718 Cayman Top Gear Review Tonight

718 Cayman Top Gear Review Tonight

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Discussion

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

224 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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Tim bo said:
PhantomPH said:
I need someone in my area with a 718CS to come out and play one weekend - see what things are actually like side-by-side in the real world where we done all have the skills of a part-time race driver.
Whereabouts are you?
North East - which is why today's coffee break talk is all about the promotion last night. smile

Bennachie

1,090 posts

150 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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£1.70 was the give-away, and northbound too.........................




PS i'm with you on the sound.

and

Harris was gentle on Top Gear, his harris on cars suggests buying the f6 car used over a new 'beetle'.

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

224 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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Bennachie said:
£1.70 was the give-away, and northbound too......
Didn't even need to go through - just wanted to. smile

ooid

4,049 posts

99 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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Not a 718 fan or hater but it was probably one of the worst (amateurish almost) porsche review I've ever seen. Graphically and video composition. Horrible shots, too quick, not enough sound and the whole narrative was super boring. Not to mention the post-chat with Matt Le Blanc, it was pretty cheesy and fake-ish dialogs. I really think, they should re-consider this show, it's gone pretty bad (sorry, no offense if anyone involved creatively!) hurl


jules_s

4,235 posts

232 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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Seriously?

Have you/everybody forgotten how irritating Hammond portrayed the sycophant and how everything May touched was dull as ditchwater?

New TG is a breath of fresh air to me...rose tinted glasses methinks

jules_s

4,235 posts

232 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Apologies, I should have quoted your post so it was clear for you

ooid

4,049 posts

99 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Totally, that's the shame part. The access and resources they have, and the final outcome is unfortunately is worse than mediocre.

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

224 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
quotequote all
jules_s said:
Seriously?

Have you/everybody forgotten how irritating Hammond portrayed the sycophant and how everything May touched was dull as ditchwater?

New TG is a breath of fresh air to me...rose tinted glasses methinks
This (rose tinted glasses in general). 'Old' Top Gear before Clarkson went all David Haye, was cringeworthy badly-scripted turd for at least 3 series before the end. I watched because...well...habit, I guess.

I immediately binned 'New' Top Gear with Chris Evans as I found almost every presenter utterly, face-punchingly annoying (Evans, stz, Jordan) - and they have been added to Netflix this week and re-visiting has confirmed my hatred.

TGT had single moments of brilliance, but was even worse than all of the above.

'New' new Top Gear has really settled this series and I really hope this is a sign of more positive things to come. Ditch the scripts a few times and just film MLB, Harris and Reid being guys - I bet the banter improves.

Get rid of Sabine and Jordan - they make me want to kick my TV over.

All IMHO of course! biggrin

Green1man

549 posts

87 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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I quite like most of the latest TG series, in general the content was very good (much better than the last few series of the Clarkson show). However the presenters lack the natural charisma and rappor of Clarkson/may/Hammond. I like Harris but can see how none car people would not take to him, LeBlanc is much better than I feared.

Those that have seen Harris's online reviews of the 718 knew what to expect and I thought it was fair enough, certainly not an overall negative review.

Maxym

2,016 posts

235 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
quotequote all
PhantomPH said:
This (rose tinted glasses in general). 'Old' Top Gear before Clarkson went all David Haye, was cringeworthy badly-scripted turd for at least 3 series before the end. I watched because...well...habit, I guess.

I immediately binned 'New' Top Gear with Chris Evans as I found almost every presenter utterly, face-punchingly annoying (Evans, stz, Jordan) - and they have been added to Netflix this week and re-visiting has confirmed my hatred.

TGT had single moments of brilliance, but was even worse than all of the above.

'New' new Top Gear has really settled this series and I really hope this is a sign of more positive things to come. Ditch the scripts a few times and just film MLB, Harris and Reid being guys - I bet the banter improves.

Get rid of Sabine and Jordan - they make me want to kick my TV over.

All IMHO of course! biggrin
+1

e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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I cam away from the TG review feeling that if I wanted a Cayman, I would be looking for the best 6 cylinder version I could find.

Pinball

Original Poster:

456 posts

129 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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I've enjoyed the latest series of Top Gear a lot more than the previous one. It's much better now they've pared back the number of presenters to three. What it does lack compared to the previous trio is individuality. You could always rely on Clarkson to be outspoken and obnoxious, Hammond to provide comedy relief at his expense and May to be dull. The current three are much of a muchness. I'm not keen on any of the previous three individually, but they work well as a group. That said I was getting sick of the utter contrivance, which is still apparent on The Grand Tour. However, it's quite clear that the latter has a far greater budget compared to Top Gear, which makes it a lot more of a spectacle to watch. I don't really see that level of dynamic in the three Top Gear presenters now. Hopefully it's something they can develop. I think it took Clarkson, Hammond and May a couple of seasons to develop that.

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

224 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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e21Mark said:
I cam away from the TG review feeling that if I wanted a Cayman, I would be looking for the best 6 cylinder version I could find.
I had a skim through Extra Gear earlier based in someone else's comment further up this thread. Harris does a mini review and lap in the TTRS. Afterwards Reid asked about which he would have - TTRS or 718CS. Harris said he would choose the 981 CGTS over either of them.

