981 BGTS owner has loaded 781 BS for 2 days.......
Discussion
disclaimer:
if your a 718 owner, move onto another thread, this one is not for you.
if your a potential 718 owner, read on.
This is an extract from my journal on another forum. I'm not one for controversy and this is obviously a controversial subject. I would say emotive but most probably don't have a 718 to get emotive about lol. So the following is very much my own experience / view and I don't care if its not others.......
It is probably worth pointing out that to a potential owner looking for a new car, on finance etc.... a 981 is less attractive for none driving reasons, I fully understand that.........so hear goes....
So its been an interesting day today.......
A few months ago the rear view mirror fell off......doh! So I arranged for my local OPC to inspect the car for a warranty claim for a new mirror and took it in the following week. They rejected the claim for a new mirror ........... it needed a new windscreen !!!!! It was a 2 day job, sigh......
They could fit me in the following week but no courtesy car (which I don't really need). I asked how long I would have to wait to arrange a 718 as a courtesy car..... about 6 weeks. Now given I could secure the rear view mirror OK with car reg tape and it would give me the chance to really try the 718 I thought why not wait.....
So this morning I dropped my car off and took possession for 2 days of a 17 plate, 5k miler fully loaded (well almost) 718 Boxster S in ............ yellow.
Now I have driven a 718 boxster before, a none S when they first launched, for 30 min. At the time I had never driven a 981. So my intention was to really try and do an unbiased / honest comparison from a 981 GTS owner to as near as dammit similar spec 718 S. What an ideal opportunity for me to have my own very direct comparison / view. Obviously I am very conscious of all the controversy over the engine change but am very sensitive to 718 owners who have spent their hard earned cash on their pride and joy.
Having set that scene / intent I think I am obliged to point out at this point that 718 owners should probably stop reading this now. That statement alone was far from my intent / expectation but in summary before I get into the detail as why, there is simly no real comparison between the two. I find myself rather than being the expected position of giving pro's and cons and the differences not being as great as the press / bandwagon has made out based on my recollection of a brief test drive pre 981, rather more shocked at the differences than I ever imagined. If anything the differences really have been played down by the press.
Anyway with that out of the way, lets get onto some details for the 981 owners still obviously reading this...........
The 718 spec (from what I can see, I don't have the build sheet):
- S
- did I mention its yellow (love it)
- PDK
- Black Full Leather with Alu trim
- base seats (whatever they are called)
- BOSE
- auto dim / fold mirrors
- PASM
- PSE
- Sport Chrono
- heated seats
- NO climate (WTF, even OPC's can't spec it right!)
In other words probably about as close as possible as you can get to my spec 981 GTS, the ideal comparison.
First Impressions:
So on walking up to the car, it looks great. The colour and styling are spot on. to me the front end does not look as good / aggressive as the GTS but the rear end is great/clean/powerful lines. The colour just enhances the supercar feel.
On sitting in the car, its grubby, I have to look past that, its a demo, unvaleted, still warm from being returned by the previous user, my cars are always immaculate inside, nott he cars fault, its what I was expecting. Straight away the seats are not as comfortable / supportive as the sport plus seats in my GTS. The steering wheel looks aweful, fussy multifunction buttons, not as clean / sculptured as the GTS wheel. Its weird feeling leather, I've got so used to the alcantara in a boxster now. I can take it or leave it on the wheel but overall the fit / trim even with full leather does not feel as high quality as the GTS. The grain of the leather is cheaper, the alu trim, the leather stitching, none of it adds to the experience like the full GTS interior of my car.
Now for the big moment, the engine start. First a recap of what I love about my 981. first button I press is Sport on startup (this also turns on PSE), second is flick over to manual and I drive the car 95% of the time in manual using the flappy paddles now. The induction noise in 1st/2nd gear in ANY environment is simply the best I have every experienced short of a M3 CSL (it is actually probably better but its a while since I've driven one for direct comparison) or Ferrari, 430, 488 in race mode......
