718 review - test drove today

[dreamcar]

Went to PEC Silverstone yesterday to sample the new 718. I won't go over everything that others have said other than the new styling is nicer at the front than the outgoing 981 (although I prefer the GTS front end). The rear end is ok, I think the new vertical panel beneath the spoiler with PORSCHE on it clutters up what used to be a clean rear deck. PCM is a huge improvement with the integration, Google maps etc. I like the full leather interior with the stitching now running down either side of the central console. However I don't like some of the other changes, the messy new central vents replacing the flush ones of 981; and why return to the Sport Chrono "wart" on top of the dash rather than the classily integrated one on the previous model? Meddling and changing for the sake of it! The new steering wheel is nice, especially the multi function version which replaces the ghastly previous MF wheel that was more suited to a truck or Transit van than a sports car.I liked both transmissions, drove a base car with the lovely slick six speed manual and the S had PDK ( the latter even better than the previous 'box. The quicker steering rack combined with the smaller steering wheels is also a noticeable improvement. Maybe it was me but I found it easier to catch the car on PEC's ice hill and kick plate in these new cars than the previous models?

But the engine. I did my best to go into the drives with an open mind, but IMO the new engines have comprehensively spoilt the car. The base engine sounds better, the 2.5 performance is much stronger particularly low down even than the GTS and the greater torque helps mask the over gearing better than the sixes. The trouble is for me the greater performance is achieved in a turbo diesel like way, low down with no real encouragement to rev these engines, as there is no reward for doing so. They are not bad engines in isolation but the rather agricultural sound (none of the cars at PEC had sports exhaust but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear) and the turbo surges have transformed the Boxster from something rather special to just an ordinary sports car, imagine the next sports car up in the Mazda range from a MX-5 if you like , no disrespect to the Mazda as it's a great car - but it doesn't cost £50k!!! Could be any hot hatch drivetrain and should have no place in an expensive sports car. Would I consider changing my GTS in a few years time for an uprated 4 cylinder GTS? Sorry Porsche, no. You've ruined the car, for me anyway. If I bought one I would get bored with it pretty quickly. The other significant improvements I've mentioned lessen the effect of the new engines, but not enough. At the end of the day it was a pleasure getting back into my GTS with its wonderful engine and aural delights and driving home!

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 15:27

[RSVP911]

At the end of the day it was a pleasure getting back into my GTS with its wonderful engine and aural delights and driving home!
[/quote]

I think this says it all !

[truck71]

RSVP911 said:

At the end of the day it was a pleasure getting back into my GTS with its wonderful engine and aural delights and driving home!

I think this says it all !

Yep. It's a 35k car now not a 50k car- a two door alternative to a hatchback (the Cayman actually is).

Edited by truck71 on Saturday 21st May 10:30

[tyrrell]

RSVP911 said:

At the end of the day it was a pleasure getting back into my GTS with its wonderful engine and aural delights and driving home!

I think this says it all !

+1

[Sparkyhd]

Cpb1702 said:

Interested to get your views on the difference between the 2 718s and which you prefered?

Currently have a Cayman 2.7 PDK, no PASM and 20inch wheels. My only criticism of the car is its ride so I spend most of the drive manoeuvring round potholes and on motorways I’m now an expert at predicting sound type, rumble and ride quality based on the change in colour of the tarmac ahead. For the winter just gone I put on 18inch regular wheels with winter tyres; it was lovey to be honest. Yesterday I was back at Porsche having the 20inch wheels back on and during that time got to test the two 718’s. I’m probably judging these more from a ride perspective than the engine.

Both 718’s had 20inch wheels and the S had PASM. The S with PASM rides better than the base Boxster and both ride better than my Cayman (with 20inch). From this I’ve concluded on the next one I’m definitely getting PASM and probably 19inchers for which you can get Porsche approved winter tyres (not available on 20inch).

The 2.7 engine on the Cayman is great but can’t really use it for my type of driving - don’t do track days and don’t live near the Welsh mountains. So for my normal type of driving I found a 1.4 Golf easier to beat the cut and thrust of everyday traffic because torque was available at low revs whereas the Cayman I have to wind up and then realise I’m doing 95mph.

Having tested the 718 and 718S the base 718 does it for me. Better ride than my Cayman and accessible performance. The 718S might be slightly sharper and better performing but in the real world all of that is going to waste. The only thing I’d like off the S are the red brake callipers but £10k is quite a lot for just that.

We all have different tastes and requirements so it’s all about personal preference. No opinion is right or wrong or better than someone else’s, we just like different things. Personally I thought the 718 sounds fine. When I’m driving along the sound won’t rankle me. In reality the next model will be electric and the one after that controlled centrally by Google, with a picture of Sergey Brin where the steering wheel currently sits, so I’m accepting of which way the tide is flowing.

