Considering Selling My 718 GT4... Is Anyone Else?
Discussion
After 9 months of ownership, I’m considering selling my GT4 for a number of reasons.
I think it is one of the nicest GT Porsche’s to look at of all time, and it handles incredibly well... but all round, the car is just not doing it for me on two levels, which are the most important areas to me.
01 - Sound: Yes, I know we are all tired of listening to people giving out about the sound or lack of sound, but it is just shocking how bad the car sounds, especially when you accelerate hard. My 3.0 petrol Cayenne sounds much better, and that’s simply not right. I should not have to put an aftermarket exhaust on the car, and I am not interested in doing so.
02 - Acceleration / Responsiveness: both my Cayman S and GTS felt much quicker off the line. The GT4 feels like it actually has more lag than the turboed GTS. Again, my 30 year old Testarossa feels faster off the line. Yes, I know the GT4 can produce good track times, but I drive my GT4 on a daily basis and I just can’t find the power it should have, when I want it.
Simply put, I expect better sound and acceleration from a GT car... as for me, they make the soul of the car, and the GT4 just lacks the usual flat 6 NA Porsche soul.
A bit of context around my Cayman experience and ownership... I had a 981 Cayman S for 2 years, then a 718 GTS for 2 years, and now the 718 GT4 for almost a year. I am not into tracking my cars, but I do love to take my cars for spirited drives on quite roads.
I have my name down for a GT4 RS if they do happen to ever release it (let’s not start that debate), but overall I’m curious to know if any other 718 GT4 / Spyder owners feel the same about their car?
I think it is one of the nicest GT Porsche’s to look at of all time, and it handles incredibly well... but all round, the car is just not doing it for me on two levels, which are the most important areas to me.
01 - Sound: Yes, I know we are all tired of listening to people giving out about the sound or lack of sound, but it is just shocking how bad the car sounds, especially when you accelerate hard. My 3.0 petrol Cayenne sounds much better, and that’s simply not right. I should not have to put an aftermarket exhaust on the car, and I am not interested in doing so.
02 - Acceleration / Responsiveness: both my Cayman S and GTS felt much quicker off the line. The GT4 feels like it actually has more lag than the turboed GTS. Again, my 30 year old Testarossa feels faster off the line. Yes, I know the GT4 can produce good track times, but I drive my GT4 on a daily basis and I just can’t find the power it should have, when I want it.
Simply put, I expect better sound and acceleration from a GT car... as for me, they make the soul of the car, and the GT4 just lacks the usual flat 6 NA Porsche soul.
A bit of context around my Cayman experience and ownership... I had a 981 Cayman S for 2 years, then a 718 GTS for 2 years, and now the 718 GT4 for almost a year. I am not into tracking my cars, but I do love to take my cars for spirited drives on quite roads.
I have my name down for a GT4 RS if they do happen to ever release it (let’s not start that debate), but overall I’m curious to know if any other 718 GT4 / Spyder owners feel the same about their car?
Interesting and Honest post… I can understand your thoughts…
Particularly on the acceleration front… you’re never going to get the same type of kick in the back punch like a turbo car delivers from an NA engine.... so you’ve been ‘spoilt’ by that 2.5T 4-pot. There’s no denying that PUs output or delivery.
As ever good to be honest with yourself… nothing to prove to anyone.
Particularly on the acceleration front… you’re never going to get the same type of kick in the back punch like a turbo car delivers from an NA engine.... so you’ve been ‘spoilt’ by that 2.5T 4-pot. There’s no denying that PUs output or delivery.
As ever good to be honest with yourself… nothing to prove to anyone.
Edited by TDT on Saturday 19th September 17:23
I am a 718Spyder owner and I sympathize with your views. The sound is rubbish and the over high gearing blunts the day to day drivability to the point where it really does matter. I bough the Spyder as a Porsche GT product and it most definitely isn’t.
However this is where we diverge because I love the Spyder to bits. It’s a fabulous ragtop, the best I’ve ever had. I love the looks, the quality, the interior, the handling on the road and the relatively lazy performance suits it perfectly. To top it off when you give it the full beans it does fly along.
However this is where we diverge because I love the Spyder to bits. It’s a fabulous ragtop, the best I’ve ever had. I love the looks, the quality, the interior, the handling on the road and the relatively lazy performance suits it perfectly. To top it off when you give it the full beans it does fly along.
Sound is subjective, but I'm confused about the responsiveness. Mine takes of like a scalded cat, throttle response is instant and it fires down the road. I ran my car in pretty much as per the Porsche handbook guidance, and now regularly take it to the redline. It's always good to do an Italian tune up 
For the record, mine has done around 2500m.
Maybe you just got a duff motor, but I wouldn't say mine is not a quick car and isn't responsive. Maybe there's an issue with it? It might be worth getting an OPC to check it out or get someone else to drive it to see what they think.
