New to the Porsche world - 718 guidance

New to the Porsche world - 718 guidance

Author
Discussion

MPC09

Original Poster:

158 posts

137 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
All

I'm looking for a little insight into the world of 718 S models, and am after a few answers from those who have been hands on. Test drives will be had, but I'd like to lean on the collective knowledge here and be aware of any grumbles from those in the know, or whether someone has a great idea and points me in another completely different direction!

I'm looking to make the move away from hot hatch into my first two-seat sports car so I've inevitably found myself looking at either Caymans or Boxsters (I'm not sure if the soft-top will win out with when the OH wants to put her two-pence into the decision making process).

Is the S variant the sweet spot in terms of price vs. performance? Coming from an S3 where power is the least of its issues, I have a feeling a standard 718 might feel a little lethargic. Whilst I'm not inclined to (financially) push up towards more powerful GTS models.

Can those in the know advise how you get on if you're c.6'3 in terms of space and comfort in the car over long distances? 90% of the drives will be short-distance or weekend hoons, but there will be those odd trips to see family where it's an easy two+ hours of motorway based cruising.

I assume options wise you aim for the usual acronyms/items in terms of PASM & Sport Chrono, is there anything else to avoid/ensure for quality of life/ease of re-sale when the day comes?

Thanks in advance

MPC

49neil

84 posts

218 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I have a 981 and am 6'4"

no problems on a day's drive from South of France to UK with only a couple of fuel stops

Budflicker

3,799 posts

183 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
718 guidance



Well unless it has GT4 or Spyder after the 718 bit don't.

Or at least wait for the 6 cylinder version to be released.


Ducks for cover.....

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Budflicker said:
718 guidance



Well unless it has GT4 or Spyder after the 718 bit don't.

Or at least wait for the 6 cylinder version to be released.


Ducks for cover.....
Damn that was fast, the usual aggrieved 981 assholes are quick on the draw tonite. The F4T is actually a great engine, just ignore the usual internet bks.

Base 300bhp is also plenty fast enough imo, S adds a little more but in my view not enough to make the differential worth paying. Better to spend it on options. GTS adds minimal additional power over the S btw.




Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th November 19:01

Twinfan

10,125 posts

103 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I would go Base, T or GTS. S is a bit no-mans-land.

Definitely try it for size, taller folks don't always fit will in Caymans, although the 718 is bigger than the older 987 is.

Cabsi

259 posts

138 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I had a test drive in both the base and S and the base was by far the sweetest engine.

I would recommend you don't bother with the sports exhaust, and whilst the 20" wheels look nice, the 19's give a better drive. PASM is good.

Sport-Tex seats are lovely, but it does mean you have to opt for the leather package. This does lift the interior ambiance enormously though.

I'm not a fan of Bose, but have a good listen before you decide.

All imho

overunder12g

432 posts

85 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Just swapped mu 3rd 718 Cayman for a Macan.
Agree the base Cayman is the sweet spot. Great economy and handling. Fairly impressed with the Macan now that is loosening up a bit.

Budflicker

3,799 posts

183 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Schmed said:
Damn that was fast, the usual aggrieved 981 assholes are quick on the draw tonite.

Edited by Schmed on Thursday 14th November 19:01
Mmmmm not quite...


[url]




Coxey

407 posts

106 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Had a 718 base for two years and loved it only sold it to get into a 911.

Cheib

23,112 posts

174 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Mrs Cheib has a 718 Boxster....driving position is a very personal thing, I find the seating position a bit high and probably would want the seat further back...I’m 6’2”. Fine for short journeys but not sure I’d want it for long trips. I do like a low seating position though.

For me the best way to drive the car is in manual on the PDK box when I am having fun....keeps the engine slightly higher in the rev range so avoids any turbo lag. It’s got plenty of poke. PDK box looks to be in highest gear for economy etc.

