718 review - test drove today

[Ozzie Osmond]

Congratulations! I think you've probably just ordered one of the world's leading sportscars! ...and for the same sort of money other people spend on a shopping car.

[Dyffed]

Yep, I know.

[Sparkyhd]

I agree it's all about different tastes, need, priorities and budget. No need to slate others if your tastes are different, it's not like a car that someone else likes is being foisted on you.

My brother in-law has a Bentley and loves the back massager. That doesn't float my boat but each to their own.

I actually think you can get as much driving fun out of something cheap and low powered. When I got the Cayman I thought I could live with that as my sole car but I realised after 3 weeks I couldn't so I bought a Hyundai i10 as a motorised shopping trolley. It's a puny 3 cylinder but it was great fun thrashing it to keep up with traffic and overtaking needed careful planning. But there's no real joy in owning an i10 and the Porsche fulfills that need.

[Dyffed]

Sparkyhd said:

I agree it's all about different tastes, need, priorities and budget. No need to slate others if your tastes are different, it's not like a car that someone else likes is being foisted on you.

My brother in-law has a Bentley and loves the back massager. That doesn't float my boat but each to their own.

I actually think you can get as much driving fun out of something cheap and low powered. When I got the Cayman I thought I could live with that as my sole car but I realised after 3 weeks I couldn't so I bought a Hyundai i10 as a motorised shopping trolley. It's a puny 3 cylinder but it was great fun thrashing it to keep up with traffic and overtaking needed careful planning. But there's no real joy in owning an i10 and the Porsche fulfills that need.

Couldn't agree more. Had my 986 for 14 yrs. Loved it. My wife pointed out as I was70yrs. this year It might be a good time to get myself a new car. At this price point after testing other cars in this bracket ,this is the best sports car in the world.

[dreamcar]

Dyffed said:

Couldn't agree more. Had my 986 for 14 yrs. Loved it. My wife pointed out as I was70yrs. this year It might be a good time to get myself a new car. At this price point after testing other cars in this bracket ,this is the best sports car in the world.

There's no doubt that even with the flat four engines (some may like others won't) the Boxster / Cayman 718 are still fine sports cars and in almost every other aspect the 718 is a significant improvement over the outgoing car. Personally that's what I find frustrating; if the next GTS has a six cylinder engine ( unlikely I know ) I'd be seriously tempted.

[bcr5784]

Dyffed said:

My wife pointed out as I was70yrs. this year It might be a good time to get myself a new car.

That was an offer too good to miss - I was in the doghouse for months after I bought mine.

Edited by bcr5784 on Sunday 22 May 15:41

[WG]

Dyffed - nice to know there is another "oldie" on here! I was 64 a few weeks ago and have driven the 718S. It made my current 987 Spyder feel very "old". I am currently persuading the wife that a GTS next year while I wait for the 718 Spyder (LOI already lodged with OPC!!) is a good idea. She is of a different mindset than your good lady !!

[DJMC]

Daviduk said:

if you lost delight in your TTS then that implies that you made the wrong choice getting one.

from my perspective, i won't have the car anywhere near long enough to worry about whether it will go on to be a classic or not.

Yes, absolutely wrong choice, which is why I got rid after 15 months.

My long-term "love" before that was an E46 MSport 330ci Cab which I had for 9 years. I'm hoping my 981 will last "forever" but with 60% of UK cars set to become electric by 2030 I'm guessing tax hikes running up to that deadline will see most of us plugging in!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/14/the-fif...

Edited by DJMC on Sunday 22 May 21:32

[Sparkyhd]

I enjoyed this in depth review.

https://youtu.be/x8c1bAMS4pY

[Dyffed]

WG said:

Dyffed - nice to know there is another "oldie" on here! I was 64 a few weeks ago and have driven the 718S. It made my current 987 Spyder feel very "old". I am currently persuading the wife that a GTS next year while I wait for the 718 Spyder (LOI already lodged with OPC!!) is a good idea. She is of a different mindset than your good lady !!

If it made your 987 Spyder feel old, you can imagine how it made my 986 feel. Though as I mentioned earlier how much I had enjoyed my car over 14yrs. of ownership.

[Porsche911R]

Having the older feeling car is all the appeal imo

No new car will ever match the old Spyder, so again it depends what you want from a car.

The new cars great, faster etc etc, the old car is last of an era and has a great feel about it.
Only thing to do is own both.

