Cayman GT4 buying advice
Discussion
Sorry if this is the sort of thing that's asked on a regular basis, but I'm weighing up a few cars at the moment, and one is the GT4. There seem to be quite a few about right now, starting from £75k (10k miles) at Porsche Dealers. This seems reasonable to me giving they have dropped a little in the past year or so, but I also see the lower end of the market tending to feature the electric, rather than 918-style seats.
I'm not likely to take the car to the track, so are there any pros and cons to each type of seat, and any extra benefits to the Clubsport package for non-track usage? I'd imagine comfort is pretty different, but there aren't too many GT4's near me to go and try out. I always find heated seats a great thing, but then, they perhaps don't suit a GT4, and I really want a bit of crazy at the weekend, rather than anything "normal".
A lot of reviews harp on about the long gearing, with 112mph in 3rd gear etc. In the real world, is the long gearing an "issue", or quite the opposite?
Colour-wise I'm really liking GT Silver and Sapphire blue, but there don't seem to be too many of these.
Finally, is there anything else to know about the GT4 such as common faults/complaints/pros/cons etc? I know there's a new car rumoured but I doubt my letter of intent to the Porsche dealership I've bought from in the past will get me anywhere... I don't buy 10 cars a year and have only bought used previously.
I'm not likely to take the car to the track, so are there any pros and cons to each type of seat, and any extra benefits to the Clubsport package for non-track usage? I'd imagine comfort is pretty different, but there aren't too many GT4's near me to go and try out. I always find heated seats a great thing, but then, they perhaps don't suit a GT4, and I really want a bit of crazy at the weekend, rather than anything "normal".
A lot of reviews harp on about the long gearing, with 112mph in 3rd gear etc. In the real world, is the long gearing an "issue", or quite the opposite?
Colour-wise I'm really liking GT Silver and Sapphire blue, but there don't seem to be too many of these.
Finally, is there anything else to know about the GT4 such as common faults/complaints/pros/cons etc? I know there's a new car rumoured but I doubt my letter of intent to the Porsche dealership I've bought from in the past will get me anywhere... I don't buy 10 cars a year and have only bought used previously.
w44neg said:
I'm not likely to take the car to the track, so are there any pros and cons to each type of seat, and any extra benefits to the Clubsport package for non-track usage? I'd imagine comfort is pretty different, but there aren't too many GT4's near me to go and try out. I always find heated seats a great thing, but then, they perhaps don't suit a GT4, and I really want a bit of crazy at the weekend, rather than anything "normal".
A lot of reviews harp on about the long gearing, with 112mph in 3rd gear etc. In the real world, is the long gearing an "issue", or quite the opposite?
Finally, is there anything else to know about the GT4 such as common faults/complaints/pros/cons etc?
Surprised no one has replied so I'll give it a shot.A lot of reviews harp on about the long gearing, with 112mph in 3rd gear etc. In the real world, is the long gearing an "issue", or quite the opposite?
Finally, is there anything else to know about the GT4 such as common faults/complaints/pros/cons etc?
Try to find an example of each type of seat (any random car with the right seat will do) in an opc/dealer that you can sit in or better yet have a drive in. Different individuals are more sensitive to seat fitting, what works for someone might not work for you so you do imo need to try them. Very broadly, the 918 buckets are wider and a bit more upright but can moved higher/lower, the folding buckets are a slightly more reclined, have heating and closer fitting but have no height adjustment and they do sit relatively high for bucket seats. clubsport has no benefit if not tracked as it basically just adds a harness bar.
Gearing is a hornets nest. Imo it's not the gearing that's the issue as while it is long, at max revs it does practically the same speeds as the new .2gt3 (albeit that car has a considerably higher rev limit so that does make a difference) and no one harps on about long gearing in the gt3.
3rd gear in 2016 cars can have an issue but will be covered under warranty.
I have the comfort seats in mine (2 way adjustable sports plus seats) and find them great for all uses. Whether it be road driving/touring or on a track day. I can safely say I have no regrets about choosing them over buckets (even though my previous Cayman R had buckets).
They've got seat heating but as they are mostly alcantera I've not found any need to use it. As you've already discovered a comfort seat car will be priced lower than a bucket seats car (probably £5K less for a like for like spec). So you'll pay less but get almost exactly the same driving experience. The main difference being that the car will be slightly heavier and that you can't use harnesses. So in theory it might be up to a second slower around a circuit lap....which is hardly anything to lose sleep over at my skill level!