Porsche718S

79 posts

82 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
MPC09 said:
All

I'm looking for a little insight into the world of 718 S models, and am after a few answers from those who have been hands on. Test drives will be had, but I'd like to lean on the collective knowledge here and be aware of any grumbles from those in the know, or whether someone has a great idea and points me in another completely different direction!

I'm looking to make the move away from hot hatch into my first two-seat sports car so I've inevitably found myself looking at either Caymans or Boxsters (I'm not sure if the soft-top will win out with when the OH wants to put her two-pence into the decision making process).

Is the S variant the sweet spot in terms of price vs. performance? Coming from an S3 where power is the least of its issues, I have a feeling a standard 718 might feel a little lethargic. Whilst I'm not inclined to (financially) push up towards more powerful GTS models.

Can those in the know advise how you get on if you're c.6'3 in terms of space and comfort in the car over long distances? 90% of the drives will be short-distance or weekend hoons, but there will be those odd trips to see family where it's an easy two+ hours of motorway based cruising.

I assume options wise you aim for the usual acronyms/items in terms of PASM & Sport Chrono, is there anything else to avoid/ensure for quality of life/ease of re-sale when the day comes?

Thanks in advance

MPC
The standard 718 will be more than quick enough, probably equivalent to if not slightly more sprightly than your S3, it certainly won't feel lethargic. The S is a noticeable step up in performance and the engine has a different character - individual preference. Biggest issue the car has in terms of refinement is tyre noise, to be expected though and it is more than capable on the motorway (I regularly do 2.5hr+ stints in mine and never feel too fatigued afterwards).

Don't bother with SC, do bother with PASM. Full leather is nice, as are the creature comforts since you can't drive everywhere like its a qualifying lap at Spa and sometimes you just need the car to be as comfortable as possible. LED lights worth it, upgraded stereo not, but again personal preference.

You can't really go wrong, if you fit buy what you like and make sure it's exactly as you want it if buying new or as close as you can get buying used.

You'll hear a lot about the engine and the sound it makes...don't be put off and decide for yourself. Fab cars, loved every one of the 30,000 miles in my S. My 992 arrives in a few months so I'll be saying goodbye to it sadly, but its been great from day 1 and I shall miss it.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Budflicker said:
Schmed said:
Damn that was fast, the usual aggrieved 981 assholes are quick on the draw tonite.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th November 19:01
Mmmmm not quite...


[url]

Well update your garage then. Tbf not all 981 owners are s, although some definitely are. smile Asshole is probably sufficient.





oo7ml

379 posts

104 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I’ve had a 981s and a 718 GTS. I also held onto the 981s when my 718 GTS arrived, so I’ve had considerable experience driving both cars at the same time, often swapping them every second day as my daily car.

I don’t track my cars, and I wouldn’t be as knowledgable as most on here in terms of the detailed mechanics of a car, but hopefully my thoughts might be of some help.

718
The 718 is a great car, better than a 981 on performance and on looks, and more comfortable.

981
Much better sounding car than the 718, and more feel to the car.

If I could only have one now, I’d choose the 981 over the 718... however, everyone has different preferences, so go drive both and see which car puts a bigger smile on your face, and best of luck with your choice... they’re both great cars.

Porsche911R

21,146 posts

264 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Twinfan said:
I would go Base, T or GTS. S is a bit no-mans-land.

Definitely try it for size, taller folks don't always fit will in Caymans, although the 718 is bigger than the older 987 is.
Have you not got a GT4 on order !

Budflicker

3,799 posts

183 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Schmed said:
Well update your garage then. Tbf not all 981 owners are s, although some definitely are. smile Asshole is probably sufficient.
I was nice once and didn't resort to personal insults. See me at a Porsche meet and call me an asshole and i'll drop you, you fking mug.

In fact i still won't call you names, but go you need to lighten up a little bit, it's only a bit of banter about the lack of engine noise...

The 718 looks fantastic and drives very well, it just lacks the soundtrack to go with it.