For the record, mine has done around 2500m.Maybe you just got a duff motor, but I wouldn't say mine is not a quick car and isn't responsive. Maybe there's an issue with it? It might be worth getting an OPC to check it out or get someone else to drive it to see what they think.
Its going to feel slow vs the 718 GTS turbo motor.
The punch from that car out the bends is pretty fast.
One of the fastest cars I have driven to hit max speeds on a route I use. Was it PDK also ?
The 718 GT4 gearbox’s saps all life from the car sadly.
And while it’s a fast car, it's not going to shoot off the line unless at 5k plus to red line.
The engines one of those where you need to keep it above 6k and take it all the way to 8k to get the 2.5t performance at 5k.
From a GTS you need to drive the car totally different and thrash the nuts off a GT4.
To see a performance gain from a 718GTs turbo, you need a 991.2 GT3 or a 991.2 T with a remap. Or spend £10k on a full regear of the GT4 and another £4K on an exhaust.
718 GTS is too good a car and very under rated imo.
The punch from that car out the bends is pretty fast.
One of the fastest cars I have driven to hit max speeds on a route I use. Was it PDK also ?
The 718 GT4 gearbox’s saps all life from the car sadly.
And while it’s a fast car, it's not going to shoot off the line unless at 5k plus to red line.
The engines one of those where you need to keep it above 6k and take it all the way to 8k to get the 2.5t performance at 5k.
From a GTS you need to drive the car totally different and thrash the nuts off a GT4.
To see a performance gain from a 718GTs turbo, you need a 991.2 GT3 or a 991.2 T with a remap. Or spend £10k on a full regear of the GT4 and another £4K on an exhaust.
718 GTS is too good a car and very under rated imo.
Thanks for all of the replies.
I've 3,000 miles on the car now, and I ran it in as per manual.
The car is lively when you keep it up over 5,500 RPM, but with it's long gearing you'll end up in jail if you keep it over 5,500 for anymore than a few seconds.
@TwinFan - funny you say that... I actually thought to myself today that maybe there is just something wrong with the car or the acceleration, but then when you look at it on paper again, the older 718 GTS (PDK) will always be quicker, however my Cayman S (PDK) felt quicker than all of them, most likely because the sound of the engine delivered a very emotional experience which probably made you feel like you were going much faster than you actually were.
I'm also not as knowledgeable as 90% of the people on this forum when it comes to the mechanics of a car, so for me to have such a strong opinion of the negative side of the GT4, speak a lot too.
@Porsche911R - yes I completely agree, the 718 GTS is a great car.
I've 3,000 miles on the car now, and I ran it in as per manual.
The car is lively when you keep it up over 5,500 RPM, but with it's long gearing you'll end up in jail if you keep it over 5,500 for anymore than a few seconds.
@TwinFan - funny you say that... I actually thought to myself today that maybe there is just something wrong with the car or the acceleration, but then when you look at it on paper again, the older 718 GTS (PDK) will always be quicker, however my Cayman S (PDK) felt quicker than all of them, most likely because the sound of the engine delivered a very emotional experience which probably made you feel like you were going much faster than you actually were.
I'm also not as knowledgeable as 90% of the people on this forum when it comes to the mechanics of a car, so for me to have such a strong opinion of the negative side of the GT4, speak a lot too.
@Porsche911R - yes I completely agree, the 718 GTS is a great car.
Edited by oo7ml on Saturday 19th September 18:15
Twinfan said:
It's a modern car, so it's deceptively fast. Less sound will assist with that too. It's maybe quicker than you think it is then?
Get a new exhaust, solve both problems
Ha, i'm not putting an exhaust on it. It badly needs one but I just like to enjoy a car in it's purist form... yes, I know... I'm very boring :-)Get a new exhaust, solve both problems
Power delivery really does define how fast a car feels on the road. A linear NA is nice and pure and great for track work but I really enjoy a slab of torque from an entertaining turbo car when I'm out on a B road so that I don't have to fully ring its neck to feel like I'm in something fast.
Can very much imagine moving from any of the turbo 718 cars to a GT4 would be a decrease in real world grunt
Can very much imagine moving from any of the turbo 718 cars to a GT4 would be a decrease in real world grunt
I have to say the 718 GT4 opinions I have been hearing, and also the sheer amount for sale and OPC not being able to allocate all there orders makes me glad I decided to pass on my order for one, my decision as soon as it was released with the OPF filter was they would ruin this car.
As we know, the likes of JCR exhausts can sort the sound out however a lot of GT4 owners are worried maintaining their warranty, which you can’t blame them for, let’s hope the 4RS sounds like the current Hack being flung around the Nürnberg! THAT car however may NOT be a UK compliant sounding model... we shall see.
