Chris Harris Drives: the Porsche 718 Boxster
Discussion
Porsche911R said:
go ask an OPC how many they have sold, and go look at stock, which looks like orders but is stock, each OPC will order 3 caymans and 3 boxsters at least, x 35 dealers that's 210 ordered, but I asked how many boxsters one OPC had sold in the last 5 months and they said 3 !!!!
sales are up due to Macans not 718's
You'd be looking at July 2017 earliest st OPC East London. I haven't had time to canvas all the dealerships in the world, but I'd assume Porsche have some awareness of their global sales figures hence their sales figures. Feel free to take it up with them if you disagree ??sales are up due to Macans not 718's
Edited by Pinball on Saturday 22 October 15:05
WG said:
All this talk (on this and other threads) about impact on 981 prices makes me smile! The value is only relevant if you sell it - and then you haven't got it any more! If you keep it and want to maintain its value then you must keep mileage low which means not using it - so what is the point of keeping it! Just saying !!!
Completely agree.Porsche911R said:
go ask an OPC how many they have sold, and go look at stock, which looks like orders but is stock, each OPC will order 3 caymans and 3 boxsters at least, x 35 dealers that's 210 ordered, but I asked how many boxsters one OPC had sold in the last 5 months and they said 3 !!!!
sales are up due to Macans not 718's
Not really surprising though. 718 is grossly over priced - a similarly equipped 718 Boxster S is £2,500 more than my GTS was! BMW Z4, Mercedes SLK, Jaguar F Type all have six cylinder engines for less money. Even Audi's TT RS and RS3 have far more charismatic engines than 718 has.sales are up due to Macans not 718's
dreamcar said:
Not really surprising though. 718 is grossly over priced - a similarly equipped 718 Boxster S is £2,500 more than my GTS was! BMW Z4, Mercedes SLK, Jaguar F Type all have six cylinder engines for less money. Even Audi's TT RS and RS3 have far more charismatic engines than 718 has.
Yep, £35k car now. And yet some people are spending £60k plus. On a four cylinder car ffs.Much as I enjoy Chris Harris's reviews for the for the tyre burning antics and hooning around I don't think that I would base my purchase on his reviews or those of other similar motoring journalists.
He can say it is not as good as the car you can no longer buy (new at least) but that does not really help.
If you have a N/A Cayman/Boxster already I can see the attraction of the 6 cylinder engine but if like me you are buying new then you simply have to move with the times or buy an F type/ M2.
Clearly you should drive the cars and make your own decision. I drove the 981 Cayman 2.7, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman before deciding on a 718 Cayman S.
As he eluded to the sound in the Cayman is better than the Boxster, none of them I drove had the sports exhaust. You could not describe the Cayman 718 I drove as inert, it just sounds different.
Whilst the 981 made a nice noise you had to cane it to get the performance, this can be quite nice but you don't always want to do that. The real world driving experience between the 918 2.7 and 718 2 litre performance/usability is huge. The VV turbo on the 718s takes it again to a different level, with more power and usable torque.
Its a trade off between power/torque/noise and a better chassis and more modern car. Am I going to benefit from '9 types of noise' or more BHP?
I actually want my Cayman S to be ' a bit of a thug'- isn't that why you buy a sports car.? so I don't really see where CH is coming from when he goes on about wanting something 'delicate'.
All the manufacturers are downsizing engines and cylinder count towards turbo engines, eg Ferrari, Aston Martin etc so why should Porsche be different. With emission rules tightening it is a fact of life.
Lets celebrate the advantages, more power, torque and lower CO2 (not improved fuel economy as in the real world you are going to drive it like a Porsche.)
Not sure how he is going to react when they put a 4 cylinder hybrid in the 911 !!
He can say it is not as good as the car you can no longer buy (new at least) but that does not really help.