Oh and depreciates like a stone in a lake.




FTW

531 posts

175 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I have a 987 Cayman R and have done plenty of miles in a 981 GT4. At 6ft2 I easily fit in both with a helmet on. I think you’ll be fine although both were fitted with the option carbon buckets.

I’m getting more and more drawn to a 718 as a daily but I’d me looking at the T and go fairly basic or GTS.

I’m not sure how the S is doing depreciation wise, might be worth considering.

Acronyms are fairly obvious. Leather dash really makes the car feel expensive and the buckets are great IMO. PSE (sports exhaust) is worth a punt and dear god avoid the rear wiper option.

jimbo761

369 posts

81 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Budflicker said:
Schmed said:
Well update your garage then. Tbf not all 981 owners are s, although some definitely are. smile Asshole is probably sufficient.
I was nice once and didn't resort to personal insults. See me at a Porsche meet and call me an asshole and i'll drop you, you fking mug.

In fact i still won't call you names, but go you need to lighten up a little bit, it's only a bit of banter about the lack of engine noise...

The 718 looks fantastic and drives very well, it just lacks the soundtrack to go with it.

Oh and depreciates like a stone in a lake.
I think you’re confusing the Alpine A110 smile.

Well I’ve never owned a 981 but my last WBAC value at 36 months offered 70% of the original cost. It’s certainly has the best residual of all my previous cars. Not selling it yet though, great car.



churchie2856

448 posts

189 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I've just moved from a Golf R (very similar to your S3).

Test drove:
981 Boxster S manual, 20s with PASM;
718 Cayman 2.0 manual on 19s, no PASM;
718 Cayman 2.0 pdk on 20s, no PASM;
718 Boxster T manual 20s with sports PASM;
718S Cayman 2.5 pdk, 20s with sport PASM

In the end I bought a 718 Cayman 2.0 pdk. Options wise I went with:

GT Silver Metallic; 18-inch Cayman wheels (free); Sports seats (2-way, electric) (free); Black Alcantara and leatherette seats (free); Deletion of model designation; Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK); Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM); 64-litre fuel tank; Bi-Xenon main headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS); ParkAssist (front and rear); Heated multifunction steering wheel; Two-zone automatic climate control; Seat heating; Smoking package; Passenger footwell storage net; Alcantara Storage compartment lid with 'PORSCHE' logo.

That's all I needed. I opted for 18s with PASM as I wanted the most forgiving ride given the state of roads around Essex/Suffolk. I came to the conclusion basic was the way to, especially as mine is a daily driver. I really didn't feel the 718S offered much more. If I did more track days I'd have gone for a T, but for a daily ... base is best (IMO).

Edited by churchie2856 on Thursday 14th November 23:04

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Porsche911R said:
Twinfan said:
I would go Base, T or GTS. S is a bit no-mans-land.

Definitely try it for size, taller folks don't always fit will in Caymans, although the 718 is bigger than the older 987 is.
Have you not got a GT4 on order !
rofl @Twinfan finally joining the 718 club. We’ve had our differences but welcome to the next generation, awesome car choice. Gentian blue looks fantastic, I’m highly envious.

ginettajoe

2,106 posts

217 months

Friday 15th November 2019
quotequote all
Schmed said:
Budflicker said:
718 guidance



Well unless it has GT4 or Spyder after the 718 bit don't.

Or at least wait for the 6 cylinder version to be released.


Ducks for cover.....
Damn that was fast, the usual aggrieved 981 assholes are quick on the draw tonite. The F4T is actually a great engine, just ignore the usual internet bks.

Base 300bhp is also plenty fast enough imo, S adds a little more but in my view not enough to make the differential worth paying. Better to spend it on options. GTS adds minimal additional power over the S btw.




Edited by Schmed on Thursday 14th November 19:01
Hmmm, small engine ... big power = nonocrycry 981 'S', or has been said GT4, Spider or wait for the F6.