Special Chinese 718 Spyder Comes Packing 2.0L Power

Frozen Berry Drop Top

Porsche has a history of making special models with unique paint colors for the Chinese market, having done so with a Taycan not too long ago. Now, it is marking the 718 Spyder's return to that market with the same Frozen Berry Metallic paint job that the base Taycan was finished in when it debuted in China.

Photos: Porsche

Thank You Card

The 718 is China's best-selling sports car, and that market has helped keep the model alive globally thanks to its strong sales there. So think of this car as a thank you card from Porsche. Of course, one might wonder why it has the automaker's 2.0-liter flat-four instead of the Spyder's 4.0-liter flat-six, but there's a very good reason for that.

Photos: Porsche

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Matter of Cost

In China, owners are taxed based on engine displacement, which means that consumers prefer smaller engines that make more power. The 2.0 certainly fits that bill, pumping out an adequate 300 horsepower through a seven-speed PDK gearbox. It may not sound anything like the glorious flat-six, but it's way cheaper to own in China.

Photos: Porsche

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Some Differences

Otherwise, the Chinese 718 Spyder is mostly identical to the one sold everywhere else across the globe. There are a few differences, including the addition of more standard equipment and the GTS-derived bumpers, and the chassis comes from a standard Boxster - not the bespoke Spyder unit used elsewhere.

Photos: Porsche

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Popular Paint?

That Frozen Berry Metallic paint is available in the U.S., though we're not so sure it will prove popular here. The top on the Chinese 718 Spyder is a manual unit, however, which sits underneath the dual-bubble rear decklid. 

Photos: Porsche

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Proper Throwback

It is worth noting that the much-maligned 2.0 powerplant, which Americans aren't terribly enthusiastic about, does make the 718 a proper throwback to the flat-four-powered 718 RSK from the 1950s. Of course, most would still rather have a flat-six.

Photos: Porsche

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Expensive Proposition

The Chinese 718 Spyder features a base MSRP of ¥738,000, or around $113,000. That's quite a bit more than the 718 Spyder's U.S. base price of $99,650, but Chinese consumers are used to paying more for exotic imported cars. However, this price gap, coupled with the presence of the flat-four, makes us feel pretty lucky by comparison.

Photos: Porsche

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