If you have a N/A Cayman/Boxster already I can see the attraction of the 6 cylinder engine but if like me you are buying new then you simply have to move with the times or buy an F type/ M2.
Clearly you should drive the cars and make your own decision. I drove the 981 Cayman 2.7, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman before deciding on a 718 Cayman S.
As he eluded to the sound in the Cayman is better than the Boxster, none of them I drove had the sports exhaust. You could not describe the Cayman 718 I drove as inert, it just sounds different.
Whilst the 981 made a nice noise you had to cane it to get the performance, this can be quite nice but you don't always want to do that. The real world driving experience between the 918 2.7 and 718 2 litre performance/usability is huge. The VV turbo on the 718s takes it again to a different level, with more power and usable torque.
Its a trade off between power/torque/noise and a better chassis and more modern car. Am I going to benefit from '9 types of noise' or more BHP?
I actually want my Cayman S to be ' a bit of a thug'- isn't that why you buy a sports car.? so I don't really see where CH is coming from when he goes on about wanting something 'delicate'.
All the manufacturers are downsizing engines and cylinder count towards turbo engines, eg Ferrari, Aston Martin etc so why should Porsche be different. With emission rules tightening it is a fact of life.
Lets celebrate the advantages, more power, torque and lower CO2 (not improved fuel economy as in the real world you are going to drive it like a Porsche.)
Not sure how he is going to react when they put a 4 cylinder hybrid in the 911 !!
I have a deposit down on a 718s but have decided to go and drive a 981s again next week.
Chris is right to a degree... I've driven the 718s a couple of times now for an hour and, whilst extremely rapid, just didn't get any emotion from it, my heart is saying 981s - having driven them before the sound and emotional rush I get from that sound is important to me. Mad thing is, buying a 2 yr old 981 on PCP is more expensive over 3 years than the 718s new...lots to weigh up :-)
Chris is right to a degree... I've driven the 718s a couple of times now for an hour and, whilst extremely rapid, just didn't get any emotion from it, my heart is saying 981s - having driven them before the sound and emotional rush I get from that sound is important to me. Mad thing is, buying a 2 yr old 981 on PCP is more expensive over 3 years than the 718s new...lots to weigh up :-)
Edited by hixster on Saturday 22 October 20:00
I've been driving a Manual 718 Cayman for the last 2 days and find it in many ways inferior to its predecessor.
The side vents, glove box, steering wheel and other plastic components feel cheap and flimsey.
The steering, much applauded by the motoring press feel light and floaty. Yes its smooth but even more isolated from the road than the original electric steering.
The gear box is very 'clunky', maybe thats a thing for this type of car, but compared to PDK it is positively primative.
Moving onto the engine enought has been said already, my only positive is that fuel consumption is good compared to the old 6.
My positives are that the quality of the seats is the same as previoiusly, and the PCM is nicer to look at.
In summary as mentioned above, the car to me is no better than a Z3, TT or SLK where before is stood head and shoulders above them.
The side vents, glove box, steering wheel and other plastic components feel cheap and flimsey.
The steering, much applauded by the motoring press feel light and floaty. Yes its smooth but even more isolated from the road than the original electric steering.
The gear box is very 'clunky', maybe thats a thing for this type of car, but compared to PDK it is positively primative.
Moving onto the engine enought has been said already, my only positive is that fuel consumption is good compared to the old 6.
My positives are that the quality of the seats is the same as previoiusly, and the PCM is nicer to look at.
In summary as mentioned above, the car to me is no better than a Z3, TT or SLK where before is stood head and shoulders above them.
Hixter is right to reconsider which way to go. You don't have to rev the nuts of a 981 to get that lovely sound, its just there most of the time.yes if you want the HP then is does take some work, but in the real world how many times are you going to do that a week?
I think at the moment, if you can find a real nice 981 for a good price it may turn out to be the best investment.
Obviously you should not buy a car just for an investment, but for good value and soul in the car, you will be more likely to hold on to it.
