It begins with a snarl and a purr, only to sneakily indicate the exhilarating ride you’re about to go on. If you’re not expecting to be startled, then you’ve picked the wrong car. The sound you vividly hear right beneath your feet belongs to none other than the Porsche Boxster GTS. Surprised? Then you’re in for quite a few more thrilling facts! Built to be stronger, faster and more dynamic, the Porsche Boxster GTS delivers on all three fronts, giving you one swanky Porsche two-seater fit for many arenas. We took this small but mighty speedster out for a spin one sunny weekend, and we frantically wished we could keep it forever.
The name says it all: at Porsche, GTS stands for Gran Turismo Sport and has promised outstanding Porsche performance ever since the legendary 904 Carrera GTS dating back to 1963. With the Boxster GTS, as well as delivering these features to the Cayman GTS, Porsche is emphasizing its tradition of building authentic sports cars for both the race track and everyday use. The look of the GTS is inimitable, its distinctive appearance includes a unique front end with smoked bi-xenon headlights – with the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) as standard –a modified rear body apron, and exterior badges in silky gloss black combine to make an understated but clear statement. Fitted with plush red interiors, and an electric blue exterior, our ride stole the scene. Other drivers on the road literally had to slow down, to enviously admire the beauty of this GTS.
The Boxster GTS is the strongest and fastest mid-engine sports car by Porsche, every minute spent driving this beautiful GTS is a thrilling experience. With its sporty benchmarks, the Boxster GTS boasts a power-boosted engine with an excellent PASM chassis, and an acoustical experience will do all the talking. The upgraded sport exhaust system, beautifully demonstrated by the signature dual black-finished tailpipes, is tuned optimally for the GTS. The car offers even greater range between cultivated sound attenuation, on the one hand, and emotional sound with reduced back pressure on the other. We seamlessly activated the sport exhaust system (you can do that via the the Sport Plus button on the center console), and let the engine management system perform its magic of switching flaps. Thanks to the standard PASM adaptive damping control system with a suspension that is 10 mm lower, more control means more grip, and provides greater driving stability, more comfort, enhanced performance and shorter braking distances.
Porsche has implemented their most powerful engine that combines ample torque with high power output at higher revs—and you will instantly feel the difference. The Porsche Boxster GTS is also equipped with the Sport Chrono package as standard. The results: in conjunction with the optional PDK and active Sport Plus button, the Boxster GTS sprints from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds.
The GTS promised an unexpected start, and what you get is a high level of spontaneity, cultivated high-revving responsiveness up to the limit of 7,800 rpm and a harmonious power curve over the entire engine speed range. The flat six-cylinder engine of this top model is based on the 3.4-litre engines of the Boxster S. It delivers 15 hp (eleven kW) more power due to fine tuning, including optimized management of the combustion process by variable control of the intake camshaft to provide valve timing adjustment (VarioCam Plus). This means that the Boxster GTS has an output of 330 hp (243 kW). Nominal torque has also been increased by ten Newton meters and is available in the range from 4,500 rpm to 5,800 rpm for the Boxster GTS – ideal for powerful gear transitions during acceleration.
As regards the maximum speed – measured with the standard manual six-speed transmission – this is the first Boxster to top the 280 km/h mark, reaching a speed of 281 km/h.
When the Sport Plus button is activated, the standard PASM chassis becomes stiffer and the sport exhaust system is de-throttled. An automatic throttle blip function is implemented when downshifting with the manual transmission. It matches engine revs to the lower gear even better during fast shifting, so that the you can optimally use engine power or engine braking.
After a few cruises up and down Kuwait’s stunning Arabian Gulf Road, our exhilarating test drive of the Porsche Boxster GTS had to come to an end. Oh, here’s something else we learned that will enlighten the ladies. If you’re after a brand blow dry, then skip the hair salon next time and take this Boxster out for a test drive—your hair will be in for a wind-swept treat!
The Porsche Boxster GTS is available at the Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company. Call 1870 870 or visit www.porschekuwait.com for more information. Follow @PorscheCentreKuwait for their latest updates on Instagram.
