Porsche’s 2015 Boxster and Cayman GTS turn up the heat without losing A/C

By Stephen Edelstein March 19, 2014

Porsche is very good at doing a lot with a little.

Rather than introduce entirely new models, the German carmaker tends to create as many permutations of existing ones as possible. That pattern continues with the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS, the latest additions to Porsche’s small sports car lineup.

In Porsche-speak, “GTS’ usually denotes a model that is better than the standard one, but not too extreme. That seems to be the case here, as these models are improvements over the Boxster S and Cayman S, but won’t ruin your life like the A/C-less previous-generation Boxster Spyder and Cayman R.

Each car features the same 3.4-liter boxer-six as its S counterpart, but with 15 more horsepower and 7 more pound-feet of torque. that brings the total to 330 hp and 273 lb-ft for the Boxster GTS, and 340 hp and 280 lb-ft for the Cayman GTS.

Both cars also get the performance-enhancing Sport Chrono package standard, plus a choice of the standard six-speed manual transmission or optional seven-speed dual-clutch PDK.

With the PDK and its faster shifts, Porsche says the Boxster GTS will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, while the Cayman GTS will do the same in 4.3 seconds. However, the highest top speeds – 174 mph for the Boxster and 177 mph for the Cayman – are achieved with the stick shift.

Other notable features include a sport exhaust system and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which lets drivers adjust the suspension’s firmness from country club to the full James Dean.

Visually, the Boxster and Cayman GTS are distinguished by model-specific 20-inch alloy wheels and new front and rear fascias with black plastic elements that look like they belong on a Honda Civic.

The interior features an Alcantara-covered steering wheel, headliner, and center console, as well as reinforced sport seats.

U.S. buyers will be able to get their hands on all of that Alcantara this summer. Prices start at $74,495 for the Boxster GTS and $76,195 for the Cayman GTS (both prices include destination).

For now, the GTS models are at the top of the Boxtser-Cayman lineup. At least, until Porsche dreams up something else.

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Nissan wants the 2023 Ariya to be its comeback EV, but the bar has been raised

Front view of the 2023 Nissan Ariya.

Nissan played an understated role in the modern era of electric cars. While Tesla gets most of the attention, the Nissan Leaf became the first modern mass-market EV when it launched in December 2010. But Nissan has squandered that early lead. The Leaf remains a decent car, but Nissan needed to follow it up with another model, specifically an SUV, that would appeal to more car shoppers. That’s where the 2023 Nissan Ariya comes in.
The Ariya is the long-awaited sequel to the Leaf, boosting updated tech, better performance, and an SUV body style to match current trends. But during the Ariya’s long gestation (it was originally supposed to launch in 2021), other automakers have come up with electric SUVs of their own. So while it was once a leader, Nissan must now follow the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, among others.
Pricing starts at $44,485 (with destination) for the base Ariya Engage trim level with front-wheel drive and the smaller 65-kilowatt-hour (63-kWh usable capacity) battery pack. Pricing rises to $61,485 for the top Platinum+ model with all-wheel drive and a 91-kWh (87-kWh usable capacity) pack, but all-wheel drive models won’t arrive until after the front-wheel drive models. Nissan hasn’t discussed plans to assemble the Ariya in the U.S., so it likely won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit.

Design and interior
If it had launched even two years ago, the Ariya would have looked cutting-edge. Its rounded exterior surfaces make a nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love. It’s a nice-looking vehicle too, but so are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, all of which have gone on sale since the Ariya was announced in 2020. Nissan is no longer a trendsetter, but the Ariya can at least claim a more SUV-like feel than those other EVs, in both its tall profile and high-and-mighty driving position.
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Rounded surfaces nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love.

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Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

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As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
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Design and interior
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The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.

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