[WG]

I take your point Mr D/911 R . I will have had my Spyder for 7 years if I change as planned next year. I normally change every 3 or 4 years so that is testament to how much I like the car - but I just want a change and don't have the space to garage another car unfortunately. (I passed on 981 Spyder due tp lack of PDK - heresy I hear you say !!)

Edited by WG on Monday 23 May 12:50

[Lemon yella RS]

I test drove a 2.0 718 a few weeks ago just after launch. Here's my two pennies. First some background.
It would be fair to say i'm a 911 person. But I have owned two 986's , 2.5 and 3.2 S , tip and manual. So whilst i might be biased, i'm not blinkered to the pleasures of the mid engine cars.I have also driven the 981 for a brief period. For a long time i have harbored a desire or dream if you like to purchase a new Porsche and collect it from the factory. I have been to the factory in Stuttgart more times than i care to own up to. But never to pick up a new car. So favorable circumstance led me to place a deposit on a new 2.0 718 Cayman with manual box . The caveat to the salesman being that if i didn't like the test drive(and in particular the noise of the new 4 pot) in the Boxster i would be having my deposit returned. So no pressure.
I drove to the OPC in my early model 996 which I hoped would allow me a sort of back to back comparison.The 996 having 300hp but being a manual. The test car was a 2.0 Boxster 718 with PDK , 19" wheels and sport chrono. Which gives you the fancy rotary switch on the wheel. Which works well enough. The salesman drove out first with roof down, given that it was a Cayman i wanted we had the roof back up for my drive. Start up revealed an engine that indeed sounds beetle like, though heavily tuned beetle . Before we left he demonstrated the difference in engine note when switching from normal to sport and then onto sport plus. The engine note deepens and the familiar exhaust pops and burbles are there when in sport modes. They are I guess Marmite. I liked the sound in sport modes but normal was a little subdued. Throttle response increases dependent on mode. I found normal to be the least enjoyable mode to be in, feeling lethargic in comparison to when in sport or sport plus. The ride was firm but compliant and the steering direct and responsive. I think you would need a long time at the wheel of different cars to notice the extra 10%. All I note is it doesn't have the amount of feel or feedback that the 996 steering gives. But that is probably understandable. One thing does strike me and that's the sheer width of the car. The Boxster is verging on the clinically obese, feeling almost as wide as a Cayenne. I noticed that in the 981 to be fair, though it felt more so in this car. I found the cabin a pleasant place to be and those who have owned previous models will be at home. Porsche have made changes where they thought they are required. I find the standard seats in this car fine for my thin frsme but i have a preference for the sports seat plus option, which is a little more supportive when tracking a car. So to the noise. I found myself liking it , especially when going through the gears and allowing it to rev out (pointless I know) .It is fairly quite when at cruising speeds. It's not a flat six NA though and can't match it for aural delight. There is some lag but the car soon picks up. It felt about a quick as the 996 i arrived in, possibly a hint slower.
The conclusion for me was this was a great car that improves on the older cars in most respects. I could live with the engine noise. It was more than ok and I quite liked it. That's the rub and the bit i could not get past. I could not see myself spending the thick end of 50k on a car with an engine that I described as "ok" and " quite like". Especially after getting back in the 996. So I had my deposit returned. I am not ruling it out entirely , one day my stance might soften.Who know familarity and maybe a longer drive might change my mind, For now i'll carry on with the 996.

Edited by Lemon yella RS on Monday 23 May 12:23

[HighwayStar]

JasonSteel said:

Sparkyhd said:

Ignoring the sound for a minute are peoples concerns about the power delivery due to the turbo?

to summarise some of the key points discussed so far:

basically, if you're a pro racer like many on here, then you need the 987 (preferably), or the 981. either of these buys the finest engine money can buy and you can race it and keep that engine wailing in the top tenths on our traffic free roads and motorways.

if you're an idiot, or just a to__er after the Porsche badge, then go ahead and get the 718. the worst value for money comes with the 'S'. that has the chavier looks and the cheaper materials. the engine, in case you didn't realise, is a 4 cylinder turbo. it might offer similar performance levels to the GT4, but it's lifted from the Beetle* so the way the power is delivered is just a joke and completely irrelevant to anyone but newcomers to motoring, or those that have no knowledge about cars and driving and just like to pose instead. you can read all about this in the unbiased review linked a few posts above, which was posted by a potential buyer**.

nevermind that the new Boxster S is 16 seconds quicker around the Nurburgring than the outgoing model, and is only 2 seconds slower than the current GT4. nevermind that the Cayman will be quicker still and will probably therefore match the GT4 time despite having less power.

forget all that and either bag yourself a 981 (if you can find one of course because apparently they've all been hoovered up and there are none left to buy***) or go for a lovely Audi S3. it is an all round much better car than the 718, performs better, looks like a real sports car should, and as an added bonus you can use it to go shopping and get stuck in traffic. if you're after the ultimate in low end grunt then consider a tractor.