I startup the 718........WTF !!!! OMG !!!! ........ I hate myself for this but I can only repeat what I've read on forums, Subaru. now that shocked me. I have driven one before, at launch and I simply do not remember thinking that.....but that was pre 981. Now again to put into perspective I was a big jap fan back in the day. I had scoobies before they where playstation pin up cars, my last was a new import WRX on an S plate so when was that, back in '98 ? This thing sounded just like I remember a scooby with an aftermarket exhaust. I sat there in shock gripping the wheel.
I repeat again I sat there in shock, noooooooooo.
Then I remember I had not put into sport mode or switched on PSE. I went to press the sport button, doh! its not there, dial on the wheel, oh yeh I forgot. I turn the wheel, the dash display tells me I'm on sport mode, where is the mode light on the wheel..... its not there, gone. not functional at all but I love the fact the wheel on mine lights up in sport / sport plus. No great shakes but first impression is step backward. what was wrong with the button(s), easier to use whilst driving etc..... ? but mostly the car just has more blanks down there now, sad I know.
I press the PSE button...... nothing. The car by now just has this uncomfortable grumble...... I turn off and back on again, is it working ?
At this point the sales rep comes over and I wind the widow down, have I been sat there for ages in a time warp of shock looking stupid ? ...... no he is there to check there is enough petrol in it, with parting words of don't worry about filling it back up, cool. At that point I remember that the car has probably been fed standard unleaded and not high octance ? remember to bear that in mind I tell myself......
So that has broken the shock I was still in....... I'm off. I drive the car in manual, its what I'm used to now and by far the most fun way to drive a PDK.
The next thing that hits me is how light the steering is, no feel, artificial. I can only assume this car has power steering plus, mine does not. I hope it has as its simply aweful. If you have power steering plus on your 718/918 get it turned off (its a software switch an OPC can do). I'll give the car credit and assume its power steering plus. Again I can't remember my previous test drive being so light.
No my drive to where I was going of about 30 miles was 90% motorway from the OPC and I had pre decided to take a different route, 50:50 a road / B road. In the end I did double that as I simply could not believe the difference to my 981 and I wanted to try every type of driving I could. so there is more....
Out on the Road...
The first, most important and most obvious thing I can state is simply how boring I found the car to drive compared to my 981. Shocking. Now again to put this in context I'm lucky enough to drive so very nice metal at the extreme end of the scales, from Phantom luxury to Lambo mentalness. When I say boring I'm not on about speed. It is no doubt a faster / more capable car than my GTS, but so is the 991 GT3 I've been driving recently, etc... etc... No when I say boring I mean boring in the sense, or lack of, driving experience it gives you. This was actually the most shocking thing about the car, it is boring to drive. Yes the noise is a massive part of that, vastly underestimated by many but the power delivery is just as important. Put them both together as a package compared to the 981 GTS and the gulf in driving sensation is massive, not even close, shockingly wide. In fact it beggers believe.
I've stated before that to most buyers of a boxster, the 4FI v 6NA debate is meaningless. My recollection of the 718 I test drove was that to most it would sound / drive like a sports car ie what they have paid good money for and expect, they will be happy. But now I have a real, indepth knowledge of what Porsche achieved with the 981 I was simply left with a feeling of sadness, the step backwards in the driver experience is simply massive. i found myself contemplating, is this just simply more a GT car but the answer is no. It is no more comfortable in the real world than the 981, in fact compared to the GTS interior its a step back, yes the drive is "easier" to exploit but there is an underlying rumble/undertone to the engine which to be frank was simply unpleasant. I was constantly turning PSE on / off but it made as near as damn it no difference. In my car swithc PSE off and you know its off.
The only comparable I could find on my car was that the kick down / engine braking backfire, snare/crackle of the exhaust was comparable to the 981. Great fun, embarrasing at times. But the comparable up the rev range of induction noise was not only not comparable, its does not exist. The most fun part of driving the GTS is the feeling and noise up the gears in manual mode, it is simply sublime, addictive, organismic..... the same experience in the 718 is lame, a massive disappointment.... boring apart from the sensation of raw speed. I have no doubt I was going faster quicker in the 718 but it simply did not feel like it due to the massively subdued way you get there.
To be honest I expected to then go on about turbo lag etc... etc.... but to be honest its simply not relevent, it does not matter, I had lost interest in the car after 1 hour of driving it !