[FrankCayman]

Sparkyhd said:

Currently have a Cayman 2.7 PDK, no PASM and 20inch wheels. My only criticism of the car is its ride so I spend most of the drive manoeuvring round potholes and on motorways I’m now an expert at predicting sound type, rumble and ride quality based on the change in colour of the tarmac ahead. For the winter just gone I put on 18inch regular wheels with winter tyres; it was lovey to be honest. Yesterday I was back at Porsche having the 20inch wheels back on and during that time got to test the two 718’s. I’m probably judging these more from a ride perspective than the engine.

Both 718’s had 20inch wheels and the S had PASM. The S with PASM rides better than the base Boxster and both ride better than my Cayman (with 20inch). From this I’ve concluded on the next one I’m definitely getting PASM and probably 19inchers for which you can get Porsche approved winter tyres (not available on 20inch).

The 2.7 engine on the Cayman is great but can’t really use it for my type of driving - don’t do track days and don’t live near the Welsh mountains. So for my normal type of driving I found a 1.4 Golf easier to beat the cut and thrust of everyday traffic because torque was available at low revs whereas the Cayman I have to wind up and then realise I’m doing 95mph.

Having tested the 718 and 718S the base 718 does it for me. Better ride than my Cayman and accessible performance. The 718S might be slightly sharper and better performing but in the real world all of that is going to waste. The only thing I’d like off the S are the red brake callipers but £10k is quite a lot for just that.

We all have different tastes and requirements so it’s all about personal preference. No opinion is right or wrong or better than someone else’s, we just like different things. Personally I thought the 718 sounds fine. When I’m driving along the sound won’t rankle me. In reality the next model will be electric and the one after that controlled centrally by Google, with a picture of Sergey Brin where the steering wheel currently sits, so I’m accepting of which way the tide is flowing.

I will be hanging on to my 981c 2.7 for as long as poss, but think the base 2.0 will be the way to go for me in the future too. My 981 is also on 20" without PASM, which I find fine...but I guess that's because it was a huge improvement on the 987 with 19" no PASM.

My OPC is saying put down a deposit now to ensure I am first to get the 718 Cayman....he sounded a little jaded when I said I can't see there being a problem getting hold of one when they're out!

[JasonSteel]

i test drove the 718 base and s models and a Cayman 981 as i was interested in getting my first proper sports car.

with the hood up (i kept it up as i'm interested in the Cayman not the Boxster) in the 718 vs the 981 Cayman S, the sound was a bit better in the 981. outside the car it was no contest - the noise of the F6 is much more appealing. for everything else though i preferred the 718. the low grunt power put a big grin on my face and the looks are (for me) more aggressive and purposeful. i find the 981 is a bit too... feminine (for want of a better word) at the back and the 718 improves this a lot, though it's still not quite there yet.

anyway, after lots of toing and froing i decided on the 718CS and have put in an order for one which i hope will be with me some time around Sep/Oct. never had a brand new car before, let alone a pre-order so a bit anxious - especially reading some of the comments on here - but needless to say i'm stoked.

[dreamcar]

FrankCayman said:

I will be hanging on to my 981c 2.7 for as long as poss, but think the base 2.0 will be the way to go for me in the future too. My 981 is also on 20" without PASM, which I find fine...but I guess that's because it was a huge improvement on the 987 with 19" no PASM.

My OPC is saying put down a deposit now to ensure I am first to get the 718 Cayman....he sounded a little jaded when I said I can't see there being a problem getting hold of one when they're out!

FWIW the consensus of opinions at PEC was that the 718 2.0 in many ways is a better car than the 2.5S. The engine sounds a lot less agricultural and the base 718 is quicker than the previous 3.4S. It's just the way the performance is delivered ruins it for me. I am surprised anyone having had the wonderful flat six engines would seriously consider this new one, quicker or not.

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 12:05

[Dyffed]

Take a test drive and then you may not be so surprised.

[Sparkyhd]

dreamcar said:

It's just the way the performance is delivered ruins it for me.

But don't you think in everyday driving the power is delivered better by the 718?

There's a 1 mile stretch of dual carriageway near me which is always empty and no cameras so I roll up there occasionally, floor the throttle, enjoy the sound and acceleration and then go back to ordinary driving. Realistically should I be buying the car for that or for fighting my way round the M25 and short trips cross country to Waitrose?

Someone above mentioned the TT and save loads of money. Trouble is I prefer the look of the Porsche. I probably spend more time looking at it than driving it and I know it’s frivolous but looks take precedent over engine noise.

[JasonSteel]

dreamcar said:

FWIW

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 12:05

FWIW i read your original post. why the change of heart?

[dreamcar]

JasonSteel said:

FWIW i read your original post. why the change of heart?

?? You've lost me on that one I'm afraid! - FWIW

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 14:42

[dreamcar]

Sparkyhd said:

But don't you think in everyday driving the power is delivered better by the 718?

There's a 1 mile stretch of dual carriageway near me which is always empty and no cameras so I roll up there occasionally, floor the throttle, enjoy the sound and acceleration and then go back to ordinary driving. Realistically should I be buying the car for that or for fighting my way round the M25 and short trips cross country to Waitrose?