As we know, the likes of JCR exhausts can sort the sound out however a lot of GT4 owners are worried maintaining their warranty, which you can’t blame them for, let’s hope the 4RS sounds like the current Hack being flung around the Nürnberg! THAT car however may NOT be a UK compliant sounding model... we shall see.
MeisterH said:
I have to say the 718 GT4 opinions I have been hearing, and also the sheer amount for sale and OPC not being able to allocate all there orders makes me glad I decided to pass on my order for one, my decision as soon as it was released with the OPF filter was they would ruin this car.
As we know, the likes of JCR exhausts can sort the sound out however a lot of GT4 owners are worried maintaining their warranty, which you can’t blame them for, let’s hope the 4RS sounds like the current Hack being flung around the Nürnberg! THAT car however may NOT be a UK compliant sounding model... we shall see.
There are loads of 981 for sale as well.As we know, the likes of JCR exhausts can sort the sound out however a lot of GT4 owners are worried maintaining their warranty, which you can’t blame them for, let’s hope the 4RS sounds like the current Hack being flung around the Nürnberg! THAT car however may NOT be a UK compliant sounding model... we shall see.
The GPF filters have only ruined the car if all you care about is noise. A Porsche GT car is about a bit more than that, is it not? Blame EU regs, not Porsche, and adding a different final silencer is very easy if you want to get some more volume out of the rear of your car.
I understand not wanting to mod your car, in which case you'll need to buy something older if you want a louder factory-fitted soundtrack.
I understand not wanting to mod your car, in which case you'll need to buy something older if you want a louder factory-fitted soundtrack.
I think the market has spoken regarding the 718 GT4...it’s just not moved the game on from the first car that much and is definitely like all modern cars a loser when it comes to the sound it generates. 718 Spyder is different because it’s chassis is a big step on from the 981.
I got offered an allocation/build slot for one last week out of the blue....didn’t even occur to me to go for it which I have to say I never thought would happen !
I think like a lot of people there’s not much chance I buy a new sports car unless they start making cars markedly lighter. If they doubled the price of a GT3 and took 250kg out of it there would be a very long queue I reckon. What you don’t need is more tech, more weight, less noise and more grip
I got offered an allocation/build slot for one last week out of the blue....didn’t even occur to me to go for it which I have to say I never thought would happen !
I think like a lot of people there’s not much chance I buy a new sports car unless they start making cars markedly lighter. If they doubled the price of a GT3 and took 250kg out of it there would be a very long queue I reckon. What you don’t need is more tech, more weight, less noise and more grip
mr pg said:
Wathed Harry Metcalf's review of the 4.0 GTS last night, and his views were polar opposite to OP's. Loved the sound, and thought acceleration was impressive. Gave the distinct impression he'd go out and order one.
Was thinking the same. Not sure the Boxster GTS was as light as he had weighed it at but assume this would help. Also wonder if GTS is mapped to give a bit more lower down at the expense of the last 20 bhp, think the torque is the same though so not sure this is right either. Perhaps just feels faster exposed to elements.If you're not tracking the car then I'm not surprised you don't see much of an advantage over the GTS. It's night and day on track, suspension and brakes are where the key differences lie and the limits are a tad high on the road.
I too went from 718 GTS to GT4, and I'd say the GT4 feels clearly faster at high revs. Obviously, the way the power is delivered is completely different. If you don't use the revs it will feel slower than the GTS. Long gearing and NA power delivery mean you have to work harder to keep it on the boil at road speeds.
Agree the sound could be better. It improves with mileage but that's the way it is. Thanks EU!
I too went from 718 GTS to GT4, and I'd say the GT4 feels clearly faster at high revs. Obviously, the way the power is delivered is completely different. If you don't use the revs it will feel slower than the GTS. Long gearing and NA power delivery mean you have to work harder to keep it on the boil at road speeds.
Agree the sound could be better. It improves with mileage but that's the way it is. Thanks EU!
Seems an odd choice as a daily driver. You've basically bought a Marshall stack, and only play it at volume 1, maybe 2 at best.
If you aren't interested in the track, why on earth would you want the 4RS. unless you are a car flipper.
Anyhow, good luck to you but I can't help but think you have bought totally the wrong car for your needs.
If you aren't interested in the track, why on earth would you want the 4RS. unless you are a car flipper.
Anyhow, good luck to you but I can't help but think you have bought totally the wrong car for your needs.
Xfe said:
Agree the sound could be better. It improves with mileage but that's the way it is. Thanks EU!
I dont think it will get louder .maybe a rougher mechanical sound .iThe silencer will wear at a very small rate and if anything will get quieter due to carbon build up.I think after a while you get use to the sound and forget what your previous car sounded like?
You convince yourself its better?
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