This honestly was not what I was expecting to write. Yes I was expecting to be naturally biased (as I always am now FI v a good NA package) but I cannot get past what a backward step Porsche have taken. I kept on thinking wow for all the wrong reasons, wow how can it sound so bad, wow how can it feel so different, even how can I be going so fast and not enjoying it, sad, sad sad.
I will be driving the 718 for the next day and half, I've got a good run planned tomorrow but I know already all it is doing is proving how good a 981 is, the 718 is dead to me and that is very sad indeed.
ps to put things in perspective the Macan GTS is simply more fun to drive, that can't be right, can it ?
if your a 718 owner, move onto another thread, this one is not for you.
if your a potential 718 owner, read on.
This is an extract from my journal on another forum. I'm not one for controversy and this is obviously a controversial subject. I would say emotive but most probably don't have a 718 to get emotive about lol. So the following is very much my own experience / view and I don't care if its not others.......
It is probably worth pointing out that to a potential owner looking for a new car, on finance etc.... a 981 is less attractive for none driving reasons, I fully understand that.........so hear goes....
So its been an interesting day today.......
A few months ago the rear view mirror fell off......doh! So I arranged for my local OPC to inspect the car for a warranty claim for a new mirror and took it in the following week. They rejected the claim for a new mirror ........... it needed a new windscreen !!!!! It was a 2 day job, sigh......
They could fit me in the following week but no courtesy car (which I don't really need). I asked how long I would have to wait to arrange a 718 as a courtesy car..... about 6 weeks. Now given I could secure the rear view mirror OK with car reg tape and it would give me the chance to really try the 718 I thought why not wait.....
So this morning I dropped my car off and took possession for 2 days of a 17 plate, 5k miler fully loaded (well almost) 718 Boxster S in ............ yellow.
Now I have driven a 718 boxster before, a none S when they first launched, for 30 min. At the time I had never driven a 981. So my intention was to really try and do an unbiased / honest comparison from a 981 GTS owner to as near as dammit similar spec 718 S. What an ideal opportunity for me to have my own very direct comparison / view. Obviously I am very conscious of all the controversy over the engine change but am very sensitive to 718 owners who have spent their hard earned cash on their pride and joy.
Having set that scene / intent I think I am obliged to point out at this point that 718 owners should probably stop reading this now. That statement alone was far from my intent / expectation but in summary before I get into the detail as why, there is simly no real comparison between the two. I find myself rather than being the expected position of giving pro's and cons and the differences not being as great as the press / bandwagon has made out based on my recollection of a brief test drive pre 981, rather more shocked at the differences than I ever imagined. If anything the differences really have been played down by the press.
Anyway with that out of the way, lets get onto some details for the 981 owners still obviously reading this...........
The 718 spec (from what I can see, I don't have the build sheet):
- S
- did I mention its yellow (love it)
- PDK
- Black Full Leather with Alu trim
- base seats (whatever they are called)
- BOSE
- auto dim / fold mirrors
- PASM
- PSE
- Sport Chrono
- heated seats
- NO climate (WTF, even OPC's can't spec it right!)
In other words probably about as close as possible as you can get to my spec 981 GTS, the ideal comparison.
First Impressions:
So on walking up to the car, it looks great. The colour and styling are spot on. to me the front end does not look as good / aggressive as the GTS but the rear end is great/clean/powerful lines. The colour just enhances the supercar feel.
On sitting in the car, its grubby, I have to look past that, its a demo, unvaleted, still warm from being returned by the previous user, my cars are always immaculate inside, nott he cars fault, its what I was expecting. Straight away the seats are not as comfortable / supportive as the sport plus seats in my GTS. The steering wheel looks aweful, fussy multifunction buttons, not as clean / sculptured as the GTS wheel. Its weird feeling leather, I've got so used to the alcantara in a boxster now. I can take it or leave it on the wheel but overall the fit / trim even with full leather does not feel as high quality as the GTS. The grain of the leather is cheaper, the alu trim, the leather stitching, none of it adds to the experience like the full GTS interior of my car.
