The latest Boxster roadster and Cayman sport coupe are superb little sports cars, offering fabulous performance in a nice, light,

2015 Porsche Boxster GTS (Photo: Porsche)

agile package, but a little more power along with a bit better handling never hurts, right? That’s always the premise behind Porsche’s GTS trim level. It’s long been one notch below top-of-the-line Turbo models with the Panamera and Cayenne (as well as previous iterations of the 911), but it forms the new top-tier package for the Boxster and Cayman lines.

Most noticeable will be styling enhancements including new revised front and rear fascias with blacked out trim, blackened bi-xenon headlights integrating the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) as standard, blackened taillights, and “silky black gloss” exterior lettering. While these trim details

2015 Porsche Cayman GTS (Photo: Porsche)

will be exciting to some, it’s what’s between the rear bulkhead and tiny trunklet that truly intrigues.

The new GTS models are moulded from the already soul stirring Boxster S and Cayman S trims, but these cars’ 3.4-litre horizontally opposed (flat) six get a 15-horsepower boost plus an extra seven pound-feet of torque. This results in 330 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque for the Boxster GTS, and 340 horsepower plus 280 lb-ft of torque for the Cayman GTS.

Porsche’s seven-speed manual is standard, with the brand’s seven-speed dual-clutch Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) gearbox being optional, the latter transmission capable of aiding the cars in their sprints from zero to 100km/h. The Boxster GTS takes just 4.9 seconds to complete the task, where the Cayman GTS hits

2015 Porsche Cayman GTS (Photo: Porsche)

100km/h in only 4.8 seconds, thanks in part to the standard Sport Chrono package. Manual-equipped models are a tad slower, with the former car capable of sprinting from standstill to 100km/h in 5.0 seconds and the latter in 4.9. Top speeds are 281 km/h with the manual and 279 km/h with PDK for the Boxster GTS, and 285 km/h with the manual and 283 km/h with the PDK for the Cayman GTS.

All that power would be useless without control, therefore the Stuttgart-based performance brand has fitted its Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system as standard equipment, which allows driver control of ride settings that range from comfort, for uneven inner city pavement or just low speed cruising on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and sportier settings for tackling those same backroads at faster speeds,

2015 Porsche Boxster GTS (Photo: Porsche)

let alone taking to the track. Along with the upgraded suspension, GTS models come with special blackened 20-inch Carrera S alloy rims circled by 235/35 front and 265/35 rear performance tires.

Like all GTS models that have come before, both the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS feature standard sports seats covered in leather upholstery, plus special Alcantara trim wraps the steering wheel, covers the seat inserts, armrests and shows up elsewhere in the two-place cabin.

Fuel economy has not yet been added to Porsche Canada’s retail website, but Euro 6 testing has been done with both models achieving overall combined fuel consumption

2015 Porsche Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS interior. (Photo: Porsche)

of 9.0 L/100km with manual transmission and 8.2 with the PDK.

Pricing is set to $83,900 for the Boxster GTS and $85,800 for the Cayman GTS, plus Porsche’s very reasonable $1,085 freight and dealer prep charge, with availability set for summertime. For the time being, the new models are available on the company’s retail website where you can check out specs and build them in the configurator. Enjoy.
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