4.0 L flat 6 · RWD · Roadster · water-cooled
Where this car sits against every Boxster in the catalog.
| Engine code | 9A2 Evo 4.0 GT |
|---|---|
| Layout | flat 6, water-cooled |
| Displacement | 4.0 L |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated |
| Power | 414 hp @ 7,600 rpm |
| Torque | 309 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm |
| Redline | 8,000 rpm |
| Specific output | 104 hp / L |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive |
|---|---|
| Body styles | Roadster |
| Transmissions | 6-speed Manual |
| Curb weight | 3,161 lb |
| Wheelbase | 97.8 in |
| Length | 175.0 in |
| Width | 70.9 in |
| Height | 50.2 in |
| 0–60 mph | 4.2 s |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 187 mph |
| Weight to power | 7.6 lb / hp |
| MSRP when new | $97,300 base |
2021GTS 4.0 arrives with a naturally aspirated 4.0 L flat-six revving to 7,800 rpm — the answer to four years of complaints.
718 SpyderThe GT4 running gear without the roof or the wing, and with a manually erected top. Same engine, same gearbox, softer only in appearance.
All 982, more commonly at higher mileage.
The coolant pump fails and can shed impeller material into the cooling system. Straightforward if caught early, considerably worse if not.
Replace with the thermostat while the system is open.
All 982, most commonly the earliest cars.
PCM screen freezes, reboots and CarPlay connectivity complaints are common and mostly software rather than hardware.
Most resolve with a dealer software update. Confirm a car is on current software before chasing a hardware fault.
All 4.0 L flat-six cars: GTS 4.0 from 2021, GT4 and Spyder from 2020, GT4 RS and Spyder RS.
The naturally aspirated 4.0 — in GTS, GT4, Spyder and RS forms — is closely related to the 992 GT3 engine and has a good early reputation, but it has not been in the world long enough for a statistically meaningful failure picture.
Buy on service history, keep it in warranty where you can, and check for open recalls by VIN before purchase.
PDK mechatronic faults, Emissions sensor and particulate filter faults, Convertible top faults — documented elsewhere in the 982 range but not applicable to the 718 Spyder. See the generation overview for the full picture.
| Item | Interval | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil and filter | 10,000 mi or annually | Follow the factory schedule while under warranty and keep every receipt. |
| Spark plugs | Per factory schedule | |
| Brake fluid | 2 years | Annually with track use. |
| Coolant | Long-life, inspect at service | |
| PDK fluid and filter | 40,000 mi | The highest-value non-scheduled service on the car. |
| Manual clutch | 60,000–100,000 mi | |
| Cabin and engine air filters | 2 years / 20,000 mi | |
| Coolant pump | Preventive at high mileage | |
| Valve clearance check | Per factory schedule | The 4.0 GT engines run solid lifters. A genuine, engine-out-adjacent service item, not a formality. |
| Track-use brake and tyre inspection | Every track day |
The answers you need when something has already failed — bulb sizes by position, wiper lengths, battery group, fluid specs and capacities. Sizes are for US-spec cars and are a starting point: options and mid-year changes move them, so check against your own car and its VIN before ordering.