Now for the big moment, the engine start. First a recap of what I love about my 981. first button I press is Sport on startup (this also turns on PSE), second is flick over to manual and I drive the car 95% of the time in manual using the flappy paddles now. The induction noise in 1st/2nd gear in ANY environment is simply the best I have every experienced short of a M3 CSL (it is actually probably better but its a while since I've driven one for direct comparison) or Ferrari, 430, 488 in race mode......
I startup the 718........WTF !!!! OMG !!!! ........ I hate myself for this but I can only repeat what I've read on forums, Subaru. now that shocked me. I have driven one before, at launch and I simply do not remember thinking that.....but that was pre 981. Now again to put into perspective I was a big jap fan back in the day. I had scoobies before they where playstation pin up cars, my last was a new import WRX on an S plate so when was that, back in '98 ? This thing sounded just like I remember a scooby with an aftermarket exhaust. I sat there in shock gripping the wheel.
I repeat again I sat there in shock, noooooooooo.
Then I remember I had not put into sport mode or switched on PSE. I went to press the sport button, doh! its not there, dial on the wheel, oh yeh I forgot. I turn the wheel, the dash display tells me I'm on sport mode, where is the mode light on the wheel..... its not there, gone. not functional at all but I love the fact the wheel on mine lights up in sport / sport plus. No great shakes but first impression is step backward. what was wrong with the button(s), easier to use whilst driving etc..... ? but mostly the car just has more blanks down there now, sad I know.
I press the PSE button...... nothing. The car by now just has this uncomfortable grumble...... I turn off and back on again, is it working ?
At this point the sales rep comes over and I wind the widow down, have I been sat there for ages in a time warp of shock looking stupid ? ...... no he is there to check there is enough petrol in it, with parting words of don't worry about filling it back up, cool. At that point I remember that the car has probably been fed standard unleaded and not high octance ? remember to bear that in mind I tell myself......
So that has broken the shock I was still in....... I'm off. I drive the car in manual, its what I'm used to now and by far the most fun way to drive a PDK.
The next thing that hits me is how light the steering is, no feel, artificial. I can only assume this car has power steering plus, mine does not. I hope it has as its simply aweful. If you have power steering plus on your 718/918 get it turned off (its a software switch an OPC can do). I'll give the car credit and assume its power steering plus. Again I can't remember my previous test drive being so light.
No my drive to where I was going of about 30 miles was 90% motorway from the OPC and I had pre decided to take a different route, 50:50 a road / B road. In the end I did double that as I simply could not believe the difference to my 981 and I wanted to try every type of driving I could. so there is more....
Out on the Road...
The first, most important and most obvious thing I can state is simply how boring I found the car to drive compared to my 981. Shocking. Now again to put this in context I'm lucky enough to drive so very nice metal at the extreme end of the scales, from Phantom luxury to Lambo mentalness. When I say boring I'm not on about speed. It is no doubt a faster / more capable car than my GTS, but so is the 991 GT3 I've been driving recently, etc... etc... No when I say boring I mean boring in the sense, or lack of, driving experience it gives you. This was actually the most shocking thing about the car, it is boring to drive. Yes the noise is a massive part of that, vastly underestimated by many but the power delivery is just as important. Put them both together as a package compared to the 981 GTS and the gulf in driving sensation is massive, not even close, shockingly wide. In fact it beggers believe.
I've stated before that to most buyers of a boxster, the 4FI v 6NA debate is meaningless. My recollection of the 718 I test drove was that to most it would sound / drive like a sports car ie what they have paid good money for and expect, they will be happy. But now I have a real, indepth knowledge of what Porsche achieved with the 981 I was simply left with a feeling of sadness, the step backwards in the driver experience is simply massive. i found myself contemplating, is this just simply more a GT car but the answer is no. It is no more comfortable in the real world than the 981, in fact compared to the GTS interior its a step back, yes the drive is "easier" to exploit but there is an underlying rumble/undertone to the engine which to be frank was simply unpleasant. I was constantly turning PSE on / off but it made as near as damn it no difference. In my car swithc PSE off and you know its off.