Needless to say, I sat there with a grin like a man with two dicks. smile

Hard-Drive

4,076 posts

228 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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I quite liked the review. I'd have a 718 for it's sheer capability, but after all I drive a lowly 986. I have heard a few 718s on the road and whilst the sound isn't totally objectionable, it does sound a bit flat compared to my 986 which has a bypassed exhaust and sounds absolutely fantastic.

However, and this is a big one...the sounds recorded on TG weren't really very different from each other! Not quite sure how they managed it but neither car was sounding good! Sure, the F4T will never compare (IMHO) to the F6NA however they were both a bit meh and neither recording did justice to the true noise of the car...

stamp78

24 posts

88 months

Wednesday 26th April 2017
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Disclaimer I own a 718 but this was my exact takeaway from the program and the same unprompted response received from many friends who would most definitely jump on the bandwagon for laughs against my choice but instead felt that the sound recording was biased to Harris' point against theIr view of my car. Maybe it was sympathy but knowing them, I doubt it.

I think it's irrefutable having test driven multiple, that the 981 sounds glorious, but the 718 is a different and IMO great sound - it's got some aspects of beetle and Subaru for all those who relentlessly make that comparison but it sounds unique, angrier and certainly not subdued as inferred on the program (with PSE anyway as my experience). It is honest for what it is, it puts a smile on my face daily for a multitude of reasons, not least that it's a dream to drive to and from work every day. I'm sure that smile might be a bit wider if it managed to also deliver that 981 sound but it doesn't and I ain't losing an ounce of sleep over that.

It's a shame as mentioned above that with 3 presenters they let one with an agenda dominate the assessment on a level that a huge percentage of viewers won't actually understand or relate to anyway. All that rubbish about emissions - turgid. Put Rory Reid in the 718, Harris in the 981 and have a genuine debate or shanter as per Clarkson et al. It's a shame, they are improving as a group but this to me really showed them up as a bit of a bunch of one trick ponies. TGT, less said about that the better - embarrassing.

Fact of the matter is that Porsche will sell the 718 in decent numbers. If they sell to a wider audience (territory wise) or a new breed of Porsche buyer and the purists buy used at (understandably) inflated OPC prices it's. win-win for them. Equally if they can shift those purists to 911s it's even better for them and there in my mind is the real winner. There can be no confusing the greater beast now in the eyes or ears of Joe public whereas things were getting very muddy with such a cracker of a car as the 981.




Edited by stamp78 on Wednesday 26th April 23:07

So

26,271 posts

221 months

Thursday 27th April 2017
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stamp78 said:
the 718 is a different and IMO great sound - it's got some aspects of beetle and Subaru for all those who relentlessly make that comparison but it sounds unique, angrier and certainly not subdued as inferred on the program (with PSE anyway as my experience). It is honest for what it is,
I thought the 718 sounded awful inside and out. As for being "honest" the sound piped into the cabin was clearly being engineered in a (failed) attempt to make the car sound right.

The power delivery also felt compromised (as turbos tend to be),

If I have one enduring memory of the 718 it was that the engine and exhaust made a lot of different and unnatural sounds and the power delivery was equally inconsistent. It left me a bit sad that Porsche would put to market something so technically competent but crap as a driving experience.


bcr5784

7,102 posts

144 months

Thursday 27th April 2017
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While the opinions of testers like Harris on the dynamics of a car have more credibility than those of the average Porsche buyer, when it comes to subjective issues like looks or sound their views carry no more weight than anyone else.

hixster

354 posts

216 months

Thursday 27th April 2017
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Mario149 said:
Tim bo said:
Heh, funny you should post that.

I went through a tunnel for the first time in the 718 CS on Sunday - the new A3 tunnel at Hindhead - on my way to one of the UK's great driving roads; the A283 from Godalming through Petworth in the South Downs. My best day out so far in the new Porker.

Tunnel was an experience with windows down, revs up, Sport and PSE on. Absolutely love the sound of this F4T.

I guess we're all different eh. smile

Edited by Tim bo on Monday 24th April 19:14
I live 4 miles from the Hindhead tunnel, so if any of you fancy a little meet up, let me know smile My BGTS is gone but can bring my 997 GTS or 993 to the party smile
I'm in Liphook - I go through the tunnel most days and the 981s is a joy - we should organise a meet up, would be great

Mario149

7,750 posts

177 months

Thursday 27th April 2017
quotequote all
hixster said:
Mario149 said:
Tim bo said:
Heh, funny you should post that.

I went through a tunnel for the first time in the 718 CS on Sunday - the new A3 tunnel at Hindhead - on my way to one of the UK's great driving roads; the A283 from Godalming through Petworth in the South Downs. My best day out so far in the new Porker.

Tunnel was an experience with windows down, revs up, Sport and PSE on. Absolutely love the sound of this F4T.

I guess we're all different eh. smile

Edited by Tim bo on Monday 24th April 19:14
I live 4 miles from the Hindhead tunnel, so if any of you fancy a little meet up, let me know smile My BGTS is gone but can bring my 997 GTS or 993 to the party smile
I'm in Liphook - I go through the tunnel most days and the 981s is a joy - we should organise a meet up, would be great
I'm just outside of Headley. Is yours a black or silver Boxster? Pretty sure I've seen a 981 Boxster in one of those colours picking up people from the train station quite a few times....

Will drop you a PM ref meeting up when I have a moment

hixster

354 posts

216 months

Thursday 27th April 2017
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Should have said 981cs :-)