They've got seat heating but as they are mostly alcantera I've not found any need to use it. As you've already discovered a comfort seat car will be priced lower than a bucket seats car (probably £5K less for a like for like spec). So you'll pay less but get almost exactly the same driving experience. The main difference being that the car will be slightly heavier and that you can't use harnesses. So in theory it might be up to a second slower around a circuit lap....which is hardly anything to lose sleep over at my skill level!
On the seats, you'll find fans of various options. I have the lightweight buckets in mine. They look cool, go the lowest, and have great support on track. On the road, some people find them very comfortable and some people find them torture. The issue seems to be the fixed-back is quite upright. I tend to find them a bit uncomfortable for the first 30 mins across my upper back, but after that I get used to it. I drove it from Surrey to Davos in a day last year and the only thing I missed on my car was cruise control.
There are bucket seats with a folding backrest that have lots of fans as well. And some people really like the 18-way adjustable sports seats for a car that is unlikely to go on track. Heated seats are obviously a personal thing - I have them in my DD and use them for about 15 mins on a cold morning, so I've never got why people want them in the weekend toy.
That's my summary of the stuff I've read on here from the (many) debates about the seats.
I think the GT4 is a fantastic car, so do buy one. If there is a new one it will probably be slightly more fantastic than the 981, but it won't make the 981 any worse (to state the obvious). Nick Trott (former Evo and MotorSport editor) recently called it his favourite road car ever.
Oh, and you'll also several people who think the 981 Spyder is a better road car than the GT4. I've never driven one so can't comment, but you may want to see if you can have a go in one of those.
Good luck with the search.
David
There are bucket seats with a folding backrest that have lots of fans as well. And some people really like the 18-way adjustable sports seats for a car that is unlikely to go on track. Heated seats are obviously a personal thing - I have them in my DD and use them for about 15 mins on a cold morning, so I've never got why people want them in the weekend toy.
That's my summary of the stuff I've read on here from the (many) debates about the seats.
I think the GT4 is a fantastic car, so do buy one. If there is a new one it will probably be slightly more fantastic than the 981, but it won't make the 981 any worse (to state the obvious). Nick Trott (former Evo and MotorSport editor) recently called it his favourite road car ever.
Oh, and you'll also several people who think the 981 Spyder is a better road car than the GT4. I've never driven one so can't comment, but you may want to see if you can have a go in one of those.
Good luck with the search.
David
Some thoughts on options I didn’t tick that I don’t miss... that often come up as forum “must haves” (which I disagree with).
PDLS - some think is a must have. I don’t have it. And don’t care. Plus it’s bright enough at night.
Carbon trim in the cabin; cool. But i wouldn’t pay for it.
Other options I do have, that I like....
- carbon brakes. (I like yellow paint).
- Bose. Wasn’t (relatively) expensive.
- 12 o’clock marker in the steering wheel.
- alcantra steering wheel. Feels nice.
Sports chrono - hmm. Not sure. It can plot my route round the track.
PDLS - some think is a must have. I don’t have it. And don’t care. Plus it’s bright enough at night.
Carbon trim in the cabin; cool. But i wouldn’t pay for it.
Other options I do have, that I like....
- carbon brakes. (I like yellow paint).
- Bose. Wasn’t (relatively) expensive.
- 12 o’clock marker in the steering wheel.
- alcantra steering wheel. Feels nice.
Sports chrono - hmm. Not sure. It can plot my route round the track.
These replies are really helpful. Bose seems to be quite rare, but I had it in my 981S (sold last week) and really found it to be a great sounding system, once set up correctly.
I think the first hurdle is deciding on the seats. After that, I can hone in on the rest of the options I guess.
Just watched an Arvo review on the Spyder. Looks lovely but reminds me too much in looks of my Boxster; a stunning car but I just want something a little different, which the GT4 offers aesthetically.
I think the first hurdle is deciding on the seats. After that, I can hone in on the rest of the options I guess.
Just watched an Arvo review on the Spyder. Looks lovely but reminds me too much in looks of my Boxster; a stunning car but I just want something a little different, which the GT4 offers aesthetically.
nudgerwilliams said:
I think the GT4 is a fantastic car, so do buy one. If there is a new one it will probably be slightly more fantastic than the 981, but it won't make the 981 any worse (to state the obvious). Nick Trott (former Evo and MotorSport editor) recently called it his favourite road car ever.
