Old Versus New: Comparing the 718 GT4 RS with a Base 986 Boxster
Comparing the humble first-generation Boxster with the latest fire breathing GT4 RS yields some surprising results.
In 1997 Porsche returned to its roots and gave the world a new mid-engine sports car in the form of the 986-generation Boxster. It was a smash hit and over 25 years later these wonderful mid-engine sports cars are still being made. I own a base 986 Boxster. It is a 1999 model, and at the time it was built it was the sportiest mid-engine Porsche you could buy. My car is optioned with the sport suspension, the sport package, the sport design package and 17-inch sport classic wheels. This was as hardcore as you could get with the 986 at the time. Flash forward a quarter of a century and the current hardcore mid-engine Porsche is the GT4 RS (and Spyder RS sibling). I thought it would be interesting to see how these two vehicles would compare.
Unfortunately, I don’t have enough YouTube subscribers for Porsche to offer me a GT4 RS allocation. But luckily, I do have some great friends. One of those friends is John Gaydos from Soul Performance. John and his team purchased a stunning Ruby Star GT4 RS with the Weissach Package. They are using the car as a test bed to help develop some world-class performance upgrades. John was kind enough to bring the car over to my house so I could get some seat time in the GT4 RS. He would drive my Boxster and we would compare notes at the end of the day. The GT4 RS has 2.5 times the power and is about 15 times more valuable. But the cars are not separated by as much as you would think.
GT4 RS
First, let me give you some details on this particular car. It had approximately 2,300 miles on it when I got behind the wheel, so it was fully broken in. PCCB were not available when the car was ordered so it has the standard steel brakes.
The rear wing has been raised about 3 inches over stock to aid rearward visibility. The shift paddles on the stock car are surprisingly small for a car of this ilk. So, this car has aftermarket paddle extensions. But the most noticeable upgrade is the Soul Performance Competition Over Axle Pipes.
It really wakes up the sound of the GT4 RS. But it does not drone or sound boomy. I think it is a must have upgrade for the car.
First Impressions
The full bucket seats are much more comfortable than I expected. I could sit in these chairs all day long. The overall interior of the car felt very similar to my 986 Boxster. And damn near identical to my 2016 Cayman S. The day before I drove a 2024 Cayenne S and that interior felt like it was from the future.
The GT4 RS has the familiar Porsche sports car interior that I love. The biggest difference I noticed immediately was that compared to my 986, the GT4 RS was much more composed and buttoned down. The GT4 RS is a raw car in the year 2023. But the simple 986 is not as isolated, it offers more of a motorcycle feel.
Power
The GT4 RS is a great car. There is no way around it. Are dealers lining their pockets by tacking on tens of thousands of dollars to the MSRP? Sure. And I hate that practice, but once behind the wheel, you forget about that. To me the car has the perfect amount of speed for the street. It is fast for sure, but not so fast as to be overwhelming. You can enjoy the acceleration on the road. My 911 Turbo S was significantly quicker, and my base Boxster way the heck slower. The GT4 RS hits the sweet spot in my mind. And the speed is effortless and smooth.
Shifting near redline is almost imperceptible and immediate. And the car is absolutely planted. The day I drove it the temps were barely in the 50-degree range. The Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires didn’t flinch. I stood on the gas from a roll, and from a stop several times and at no point did I sense even the tiniest loss of traction. This car instills an immense level of confidence. After just a few miles I felt like I could throw this car around as much as I wanted, and it would never let me down.
Presence
The GT4 RS has a presence on the road that my Boxster can’t match. I stopped at a local car show that happened to be going on near my house. The GT4 RS immediately drew a crowd. Young boys were running along the side of the road, cell phones in hand, trying to capture video of me driving by.
People were taking selfies standing next to it after I parked. The car is an event. If I had Taylor Swift tied to the hood of my Boxster it would not generate as much attention as the GT4 RS. It is up to you if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
It is fun to see kids get excited when they spot the car. But at the same time attention is not always a good thing. I can take the Boxster out for a drive and blast around the back roads, and no one pays attention. Being able to just enjoy the drive without being the center of attention all the time is a distinct advantage in favor of the 986.
Boxster: The Better Track Car for Most People
I am not crazy when I say this. Hear me out. I didn’t get a chance to track the GT4 RS. However, I can tell that it would be absolutely brilliant around a circuit. It would destroy my humble Boxster around any track you care to name. Most automotive journalists will tell you the same thing. But what most journalists won’t tell you is the reality of tracking such a car.
The reality is that tracking a GT4 RS is not practical. John inquired about track insurance for the car for a one-day event. He was given a quote of $1,800 for a single day. And that is with a 20 percent deductible. That makes tracking the car prohibitively expensive.
My 986 Boxster you probably wouldn’t even bother insuring on the track. If it got wrecked it would be sad but not financially ruinous like wrecking a GT4 RS would be. I could get in my 986 and go ten tenths without concern. Even with insurance I would never push the GT4 RS as hard. And as a result, the 986 would be more fun for most people.
If you have a track day budget that exceeds millions of dollars, and you could walk away from a destroyed quarter million-dollar car without worrying about it then sure the GT4 RS is a brilliant track car. But for most people, even those that can afford a GT4 RS, it is not a car you will track often.
986 Boxster
I let John have a spin in my Boxster while I rode shotgun. My Boxster sounds like an EV after coming from the GT4 RS. And it is of course much slower. But the DNA is there. John had a smile on his face accelerating hard, and shifting into the next gear. He whipped it along curvy back roads and had a blast. He said this was the perfect car for getting up in the morning or after a tough day at the office and just taking out for a fun drive.
I agree. No drama, no attention, no crazy speeds. You can enjoy the ride. It is like a GT4 RS but dialed back several notches. You can see and feel the family resemblance. Driving the GT4 RS actually made me like and appreciate my Boxster even more.
GT4 RS Summary
I would love to park a GT4 RS in my garage. It is an epic car in every sense. It was actually quite a bit more comfortable than I expected. The induction noise is addicting, and the exhaust note is to die for. But it is not overwhelming. The ride was firm but didn’t beat me up like I thought it might. I could road trip this car without concern.
To the Porsche fans out there like me that can’t get an allocation for a GT4 RS, don’t worry about it too much. For the price of the GT4 RS Weissach Package alone you can pick up an entire 986-generation Boxster. It will be slower, and no one will give you a second look at a cars and coffee. But that doesn’t mean the old Boxster doesn’t have advantages of its own. Perhaps the perfect solution is to buy a 986 Boxster yourself, and have your friend buy the GT4 RS.
Photos: Joe Kucinski
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