Someone above mentioned the TT and save loads of money. Trouble is I prefer the look of the Porsche. I probably spend more time looking at it than driving it and I know it’s frivolous but looks take precedent over engine noise.

No I don't like the power delivery of the flat fours. The 718 power delivery is not executed in a sports car way, it's more akin to my Volvo V40 D4 diesel than it is to my GTS and a tiny fraction as rewarding. Why buy a sports car at all for fighting round the M25 and shopping trips - that's what my Volvo does a lot better than my Porsche.

Yes the Cayman is a better looking car than a TT, no argument there, and more exclusive, although a moot point whether it is better inside than a TT, Audi interiors are executed to a very high standard arguably better than Porsche. You don't notice the exterior styling when driving and I spend more time driving than looking at my car.

If I was buying another performance car today in the same price bracket the Audi RS3 would win over the Porsche - on the engine alone, and that would also be better for supermarket trips than a Cayman or a TT!

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 14:45

[stebbo]

dreamcar said:

FWIW the consensus of opinions at PEC was that the 718 2.0 in many ways is a better car than the 2.5S. The engine sounds a lot less agricultural and the base 718 is quicker than the previous 3.4S. It's just the way the performance is delivered ruins it for me. I am surprised anyone having had the wonderful flat six engines would seriously consider this new one, quicker or not.

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 12:05

I have a 981 S. It's plenty quick enough for me on road driving. In fact it has bags of power and acceleration available whenever I want it.

I also only got it in Dec 2015, so won't be changing any time soon

[dreamcar]

stebbo said:

I have a 981 S. It's plenty quick enough for me on road driving. In fact it has bags of power and acceleration available whenever I want it.

I also only got it in Dec 2015, so won't be changing any time soon

As you might guess my view is anyone who has a late six cylinder 981 Boxster or Cayman, base, S or GTS would be better keeping than trading for the new one. At least these models have engines designed to make a great sports car rather than one that is designed purely to please the tree huggers

Edited by dreamcar on Saturday 21st May 17:15

[ooid]

I'll be test driving one in a few weeks, but to be honest I had a look in the showroom and can't see the point of 42k or even 50k(S) on 718 yet?

Another worrying part, how reliable is the new engine? the safest part with 981 was that we knew that porsche had already fixed major issues on the boxster since the first generation 986's and most of the faults have been sorted. (I still have not heard any catastrophic issue from friends who owned 981 back in 2013, even most of them passed over 40k now)

Judging by the past, one wonders how risky to put 45-50k on a boxster with a new engine (flat 4, 2.0) ?

[truck71]

ooid said:

Another worrying part, how reliable is the new engine? the safest part with 981 was that we knew that porsche had already fixed major issues on the boxster since the first generation 986's and most of the faults have been sorted. (I still have not heard any catastrophic issue from friends who owned 981 back in 2013, even most of them passed over 40k now)

Judging by the past, one wonders how risky to put 45-50k on a boxster with a new engine (flat 4, 2.0) ?

It's a really good point, Porsche have form here. And I seem to remember the first article on this site mentioned the need to compromise the engine spec (cylinder wall thickness possibly?) to get it to cool properly- can't remember the detail.

[bcr5784]

Clearly the engine divides opinion. But if you do like it, you'd have to say that the 2 litre Cayman looks like a bargain. It offers at least as much real world performance as the old S (maybe more since it develops more torque below 5500 rpm than the S) and is actually cheaper spec for spec than the old 2.7.

[DJMC]

Sparkyhd said:

But don't you think in everyday driving the power is delivered better by the 718?

There's a 1 mile stretch of dual carriageway near me which is always empty and no cameras so I roll up there occasionally, floor the throttle, enjoy the sound and acceleration and then go back to ordinary driving. Realistically should I be buying the car for that or for fighting my way round the M25 and short trips cross country to Waitrose?

Someone above mentioned the TT and save loads of money. Trouble is I prefer the look of the Porsche. I probably spend more time looking at it than driving it and I know it’s frivolous but looks take precedent over engine noise.

One thing that really annoyed me in the TTS was the throttle response from standstill away from the lights, but I hear the 718 keeps the turbo spinning to avoid this lag? Also, the TTS' chassis was poor, as was the 4WD. I could never tell how much power was going front or rear and this changing mid corner would upset the handling. Never let me down, but that's probably because I was driving cautiously through not trusting a car with little feedback.

But the TTS also annoyed me pooling around too. You'd get a break in the traffic, accelerate, brake again, and the turbo overrun would keep you going when you were intending to be stopping. Maybe that's why it had such aggressive brakes!?

[ORD]

bcr5784 said:

Clearly the engine divides opinion. But if you do like it, you'd have to say that the 2 litre Cayman looks like a bargain. It offers at least as much real world performance as the old S (maybe more since it develops more torque below 5500 rpm than the S) and is actually cheaper spec for spec than the old 2.7.

Eh?

It's basically the same car but with a shopping car engine in the place of a truly special sports car engine. It should be vastly cheaper, because it is a much less upmarket offering.