Not saying Nick Trott was biased, but he did say that whilst he’s trying to sell his own GT4....https://www.kaaimans.com/current-stock/9141210-por...
w44neg said:
Hmmmmm that’s interesting lol. What do people think of that colour in general? I didn’t like it at first, but it’s growing on me now I’ve seen it on several cars.
Personally think its a great colour and spec. It will be rare and unique - so that in addition to the GT4 being an all-time great car - is a winner.Everybody has a personal preference on this stuff and tend to self justify their own spec.
Out of all of the spec option, the seat are probably the most personal and the most important, get it wrong and it could take away from your enjoyment of the car.
In simple terms, buckets for track and they go well with the CS. Electric seats for comfort.
My GT4 has the 18way electric seats with leather backs. They look great, but more importantly they are super comfy and can be adjust to suit personal preference. Better, you can change the position depending on what you are doing. I like a slightly reclined seat back to take the pressure off my lower spine, this is how I drive the car most of the time and have 1000's of miles across Europe in total comfort. But then when I go on track, a tighten all the adjustments up and make the seat more upright. You can also bring the side bolsters in tighter. It feels perfectly secure on track. Obviously, a buck with a harness is even more secure but for me the comprise to big for the driving I do most of the time. The 918 seat are also a PITA to in and out of.
The other thing to remember is the GT4 is a great road car, so you may end up doing more road miles that track days. Oh, and the carbon brakes are mega. I just had my first service (2 years and 8.5k miles), zero wear on either the pads or discs. And no brake dust or rusty looking rotors are a massive bonus to me.
There's no bad choice really as the cars are superb, regardless of the spec.
Out of all of the spec option, the seat are probably the most personal and the most important, get it wrong and it could take away from your enjoyment of the car.
In simple terms, buckets for track and they go well with the CS. Electric seats for comfort.
My GT4 has the 18way electric seats with leather backs. They look great, but more importantly they are super comfy and can be adjust to suit personal preference. Better, you can change the position depending on what you are doing. I like a slightly reclined seat back to take the pressure off my lower spine, this is how I drive the car most of the time and have 1000's of miles across Europe in total comfort. But then when I go on track, a tighten all the adjustments up and make the seat more upright. You can also bring the side bolsters in tighter. It feels perfectly secure on track. Obviously, a buck with a harness is even more secure but for me the comprise to big for the driving I do most of the time. The 918 seat are also a PITA to in and out of.
The other thing to remember is the GT4 is a great road car, so you may end up doing more road miles that track days. Oh, and the carbon brakes are mega. I just had my first service (2 years and 8.5k miles), zero wear on either the pads or discs. And no brake dust or rusty looking rotors are a massive bonus to me.
There's no bad choice really as the cars are superb, regardless of the spec.
CarHabit said:
Not saying Nick Trott was biased, but he did say that whilst he’s trying to sell his own GT4....
https://www.kaaimans.com/current-stock/9141210-por...
I'd like to think he's got a bit of integrity! I swapped a couple of tweets with him when he put the car up for sale. I said I assumed he had not bonded with it as he only had it about 4 or 5 months, and he said not that, in the top 5 best road cars he's driven, but needed funds for a race car he was looking to buy. So his comment published in Evo consistent with that. https://www.kaaimans.com/current-stock/9141210-por...
That colour is definitely a marmite job. There are two ways of looking at the fact it's the only one, and I'm in the camp that thinks it's because it's horrible.
Interesting thread.
Finding myself looking at the Cayman GT4’s. (I’d need to sell my 996.1 GT3 CS first mind you)
I see there are 3 types of seats for the GT4. 918 Bucket - Standard heated buckets (same as Cayman R?) - 18 way comfort seats.
Spec wise I guess is a personal thing, IMO I’d have to have leather dash, 981 buckets, cruise, xenons, the light grey wheels, climate and sound pack plus or BOSE
Colour; 1) dark grey, 2) guards red, 3) sapphire blue 4) white
This car looks a good spec,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Let me know what you think when you get a road test, like you it would be a weekend toy and Europe road trip car.
Good luck in the quest.
Dan
Finding myself looking at the Cayman GT4’s. (I’d need to sell my 996.1 GT3 CS first mind you)
I see there are 3 types of seats for the GT4. 918 Bucket - Standard heated buckets (same as Cayman R?) - 18 way comfort seats.
Spec wise I guess is a personal thing, IMO I’d have to have leather dash, 981 buckets, cruise, xenons, the light grey wheels, climate and sound pack plus or BOSE
Colour; 1) dark grey, 2) guards red, 3) sapphire blue 4) white
This car looks a good spec,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Let me know what you think when you get a road test, like you it would be a weekend toy and Europe road trip car.