The only comparable I could find on my car was that the kick down / engine braking backfire, snare/crackle of the exhaust was comparable to the 981. Great fun, embarrasing at times. But the comparable up the rev range of induction noise was not only not comparable, its does not exist. The most fun part of driving the GTS is the feeling and noise up the gears in manual mode, it is simply sublime, addictive, organismic..... the same experience in the 718 is lame, a massive disappointment.... boring apart from the sensation of raw speed. I have no doubt I was going faster quicker in the 718 but it simply did not feel like it due to the massively subdued way you get there.
To be honest I expected to then go on about turbo lag etc... etc.... but to be honest its simply not relevent, it does not matter, I had lost interest in the car after 1 hour of driving it !
This honestly was not what I was expecting to write. Yes I was expecting to be naturally biased (as I always am now FI v a good NA package) but I cannot get past what a backward step Porsche have taken. I kept on thinking wow for all the wrong reasons, wow how can it sound so bad, wow how can it feel so different, even how can I be going so fast and not enjoying it, sad, sad sad.
I will be driving the 718 for the next day and half, I've got a good run planned tomorrow but I know already all it is doing is proving how good a 981 is, the 718 is dead to me and that is very sad indeed.
ps to put things in perspective the Macan GTS is simply more fun to drive, that can't be right, can it ?
Your posts echo the thoughts of myself and Mrs Twinfan perfectly. The 718 is the faster car for sure, but the 981 will be remembered as the pinnacle of the Caysters IMHO.
I shall be keeping my CGTS, bought from new, for as long as I'm able to drive it. Porsche got it so right with the 981 and I can only see it going further downhill from here once it gets a VW/Audi platform (unlike the 911 which will stay Porsche exclusive).
I shall be keeping my CGTS, bought from new, for as long as I'm able to drive it. Porsche got it so right with the 981 and I can only see it going further downhill from here once it gets a VW/Audi platform (unlike the 911 which will stay Porsche exclusive).
I have a Cayman S 987 and have not driven a 981 or 918. It makes a disappointing read your post and I am sure somehow Porsche will make changes to improve the driving experience - otherwise they are in trouble with this small sports car.
But they seem to easily sell all they can make.
In 23 years time we won't be able to buy a new pure petrol Porsche so perhaps the incentive may not be there to develop the Porsche range as we know it very much.
I mainly use mine at weekends and I think there is definitely a case for developing an all electric Porsche sports car with say a range of 150 miles or so. I have seen a number of Tesla's being driven very quickly indeed and they appear very impressive. I know the noise is missing but there is something very appealing about massive silent power.
I hope my 987 goes on forever.
But they seem to easily sell all they can make.
In 23 years time we won't be able to buy a new pure petrol Porsche so perhaps the incentive may not be there to develop the Porsche range as we know it very much.
I mainly use mine at weekends and I think there is definitely a case for developing an all electric Porsche sports car with say a range of 150 miles or so. I have seen a number of Tesla's being driven very quickly indeed and they appear very impressive. I know the noise is missing but there is something very appealing about massive silent power.
I hope my 987 goes on forever.
Great write up. I drove a 718 at the PEC and was expecting it to be crap. It was actually a good drive but the engine was simply too dull, so I can understand the above review. It makes the car boring. Especially when you've driven ferraris etc.
To be honest I felt like they'd carried some of the features from the spyder across (911 turbo steering rack etc), but I'd struggle to get past the engine!
The sound is just not worth getting excited about at all with the 718 as you say. Bit depressing!
A friend at an OPC says it's "not selling well", but I've read otherwise on PH.
To be honest I felt like they'd carried some of the features from the spyder across (911 turbo steering rack etc), but I'd struggle to get past the engine!
The sound is just not worth getting excited about at all with the 718 as you say. Bit depressing!
A friend at an OPC says it's "not selling well", but I've read otherwise on PH.
Hmmmm not sure about selling sell I've seen too many sat in OPC show rooms. Glasgow had 5 last time I was there and my local had 4 today.....
I can't express how big the gulf in driving pleasure is. So much so it will be really interesting to see:
- how 981 prices hold v 718. Normally I would say they won't and no doubt they will have an effect but it's got to make a difference that the 981 is such a better experience.
