Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 Review

For a few years the mid-engined Porsches came only with turbocharged flat-fours that sounded like a tractor with ambitions, and the GTS 4.0 was the apology. Six cylinders, four litres, no turbochargers, 394 horsepower and a manual gearbox as standard, in a chassis that has always been the best balanced thing the company sells. The roof drops in twelve seconds at low speed and does not spoil the shape. There are two boots, one at each end, which makes it more practical for a weekend than the coupe it shares parts with.

Costs are moderate by the standards of this list. Fuel economy is fine if you are disciplined, servicing is normal Porsche expensive rather than exotic expensive, and residuals on the naturally aspirated cars have been notably stronger than on the four-cylinder versions. The cabin is the weak link, with a design that was starting to age when the car launched and material quality that reads as functional rather than special. Everything else is close to ideal.