Good luck in the quest.
Dan
Dan911 said:
Interesting thread.
Finding myself looking at the Cayman GT4’s. (I’d need to sell my 996.1 GT3 CS first mind you)
I see there are 3 types of seats for the GT4. 918 Bucket - Standard heated buckets (same as Cayman R?) - 18 way comfort seats.
Spec wise I guess is a personal thing, IMO I’d have to have leather dash, 981 buckets, cruise, xenons, the light grey wheels, climate and sound pack plus or BOSE
Colour; 1) dark grey, 2) guards red, 3) sapphire blue 4) white
This car looks a good spec,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Let me know what you think when you get a road test, like you it would be a weekend toy and Europe road trip car.
Good luck in the quest.
Dan
That's possibly around the corner from me. Interesting spec too. Finding myself looking at the Cayman GT4’s. (I’d need to sell my 996.1 GT3 CS first mind you)
I see there are 3 types of seats for the GT4. 918 Bucket - Standard heated buckets (same as Cayman R?) - 18 way comfort seats.
Spec wise I guess is a personal thing, IMO I’d have to have leather dash, 981 buckets, cruise, xenons, the light grey wheels, climate and sound pack plus or BOSE
Colour; 1) dark grey, 2) guards red, 3) sapphire blue 4) white
This car looks a good spec,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Let me know what you think when you get a road test, like you it would be a weekend toy and Europe road trip car.
Good luck in the quest.
Dan
I called Wilmslow Porsche today. They have a Guards Red one and I called asking to test drive it... sorry sir but you can't do that unless we've worked out some figures, as it's SoR.
w44neg said:
Bose seems to be quite rare.
That's because it wasn't an option in the GT4. Only 'Sound Package Plus', (£396 option) which really isn't anything to get excited about. Def' a step up from the standard spec sound wise (not saying much). The PCM inc' Nav (£2141 option) is def nicer and gives you the extra USB's, nicer screen and NAV etc. DAB was another £324 on top of that.
If i was buying a used GT4, only real essentials for me would be:
- Carbon buckets, as they just look fantastic and I actually find them very comfortable.
- Leather interior, looks much nicer than basic interior
- PCM
- CS (it's a GT car).
Nice to haves, but not deal breakers:
- PCCB. Car massively over braked, but they do look good.
- PDLS
- 64L Tank
- Alcantara sunvisors, as standard ones look very cheap and plasticky
PGNSagaris said:
stichill99 said:
Agreed, Don't touch that horrible colour with a bargepole!
Weird. I actually think that colour looks sensational in the flesh and pictures and is perfect for a GT car. Also, the spec on NT’s car is exactly what I’d chose in a GT4. tonto1 said:
That's because it wasn't an option in the GT4.
Only 'Sound Package Plus', (£396 option) which really isn't anything to get excited about. Def' a step up from the standard spec sound wise (not saying much). The PCM inc' Nav (£2141 option) is def nicer and gives you the extra USB's, nicer screen and NAV etc. DAB was another £324 on top of that.
If i was buying a used GT4, only real essentials for me would be:
- Carbon buckets, as they just look fantastic and I actually find them very comfortable.
- Leather interior, looks much nicer than basic interior
- PCM
- CS (it's a GT car).
Nice to haves, but not deal breakers:
- PCCB. Car massively over braked, but they do look good.
- PDLS
- 64L Tank
- Alcantara sunvisors, as standard ones look very cheap and plasticky
Ah what a shame about the BOSE. I know it probably adds weight and there’s the exhaust note to listen to, but it’s such a great system. Only 'Sound Package Plus', (£396 option) which really isn't anything to get excited about. Def' a step up from the standard spec sound wise (not saying much). The PCM inc' Nav (£2141 option) is def nicer and gives you the extra USB's, nicer screen and NAV etc. DAB was another £324 on top of that.
If i was buying a used GT4, only real essentials for me would be:
- Carbon buckets, as they just look fantastic and I actually find them very comfortable.
- Leather interior, looks much nicer than basic interior
- PCM
- CS (it's a GT car).
Nice to haves, but not deal breakers:
- PCCB. Car massively over braked, but they do look good.
- PDLS
- 64L Tank
- Alcantara sunvisors, as standard ones look very cheap and plasticky
Excuse my ignorance but what’s “CS”?
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