Porsche 911 Carrera 4 991.2 vs Porsche 718 Boxster GTS: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 911 Carrera 4 hits 100 km/h in 4.16 s versus 4.47 s for the 718 Boxster GTS. At this point, the 911 Carrera 4 leads by 0.30 s and sits roughly 3 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 911 Carrera 4 is doing 155 km/h against 155 km/h for the 718 Boxster GTS. The gap is 0.16 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the 911 Carrera 4 crosses the line in 12.19 s versus 12.32 s. The 0.13 s gap represents roughly 7 m of track - barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. Past 400 metres, both rivals hit the same electronic ceiling at 286 km/h. Neither can claw back ground through top speed - the outcome hinges on the acceleration curve between 100 and 286 km/h.

At 1,000 metres, the 718 Boxster GTS finishes in 21.96 s versus 22.00 s. The 0.04 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

The 911 Carrera 4 features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the 718 Boxster GTS’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals share the same electronic speed cap: the 911 Carrera 4 and the 718 Boxster GTS are governed to 291 km/h. At that speed, standard-fit tyres approach their safety threshold - an industrial ceiling common to most electric vehicles in this segment. Neither car shows its true aerodynamic potential in this duel.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (3.95 kg/hp vs 3.77 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Manual).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 6.41 seconds. The 0.30 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.