and have to stop at the pump more often, since this figure can easily double.

As standard, the Porsche Macan GTS fits 20-inch wheels with 265/40 tyres at the front and 295/490 on the rear axle. Optionally, 21-inch wheels with even lower-profile tyres can be fitted, which I don’t consider necessary. Adaptive air suspension may be worth considering, as it lowers the bodywork by an extra 10 mm and, above all, improves comfort when travelling. Only if you plan to go on track is it worth considering the PTV Plus active torque-vectoring system, or the high-performance PSCB brakes, which feature a special tungsten carbide coating to improve fatigue resistance. Above these, there are still the carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

Compared with its siblings in the range, the Macan GTS costs 90,355 euros, against 76,100 euros for the 355 CV Macan S, and 106,370 euros for the 440 CV Macan Turbo. Among similar SUVs that could be an alternative for their agility or dynamic behaviour, we would go for the RS versions of the new Audi Q3, the M variants of the BMW X4, or the Alfa Stelvio in its more powerful versions.

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

CrossoverPorsche Macan5 versions · from 83,310 €

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CoupePorsche 718 Cayman1 version · from 180,709 €