Does the Porsche 718 have four-wheel drive?
2 Answers
Porsche 718 does not have four-wheel drive; this model adopts rear-wheel drive. The advantages of rear-wheel drive vehicles are as follows: 1. The rear wheels have stronger grip during acceleration, resulting in better acceleration performance. 2. Rear-wheel drive is a very reasonable driving method, where the rear wheels are responsible for propelling the car forward, while the front wheels only handle steering. 3. Rear-wheel drive vehicles have a smaller turning radius and superior handling compared to front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles. The engine and transmission of rear-wheel drive vehicles are longitudinally mounted, positioning the entire powertrain towards the rear. 4. Front-wheel drive saves costs and weight, eliminating the need for a drive shaft under the passenger compartment, rear axle housing, and integrating the transmission and differential into a single housing. This not only reduces the number of parts but also saves fuel consumption, while improving acceleration and braking performance.
I've been driving a Porsche 718 for three years and can confidently say this series is exclusively rear-wheel drive. Both the 718 Boxster and Cayman feature mid-engine layouts, a design inherently suited for rear-wheel drive. Last winter, I specifically asked a technician at the dealership, who explained that Porsche intentionally maintains the 718's lightweight characteristics—adding a four-wheel-drive system would increase the weight by over 100 kilograms, compromising cornering agility. In daily driving, you can distinctly feel the handling pleasure of rear-wheel drive, with exceptionally precise steering. However, extra caution is needed when driving in the rain, as the rear wheels are prone to slipping on wet roads—I switched to high-performance rain tires to improve this. If four-wheel drive is absolutely necessary, you'd have to consider the 911 or Macan, though the driving experience is completely different.