2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder arrive with 4.0-liter flat-six engines

The Cayman GT4 is back, and so is the Boxster Spyder. Get excited, folks. This time they're called the 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder (not Boxster) respectively, and the mid-engine Porsches are packing even more punch than before. We absolutely adored the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder when we drove them a few short years ago, and this duo promises to be better yet.

We'll talk about them as a pair, because the upgrades are pretty much identical across the board. Sitting amidship is a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat six engine. Porsche says it's a new engine, and it develops 414 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque on its way up to an 8,000 rpm redline. The new 4.0-liter is based-on the same family of turbocharged engines in the new 911, but Porsche has re-engineered it for a non-boosted application. Don't mistake it for a de-tuned version of the 911 GT3 engine that makes 500 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, though — that one revs out to a glorious 9,000 rpm. The engine in these cars uses Porsche's adaptive cylinder control technology, so in low-load situations, it's able to temporarily interrupt the injection process in one of the two cylinder banks. For now, it looks like a sizable upgrade over the 911 S-derived 3.8-liter flat-six that came in the previous generation of these cars.

Porsche enthusiasts will be happy to know that both cars come equipped with a six-speed manual transmission only. There's an auto blip function that can be toggled on and off, so no worries if you'd like to heel and toe on your own. Both the coupe and convertible feature identical 0-60 mph sprints of 4.2 seconds. Interestingly, that's exactly the same as the previous GT4. The coupe will top out at 188 mph, while the Spyder gets to 187 mph. Big surprise (read: sarcasm): The 911 GT3 is still faster.

Improved suspension is obviously on the table as well. Adaptive dampers with Porsche's PASM system are standard. The ride height has been lowered 1.18 inches compared to a standard Cayman or Boxster, and the system allows for manual adjustments of camber, toe, ride height and anti-roll bar settings. Just like before, these cars borrow some parts from the 911 GT3. Specifically, these two borrow the front axle and brakes from that car. The iron rotor size is identical front and rear at about 15 inches in diameter. Larger Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake rotors are optional, offering a 50 percent weight savings over the iron rotors. A mechanical limited-slip differential with torque vectoring is at the rear. Big 20-inch wheels are standard, wrapped in 245-section-width in front and 295-section-width in back. You'll have oodles of grip on tap, as Michelin has provided its sticky Sport Cup 2 tires for duty. Both traction control and stability control can be completely turned off if you so desire, and a Nürburgring lap time at least 10 seconds faster than before is promised.

We'll let the photos do most of the talking for the way these things look. In short, they're exactly what we thought they'd look like, and both are stunning. Porsche developed a new sport exhaust system for both these cars, so we'll expect them to sound even better than they look. The interior isn't short on Alcantara, with the material wrapping the steering wheel, shift lever and centers of the seats. To aid quick shifting, the gear lever is reportedly 0.39 inch shorter than a regular 718 equipped with a manual — it's the little things that count. Air conditioning and Porsche infotainment are fitted as standard, and since it's a Porsche, there will be options aplenty to choose from. One thing you should note if the 718 Spyder strikes your fancy is that it's a manually-folding soft top. Lower weight reigns supreme over conveniences here. Speaking of weight, we're still waiting on curb weights for these two.

If you want one, we'd suggest you get Porsche on the line quick. They're available to order now, and will reach dealers in spring 2020. No stringent production limits have been set yet. The 718 Cayman GT4 starts at $100,450, including the $1,250 delivery charge. The 718 Spyder is a hair cheaper at $97,550.