* or the Scirocco or possibly the Subaru - opinion is divided on this.
** ignore all reviews by established motoring journalists which praise the new car.
*** apart from the few hundred or so on the open market.

Edited by JasonSteel on Sunday 22 May 00:03

Strange response this... The 987/981 one guys are, in you book, liken to pro racers. I don't see many of those mentioning actual speed when referring to the F6. It's mainly about the noise, the drama that engine brings to the proceedings.

You then go on to say "the new Boxster S is 16 seconds quicker around the Nurburgring than the outgoing model, and is only 2 seconds slower than the current GT4. nevermind that the Cayman will be quicker still and will probably therefore match the GT4 time despite having less power."

Now surely us 987/981 owning 'pro racers' would be binning our much slower, old world cars pronto because... well that 'Ring time is what it's all about. Personally I feel I don't need anything faster that my 981 CS, I really don't and I do have the wherewithal to put a 718 S on the drive.

Like DJMC I came from a TTS, I guess the difference between us was I knew what I was getting with that car, not the last word in handling etc.. A Cayman was in reach when I got the TTS but the potential for big Porsche bills led me to compromise. I've lived with easily accessible low down turbo torque, sure it was fast, but there was no aural excitement to be had from the engine as I hit my favourite back roads.
In the Cayman, every journey has the F6 sound track. Even as I struggle to make it to the local shops and slow traffic with puny levels of torque available, the engine sounds great.
I keep reading about the difficulty making progress in heavy, stop start traffic... How is that even possible? The 981 isn't an HGV or a loco. I sit in the same traffic I was in 3 weeks ago in my TTS and I manage just the same as before.
And when I get on the country roads around the Essex town where I live, I get to play with the car and it's fabulous piece of kit. The handling is there, the involvement and the soundtrack to accompany it. And I don't need to 'race it and keep that engine wailing in the top tenths...' to enjoy it.
At the end of the day there's no right or wrong, but with the way cars are changing there will always be those who bemoan those changes and wanting things to be as they were. We can see here there are plenty of folk who don't want to work the engine, enjoying all that proper mechanical noise and prefer easy access... Whatever the subject there will be different sides to the conversation.

[Nimerino]

I test drove the S the other day. I'll keep it relatively short because like always, any suggestion that it's not the perfect choice appears to be met with vehement defences by those buying it. Furthermore, I'm biased since I've owned and driven many 911's but relatively few Caysters, (GT4 excepted, having spent significant time in one of those). I tried it with the intention of adding one as a day-to-day driver to complement my 991 GT3.

It's not great. The car doesn't look any better than the old one, and in detail, particularly in the light detailing at the front and rear, it's distinctly worse. Having eroded some of the creases and surface detailing of the old car, it has more of a soap-bar look than the 981, reminiscent of the earlier cars but less sophisticated than the car it replaces. In my opinion, the engine is a distinct problem, and one which I personally cannot overcome. It doesn't get going properly until about 2500 and the acceleration diminishes noticeably past 5500 rpm. That leaves a very narrow operating band, with no feeling of crescendo, woefully exacerbated by the engine's aural character never developing beyond a drone. The chassis retains the incredible feeling of agility that I remember from all Boxsters I've previously driven, and despite it being mid-engined it seemingly overcomes its naturally low moment of inertia and never feels snappy or abrupt at the limit. The torque of the turbo never threatens to do an "M4" and seem completely out of step with the tyres' ability to deal with it, but developing a flow with the road was a much less natural process than I remember from the last 981 GTS I tried. However, I couldn't detect the supposed improvements in the suspension and steering, as they seem to me to be marginal at best, and muddled by their relationship to the engine's delivery, which is hugely different to prior.

In the plus column, it's REALLY fast and probably still the absolute best car in its class. Then again, given how that class is populated with 4-cylinder Z4s, TTs and SLCs, this is faint praise. I won't be buying one, as it does nothing that I would have hoped it would. I'm off to look for a GTS.