| Low / high beam — bi-xenon | D3S 35W | Shop → |
|---|---|---|
| Headlight — LED option | Sealed LED unit, not serviceable A failed unit means an assembly replacement. Confirm both work at purchase. | — |
| Front turn signal | PY21W | Shop → |
| Fog light | LED, integrated | — |
| Brake / tail | LED Not a replaceable bulb. | Shop → |
| Reverse | W16W | Shop → |
| Licence plate | LED module | Shop → |
| Group size | Group 48 (H6) AGM | Shop → |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Front luggage compartment | — |
| Registration required | Yes | — |
| Engine oil — capacity (4.0 flat-6) | 9.0 qt with filter | — |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil — specification | 0W-40, Porsche A40 approved Approved specification only while under warranty. | Shop → |
| Coolant — specification | Porsche pink G40, phosphate-free | Shop → |
| Brake fluid | DOT 4, low viscosity | Shop → |
| Manual transmission | 75W-90 GL-5 | Shop → |
| Fuel tank | 14.3 gal 16.9 gal on cars with the optional larger tank. | — |
| Bolt pattern | 5 x 130 mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Centre bore | 71.6 mm | |
| Lug bolt thread | M14 x 1.5 | |
| Tyre size — 18 in front | 235/45 ZR18 | |
| Tyre size — 18 in rear | 265/45 ZR18 | |
| Tyre size — 19 in front | 235/40 ZR19 | |
| Tyre size — 19 in rear | 265/40 ZR19 | |
| Tyre size — 20 in front | 235/35 ZR20 | |
| Tyre size — 20 in rear | 265/35 ZR20 |
| Wheel lug bolts | 96 lb-ft (130 Nm) Star pattern, on the ground, calibrated wrench. | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil drain plug | 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) New sealing washer every time. | |
| Oil filter housing cap | 18 lb-ft (25 Nm) |
Fitment for the 2021 982 718 Spyder. Torque values in particular are safety-relevant — verify against factory documentation rather than relying on this page alone.
The internet decided this engine was a disgrace before most people had driven one. It is quicker and more flexible than the six it replaced, and the chassis underneath is the best Porsche makes. It also sounds ordinary, and only you can price that.
Naturally aspirated flat-six to 7,800 rpm, available with a manual, in the same superb chassis. It is the version that resolves every complaint about the generation, and the used market has priced that in.
Many 982s are young enough that factory or approved-used coverage is still live, and that is worth more than any inspection you can buy.
Records separate a maintained gearbox from a gamble on the most expensive part of the drivetrain.
PASM, Sport Chrono, Sport Exhaust, the limited-slip differential and the sports seats all hold value. A sparsely optioned car is a slow sale later regardless of how few miles it has.
PDK is quicker and the manual is what the market wants, particularly on a GTS 4.0. That gap is not closing.
A GT4 or GT4 RS costs a multiple of a Cayman S to run — brakes, tyres, valve service and the specialists who will touch one. The purchase price is the smaller of the two numbers over five years.
PDK arrived on both for 2022 and is quicker. The manual is what the market wants, and that gap has widened rather than closed.
Look for harness mounting, brake ducting, fresh-but-mismatched hardware and engine-out invoices. Documented track use is fine; a car presented as unused that clearly was not is a different conversation.
Reliable by the standards of the older cars, but still cheaper to find a fault before buying than after.
What a 718 Spyder actually costs to keep, grouped by why you would buy it. Prices are typical US parts-only figures — labour is separate, and the DIY note says whether that matters. Where a link earns us a commission it costs you nothing and never changes what appears here.
The failure above and its fix. Replace the thermostat at the same time — the system is open and the labour overlaps.
A low, wide front end on a car that rewards being driven a long way. Film the bumper, bonnet, mirrors and rocker edges before the first road trip.
Low front radiators and open ducting collect road debris exactly as every water-cooled Porsche before them.
Worth doing on a high-mileage car that feels less crisp than it should. Cheap relative to how much sharpness it restores.
The service that protects the mechatronic unit, and the one most likely to have been skipped.
Approved specification only, and non-negotiable while the car is under warranty. Keep every receipt.
Bought with every change. Use the specified part on a warrantied car and keep the paperwork.
Two years, annually with track use. The least glamorous and most important consumable on a car this capable.
Routine, cheap, and heavily marked up when a dealer does them.
Separates a software glitch from a real fault before you book dealer time — which on a 982 is most of the diagnostic battle.
Expensive wheels and no guarantee anyone else torqued them properly. Verify after any tyre work.
The 982 sits low and its jack points need proper pucks to avoid crushing the sill.
A low battery on a car this electronically dependent produces faults across unrelated systems.