Its that special thing that at the moment the mojority of reviews have found to be missing on the 718.
They can't all be wrong........ Can they?
Has anyone found a report that does not mention this by any respected motoring journalist?
Gadgit
I think at the moment, if you can find a real nice 981 for a good price it may turn out to be the best investment.
Obviously you should not buy a car just for an investment, but for good value and soul in the car, you will be more likely to hold on to it.
Its that special thing that at the moment the mojority of reviews have found to be missing on the 718.
They can't all be wrong........ Can they?
Has anyone found a report that does not mention this by any respected motoring journalist?
Gadgit
The Mean Machine said:
Much as I enjoy Chris Harris's reviews for the for the tyre burning antics and hooning around I don't think that I would base my purchase on his reviews or those of other similar motoring journalists.
He can say it is not as good as the car you can no longer buy (new at least) but that does not really help.
If you have a N/A Cayman/Boxster already I can see the attraction of the 6 cylinder engine but if like me you are buying new then you simply have to move with the times or buy an F type/ M2.
Clearly you should drive the cars and make your own decision. I drove the 981 Cayman 2.7, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman before deciding on a 718 Cayman S.
As he eluded to the sound in the Cayman is better than the Boxster, none of them I drove had the sports exhaust. You could not describe the Cayman 718 I drove as inert, it just sounds different.
Whilst the 981 made a nice noise you had to cane it to get the performance, this can be quite nice but you don't always want to do that. The real world driving experience between the 918 2.7 and 718 2 litre performance/usability is huge. The VV turbo on the 718s takes it again to a different level, with more power and usable torque.
Its a trade off between power/torque/noise and a better chassis and more modern car. Am I going to benefit from '9 types of noise' or more BHP?
I actually want my Cayman S to be ' a bit of a thug'- isn't that why you buy a sports car.? so I don't really see where CH is coming from when he goes on about wanting something 'delicate'.
All the manufacturers are downsizing engines and cylinder count towards turbo engines, eg Ferrari, Aston Martin etc so why should Porsche be different. With emission rules tightening it is a fact of life.
Lets celebrate the advantages, more power, torque and lower CO2 (not improved fuel economy as in the real world you are going to drive it like a Porsche.)
Not sure how he is going to react when they put a 4 cylinder hybrid in the 911 !!
And that is why the 718 suits you. It is also the reason the 981 would be my choice.He can say it is not as good as the car you can no longer buy (new at least) but that does not really help.
If you have a N/A Cayman/Boxster already I can see the attraction of the 6 cylinder engine but if like me you are buying new then you simply have to move with the times or buy an F type/ M2.
Clearly you should drive the cars and make your own decision. I drove the 981 Cayman 2.7, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman before deciding on a 718 Cayman S.
As he eluded to the sound in the Cayman is better than the Boxster, none of them I drove had the sports exhaust. You could not describe the Cayman 718 I drove as inert, it just sounds different.
Whilst the 981 made a nice noise you had to cane it to get the performance, this can be quite nice but you don't always want to do that. The real world driving experience between the 918 2.7 and 718 2 litre performance/usability is huge. The VV turbo on the 718s takes it again to a different level, with more power and usable torque.
Its a trade off between power/torque/noise and a better chassis and more modern car. Am I going to benefit from '9 types of noise' or more BHP?
I actually want my Cayman S to be ' a bit of a thug'- isn't that why you buy a sports car.? so I don't really see where CH is coming from when he goes on about wanting something 'delicate'.
All the manufacturers are downsizing engines and cylinder count towards turbo engines, eg Ferrari, Aston Martin etc so why should Porsche be different. With emission rules tightening it is a fact of life.
Lets celebrate the advantages, more power, torque and lower CO2 (not improved fuel economy as in the real world you are going to drive it like a Porsche.)
Not sure how he is going to react when they put a 4 cylinder hybrid in the 911 !!