- the 718 GTS / GT4 will be 6NA or not. Surely Porsche KNOW. If these are NA engines as rumoured it's got to be a massive slap in the face to current owners.
I've driven the car more tonight and note:
- there is a difference with PSE on/off but it's awful with either
- you cannot engine brake. One of the tricks with getting to grips with the 981 PDK is engine braking, it's awesome for an auto box. It's impossible so far as I can see in the 718. Not only that it seems to get confused and I experienced some truly shocking gear changes. The car just seems to do the opposite to the 981.
One of the great pleasures I've had is learn8ng how to drive the PDK, once learned you get that sublime flowing momentum you get with a good manual box but without the risks of rev matching the clutch etc..... In the 718 I felt mostly like the car was trying to drive me. It made me want to stick the car in auto and ease off.
And what's with the button in the middle of the sport m9de selector, 20 second countdown of what I can see is sports plus mode.......why? Just put the car in manual, sports chrono is crap at anything other than lazy driving. Very gimmicky to make someone not used to driving a sports car feel like they are driving fast ? The risk of it counting down and switching out and up the gears when you may need the revs is just pointless !
I'm still in shock, my word of the day
I had a 718 Boxster on loan for a couple of days and must say I was pretty impressed.
By chance, drove a 981S Cayman (with PSE) a few days later, and agree, there is a significant difference in the quality and character of the flat-six. And, as that's the heart of a really good sports car, it would be my choice over the 4-pot turbo.
By chance, drove a 981S Cayman (with PSE) a few days later, and agree, there is a significant difference in the quality and character of the flat-six. And, as that's the heart of a really good sports car, it would be my choice over the 4-pot turbo.
jonttt said:
And what's with the button in the middle of the sport m9de selector, 20 second countdown of what I can see is sports plus mode.......why? Just put the car in manual, sports chrono is crap at anything other than lazy driving. Very gimmicky to make someone not used to driving a sports car feel like they are driving fast ? The risk of it counting down and switching out and up the gears when you may need the revs is just pointless !
25 seconds would be a long overtake, but I see your point. You're nearly there and the power drops off. Like you say, a gimmick.Interesting viewpoint.
I have recently bought a 718 after having 981 etc. Both Boxster/Cayman versions over the last 10 years.
Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
As it is the overall improvements on the 718, weigh in it's favour.
Fine if you only take a brief test drive and miss the flat six song. But, overall the 718 is a far better proposition for me. Only downside being the engine noise? I can live with that.
As for weekend toy? My choice would be a 986 but not for 20k per year.
Just my view from over 100k miles in various versions of a great car.
I have recently bought a 718 after having 981 etc. Both Boxster/Cayman versions over the last 10 years.
Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
As it is the overall improvements on the 718, weigh in it's favour.
Fine if you only take a brief test drive and miss the flat six song. But, overall the 718 is a far better proposition for me. Only downside being the engine noise? I can live with that.
As for weekend toy? My choice would be a 986 but not for 20k per year.
Just my view from over 100k miles in various versions of a great car.
DJMC said:
25 seconds would be a long overtake, but I see your point. You're nearly there and the power drops off. Like you say, a gimmick.
I've played with it some more and to be fair its not just sport plus mode 0n a timer , its a sort of sport plus plus mode but the same comments apply ie just put it in manual and have full control.overunder12g said:
Interesting viewpoint.
I have recently bought a 718 after having 981 etc. Both Boxster/Cayman versions over the last 10 years.
Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
As it is the overall improvements on the 718, weigh in it's favour.
Fine if you only take a brief test drive and miss the flat six song. But, overall the 718 is a far better proposition for me. Only downside being the engine noise? I can live with that.
As for weekend toy? My choice would be a 986 but not for 20k per year.
Just my view from over 100k miles in various versions of a great car.
Before today I expected to agree with that viewpoint fully , a bit like when the z4 replaced the z3 ie a better car but I still preferred my z3m but could fully understand others preferring the z4..........but in this case I really can't .......it's simply not a nice sports car at all, whether as a weekend toy or daily. That's not just the noise but the way the engine drives. It is far too agricultural to be enjoyable compared to so many other cars, it really does feel like a throwback to a 90's jap engine and rougher than many modern turbo diesels, very very sadI have recently bought a 718 after having 981 etc. Both Boxster/Cayman versions over the last 10 years.
Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
As it is the overall improvements on the 718, weigh in it's favour.
Fine if you only take a brief test drive and miss the flat six song. But, overall the 718 is a far better proposition for me. Only downside being the engine noise? I can live with that.
As for weekend toy? My choice would be a 986 but not for 20k per year.
Just my view from over 100k miles in various versions of a great car.
Had a 718 BS when my GTS went in for some warranty bits for 2 weeks. I drove home and then lost all interest in driving it for the remaining time. Just do not like the motor, dull as a dishwasher.
However I though the steering was sharper and had more feel, the car didn't have power steering plus.
However I though the steering was sharper and had more feel, the car didn't have power steering plus.
JayK12 said:
However I though the steering was sharper and had more feel, the car didn't have power steering plus.
My courtesy 718 did have PSP and (to my surprise) I liked it. Lighter round tight roundabouts and the like, and still better feel than my 981. I'm sure my wife would much prefer it too (but she didn't drive the 718). I'd probably spec it if I was having another Cayman.mr pg said:
I've been enquiring about the GTS version, and looks like it will be by end of year and 370bhp. I spoke with someone on the Porsche stand at Silverstone on Sunday, who sort of smiled when I suggested this would be a good time to rework the exhaust note.
The one on the right, right?...
overunder12g said:
Interesting viewpoint.
Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
Mine's a DD too, driving around seeing clients. But it doesn't become a Micra during the week. I take every opportunity to get the engine singing, and to me that IS the number one fun factor, not some burbling embarrassment. It has all the bearing in the world.Let me say here that I use mine as a daily business car and cover over 20k miles per year.
Impressions so far? The 718 is a far superior car. Sure the engine noise is not as musical as the previous flat 6 and, if it was a weekend fun toy then that might have some bearing.
I laughed out loud when Solihull OPC started their launch 718 in the showroom. I drove off with a relieved smile after getting out of CAR magazine's 718S after an extended drive and back into my lowly base 981.
I just do not like turbo 4 pots. Many do, and coming from a Beetle or Golf they may well think the 718 is fantastic. Many coming from 987/981 will be trying to justify the "better" car because they made the error of buying one. You miss that F6 noise terribly if you're honest.
DJMC said:
I just do not like turbo 4 pots. Many do, and coming from a Beetle or Golf they may well think the 718 is fantastic.
Only those coming from a Beetle or a Golf? I haven't had either of those cars. Four out of my last five cars have had larger straight six engines than the 2.5l F4T. And I think the 718 is a great car with an engine that matches the chassis very well.
DJMC said:
Many coming from 987/981 will be trying to justify the "better" car
Better is a subjective word, and means different things to different people. Some think the 718 is better because it has greater power and torque.
Others think the 981 is better because it has an NA 6
Yet others think their car is better because it has an ashtray
-shrugs-
DJMC said:
You miss that F6 noise terribly if you're honest.
Some do, some don't. I didn't.
Everyone is different.
~
What I'm not going to do is tell anyone else they're wrong for the purchasing choices they make. We all have our filters and buy according to those filters.
Comparing a S to your GTS is not really fair. you should wait for the Gts to compare if you really want. Funny enough , the updated interior, steering is what pushed me to buy a new 718 instead of the 981 as i think it's so ugly and outdated,Just my honest opinion like yours. You should go and sit on 18 ways seats and compare tonyour seats, your comparing lower version of seats ofcourse your sport seat will be better.
I do agree the 981 startup is amazingly loud and the vibration from the noise even start 2 meter away is exciting. When i did the test drive i look at the car as new model , i got my mindset that this won't be loke the F6 so i walk in and like all mothers say, love it for the way it is!
I do agree the 981 startup is amazingly loud and the vibration from the noise even start 2 meter away is exciting. When i did the test drive i look at the car as new model , i got my mindset that this won't be loke the F6 so i walk in and like all mothers say, love it for the way it is!
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