[jaysaph]

I wonder what impact the new 2017 VED rates have on used 981 and 718 Boxsters bearing mind the cylinder differences. As I understand it you will be clobbered for buying a car with list greater >44K or something when new. Therefore used will be more desirable? If there is a preference on the used market for 6-cyl - then maybe residuals will improve on 981. Interested to hear any theories. 981 owner - intend to keep and cherish.

[JasonSteel]

HighwayStar said:

Strange response this...

Nimerino said:

any suggestion that it's not the perfect choice appears to be met with vehement defences by those buying it.

there was no vehement defence, just a pointing out of some facts. the vehement defence (and attack) came from others that were basically rubbishing the new car when in many ways it's clearly better than the outgoing model. yours and HighwayStar'a responses are perfectly reasonable because they offer something more than childish and blinkered slating.

i agree completely that the engine in the new car is completely different to the F6 and that it certainly lacks the drama in the upper end of the rev range. but the engine is only part of the equation. i get that for some it's everything, and that's fine too, but just because some care only about the engine it doesn't mean that everyone is that way, and being discourteous just leads to useful discussion being cut short and things getting rude and abusive.

when i said about the 'ring lap times, it was a genuine question about which factors have contributed to the new car being pretty much as fast as the GT4. surely the chassis and handling must be greatly improved too because the 718 is underpowered compared to the GT4? i was hoping that we could finally leave the whole "yeah but it's a 4pot turbo" view alone now as it's been made abundantly clear and i think there is general agreement that it's a massive shame that we've lost the F6, at least until the new GT4 is ready. can we discuss other aspects of the new car now?

[HighwayStar]

JasonSteel said:

HighwayStar said:

Strange response this...

Nimerino said:

any suggestion that it's not the perfect choice appears to be met with vehement defences by those buying it.

there was no vehement defence, just a pointing out of some facts. the vehement defence (and attack) came from others that were basically rubbishing the new car when in many ways it's clearly better than the outgoing model. yours and HighwayStar'a responses are perfectly reasonable because they offer something more than childish and blinkered slating.

i agree completely that the engine in the new car is completely different to the F6 and that it certainly lacks the drama in the upper end of the rev range. but the engine is only part of the equation. i get that for some it's everything, and that's fine too, but just because some care only about the engine it doesn't mean that everyone is that way, and being discourteous just leads to useful discussion being cut short and things getting rude and abusive.

when i said about the 'ring lap times, it was a genuine question about which factors have contributed to the new car being pretty much as fast as the GT4. surely the chassis and handling must be greatly improved too because the 718 is underpowered compared to the GT4? i was hoping that we could finally leave the whole "yeah but it's a 4pot turbo" view alone now as it's been made abundantly clear and i think there is general agreement that it's a massive shame that we've lost the F6, at least until the new GT4 is ready. can we discuss other aspects of the new car now?

I'd imagine all that low down torque contributes massively, getting out of slower corners quicker. Better braking, improved suspension and other little improvements here and there... and how stock was it?

[ORD]

HighwayStar said:

I'd imagine all that low down torque contributes massively, getting out of slower corners quicker. Better braking, improved suspension and other little improvements here and there... and how stock was it?

Yep.

You cannot be near the top of the rev range at all times given the stupid gearing, so more torque at mid revs will make a big difference. The rest will be worth maybe a second or two here or there. Minor chassis changes compared to the engine.

I would also bet my house on the car being very far from stock for the record run. Porsche needed a special time and got one.

I don't really see the force of the argument that one should put the engine to one side and discuss the car aside from the engine. That's like saying 'ignore the steak and tell me about the side salad. I'll buy the steak if the side salad is nice'. If you like nice engines, there is nothing that will make the 718 even close to a competitor for a 981. It's a worse car. Aside from people who need to get a new car because they are locked into a lease cycle, there's extremely little reason to buy a 718 over a 981 (unless, as I say, you are not into engines).

[Biggriff]

I won't be trading in the GTS anytime soon.

If I wanted a four cylinder VAG car I'd buy a TT. For me part of the pleasure was the flat six. It's not about the last % of efficiency for most of us that buys a prestige sports car and all manufacturers need to realise their is an emotional quotient at play here.

Just because the 718 is a bit quicker and a bit more fuel efficient just doesn't drive me to splurge £50k +