You pays ya money...
It's all very well having a test drive in remote Scotland/Wales but that's far detached from the reality of my driving.
I spent 5 hours in my 718 Booster today and the majority was at 60mph on the M25 and a bit of cross country on congested roads in Kent. Whilst I'd love to be in my 981 playing 9 variations of a melody the truth is to achieve this I'd need full revs which in 2nd would be doing 80mph with the end result of being dead or arrested.
So back to the real world not inhabited by road testers or restaurant critics I completed my 5 hours feeling totally relaxed, luxuriating in my leather seats propelled by the occasional boost of the turbo.
I spent 5 hours in my 718 Booster today and the majority was at 60mph on the M25 and a bit of cross country on congested roads in Kent. Whilst I'd love to be in my 981 playing 9 variations of a melody the truth is to achieve this I'd need full revs which in 2nd would be doing 80mph with the end result of being dead or arrested.
So back to the real world not inhabited by road testers or restaurant critics I completed my 5 hours feeling totally relaxed, luxuriating in my leather seats propelled by the occasional boost of the turbo.
We've just had a 718 Boxster S for a few days on loan and previously had a 718 Cayman while our Macan was in OPC.
Previous cars were a 981 2.7 boxster PDK and 997 4 GTS, so this was a good opportunity to compare.
The Cayman was a low specc'd manual, the boxster s PDK must of had all the options ticked however, I actually preferred the 2.0 Cayman.
Whilst they are both good cars I always felt that there was something missing and they didn't feel special enough to warrant the price tags.
Chris Harris hit the nail on head with his review, the first thing my OH said when she drove the boxster was that she preferred the noise and feel of her old 981
Previous cars were a 981 2.7 boxster PDK and 997 4 GTS, so this was a good opportunity to compare.
The Cayman was a low specc'd manual, the boxster s PDK must of had all the options ticked however, I actually preferred the 2.0 Cayman.
Whilst they are both good cars I always felt that there was something missing and they didn't feel special enough to warrant the price tags.
Chris Harris hit the nail on head with his review, the first thing my OH said when she drove the boxster was that she preferred the noise and feel of her old 981
I sometimes think what car I would buy if (God forbid) my Boxster GTS disappeared for whatever reason. I think on the short list would be the Audi RS3, BMW M4, or maybe even a C63 AMG or Jaguar XE Sport (with the 3.0 V6 supercharged engine). Sadly it would be unlikely to be a Porsche and definitely not a 4 cylinder one.
dreamcar said:
I sometimes think what car I would buy if (God forbid) my Boxster GTS disappeared for whatever reason. I think on the short list would be the Audi RS3, BMW M4, or maybe even a C63 AMG or Jaguar XE Sport (with the 3.0 V6 supercharged engine). Sadly it would be unlikely to be a Porsche and definitely not a 4 cylinder one.
I'm not sure what I'd go with to me honest, as I will fully admit I am not a fan of BMW cars and the others I don't really find that appealing. Evolved said:
Shock horror, the UK car bubble continues to grow... Huge pop and lots of tears.
I'm not fussed if it goes up or down to be honest, as I didn't buy the car expecting it to maintain it's value.However, it's only truly worth what someone is willing to pay for it. As well, you can't predict when its all going to crash much like the housing market, if you can what are the numbers for this weeks lottery.
Edited by AndyCGTS on Saturday 22 October 20:02
AndyCGTS said:
dreamcar said:
I sometimes think what car I would buy if (God forbid) my Boxster GTS disappeared for whatever reason. I think on the short list would be the Audi RS3, BMW M4, or maybe even a C63 AMG or Jaguar XE Sport (with the 3.0 V6 supercharged engine). Sadly it would be unlikely to be a Porsche and definitely not a 4 cylinder one.
I'm not sure what I'd go with to me honest, as I will fully admit I am not a fan of BMW cars and the others I don't really find that appealing. Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff